Fact
Planet
Its solar day is longer than its year
Fastest orbit, shortest year
Only terrestrial planet with no atmosphere
Exhibits relativistic motion
nd
nd
2 densest, 2 hottest surface of the major planets
Its year is exactly 1.5 times its day due to solar resonance
Highest orbit tilt and eccentricity of the major planets
Has two sunrises, sunsets in some places
Has scarps due to alternate heating/cooling
Most extreme variation in surface temp.
Densest atmosphere at surface; same as 1 km below sea
Experiences sulfuric acid rain
Flatest surface in the solar system
Explored by Russian Venera spacecraft
Only 2% of sunlight reaching it gets to its surface
Hottest surface temperature in solar system
Clouds totally obscure surface
Its sidereal day is longer than its year
Run-away greenhouse effect causes high temp.
Surface water ice sublimates directly to water vapor
Tharsis Mons mountain range
Sand dunes and evidence of erosion by fluids on surface
“Canals” or channels once thought visible
Has seasonal polar ice caps (one water ice, one CO2 ice)
Has a system of canyons 5000 km long
Has a solar day about the same length of Earth’s
Has only two moons
The Red Planet (due to iron oxide rust)
Hellas Basin (larger than Alaska) is here
Olympus Mons (largest volcano) is here
Most likely planet for future colonization
Explored by Viking, Mariner, Pathfinder, Sojourner
Thin, low pressure CO2 atmosphere
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Hottest core temperature (about 30,000 K)
Most powerful radio emissions in solar system, (incl.
Moons named after lovers of its Roman god namesake
Galileo spacecraft ended its mission here
Number
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Mercury
1
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Venus
2
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Mars
4
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Almost large enough to be a star
Has most moons of solar system
Has Galilean moons
Largest "surface" gravity in solar system
Named after king of the Roman gods
Has Great Red Spot (centuries-old storm)
Shoemaker-Levy comet impacted it
Most powerful magnetic field in solar system
Current between it and Io holds 5 million amps
Has shortest day
Rings have “shepherding moons”
Galileo saw rings as “ears”
Largest bulge at its equator (10% larger than at poles)
Cassini spacecraft ended up mission here
Most extensive & complex ring system
Named after father of Jupiter
Least dense planet (less than water)
Has only three moons
Light transit time from Earth is over 5 hours
Has largest moon relative to its own size
May actually be an escaped moon of Neptune
Never been visited by any spacecraft
Discovered in 1930 by Tombaugh (Lowell's assistant)
Planet and its moon are always facing each other
Solar day varies from 17 hours up to 42 years.
Planet with axis tilted almost toward sun
Named after grandfather of Jupiter
Discovered in 1781 by Sir William Hershel
Jovian planet that radiates less heat than it receives
Jovian planet with no atmospheric banding (uneven
Moon Miranda has big cliffs, patchwork surface
Moons named after characters of English Lit.
Moons named after ocean demi-gods
Moon Triton has 6 day retrograde orbit
Discovered in 1846 by Adams and Leverrier from its
Moon Nereid has highest orbit eccentricity in solar
Temporarily had Great Dark Spot
Has highest speed windstorms in solar system
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Jupiter
5
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Saturn
6
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Pluto
9
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Uranus
7
Neptune
8
Neptune
8
Neptune
8
Neptune
8
Neptune
8
Neptune
8
Nearest dwarf planet to the sun
Dwarf planet orbiting the sun in the asteroid belt
Farthest dwarf planet from the sun
Like Earth, has only one moon (Dysnomia)
Name means 'Discord'
Ceres
10
Ceres
10
Eris
11
Eris
11
Eris
11