2. Mercury  The planet closest to the sun.  The smallest planet in the solar system.  Moves quickly across the sky.  Its orbit is highly eccentric (one side is much closer than the other side.  Temperatures go from -300 o F to 800 o F  The surface of Mercury is heavily cratered.  It has no plate tectonic activity.  Mercury is the 2 nd densest planet.  It is primarily made of iron.  It has no atmosphere.

4. Venus  Second planet from the sun.  Sixth largest.  Venus’ orbit is almost circular.  One day on Venus takes 243 days on Earth. It rotates clockwise.  Earth’s “sister” planet.  The atmosphere is primarily made of CO 2.  The clouds on Venus are made of sulfuric acid.  It is the hottest planet in our solar system because of runaway greenhouse effect.  It is the “volcano” planet with most of its surface being volcanoes (plate tectonic activity).

6. Earth  Third planet from the sun  Our HOME!!!  Fifth largest planet  Has several layers.  The most dense planet in our solar system.  The only planet with liquid water in our solar system.  Has one satellite, the Moon.  Has plate tectonic activity.  Only planet to support life.  Has an atmosphere made of oxygen, nitrogen, and other trace gases.

8. Mars  Fourth from the sun  Seventh largest  The Red planet  Mars’ orbit is greatly elliptical.  Mars is much smaller than Earth.  Has Olympus Mons, the largest mountain in the Solar System.  No plate tectonic activity.  Has a frozen sea.  Very very thin atmosphere.  Has 2 small satellites.

11. Jupiter  Fifth planet from the sun.  Largest planet.  More than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.  Has Four moons.  Gaseous planet.  Made of hydrogen and helium  Has an atmosphere.  Has very strong winds.  Has a spot called Great Red Spot.  Jupiter has rings, but they are not visible from Earth.

13. Saturn  Sixth from the sun.  2 nd largest  Has rings you can see from Earth.  Rings are made primarily of ice and small pieces of rock.  Gaseous  Least dense of all the planets  Made of hydrogen and helium  Has 62 satellites.

15. Uranus  Seventh planet from the sun.  3 rd largest  Pronounced “Urine us”  Spins on its side.  Made primarily of rock with hydrogen covering the outside  It is a gaseous planet.  Has an atmosphere made of hydrogen, helium, and methane.  Gets its blue color because of the methane  Has rings  Has 27 moons (satellites)

17. Neptune  8 th planet from the sun  The most distant planet from the sun.  Rains diamonds  Gaseous planet  Has an atmosphere.  Has a spot called the Great Dark Spot  Has rings  Has 13 moons.

19. Our Pesky PlutoOur Pesky Pluto  A minor icy dwarf planet  Smaller than any official planet  Has 2 moons.  Has a friend who orbits with it named Charon.  Has a very thin atmosphere possibly made of nitrogen.