The Sun and the Inner Planets

THE SUN -The Sun is the Largest object in our solar system. -The Greeks called it Helios, the Romans called it Sol. The Sun is 1,390,000 km in diameter. The temperature is 5800 on it’s surface, and 15,600,000 at it’s core.

The Sun is actually a star! There are billions of stars in the sky, only a fraction of which we can see with our unaided eyes. The sun is the closest star to our planet, and the second closest star is 4.24 light years away. (That means it takes 4.24 years for us to see the light given off by the second closest star!

The sun is actually a source of energy! The two most common views of the sun’s energy is seen through the light it gives off and the heat it gives off. That’s why it’s important to wear sunscreen!!!

Mercury Mercury is actually named after the roman god. Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and has no moon! Its exactly 36 million miles from the sun, and has a mass of 4,878 km. This planet has 88 earth days in it’s orbit around the sun, and it takes 58.7 earth days to have one rotation on it’s axis.

Venus Named after the Roman god of love and beauty The 2 nd closest planet to the sun, and also has no moons. It takes Venus 225 earth days to orbit around the sun, and 243 earth days to complete one rotation on it’s axis. Venus is located 67.2 million miles from the Sun.

Venus is a giant desert planet. It’s made up of mountains, and valleys, and a 200-mile river of hardened lava! Because of it’s closeness to the sun, and the gaseous clouds that surround the planet’s atmosphere, there is no way anyone could land on this planet.

Planet Earth! Our home planet is the 3 rd planet from the sun, and has one moon. This moon consistently orbits around the planet. The earth orbits the sun in 365 days and has a 24 hour orbit on it’s axis. The Earth is 93 million miles from the sun, and is close in size to Mars.

MARS Named after the Roman God of War. 4 th planet from the Sun. The only planet that can be seen in detail to Earth’s surface. Mars is the closest in similarities to Earth than any other planet: Orbit around the sun is 687 days, Rotation on it’s axis is 24 and a half hours.

Mars is the only planet besides Earth that has had people walk on it’s surface. It’s 141 million miles from the Sun Mars has not one, but two moons!