SOLAR SYSTEM
Comets
Asteroids
Meteors
Moons
Planets
Sun
Remember CAMMPS
All objects in our
solar system revolve
around the sun
because it has the
strongest
gravitational pull.
Sun
•Average-sized star
•Diameter 870,000 miles
•Mostly made of hydrogen gas
•Contains 99% of all material in the
solar system
•Temp. range from 1 million °F inside
core to 10,000°F at surface
Mercury
•Revolution Time: 88 days
•Rotation Time: 59 days
•Planet closest to the sun
•Greatest temperature difference from
day to night
•Very thin atmosphere
•Covered with craters
•No moons, No rings
Venus
•Revolution Time: 225 days
•Rotation Time: 243 days
•Earth’s sister planet – similar size
and surface
•No moons, No rings
•Very thick atmosphere of carbon
dioxide and clouds of sulfur
•Hottest planet because of global
warming gases (greenhouse effect)
Earth
•Only planet with liquid water
•Atmosphere of 78% nitrogen
and 21% oxygen
•One moon, No rings
•Rotation – 24 hours
•Revolution time – 365 days
Mars
•Revolution Time – 687 days
•Rotation Time – 24 hrs 40 min
•2 moons, No rings
•Atmosphere of carbon dioxide
•Red color from iron oxide(rust) in the soil
•Largest volcano – Olympus Mons
Jupiter
•Revolution time – 11.9 Earth years
•Rotation time – 9 hrs 55 min
•50+ moons, faint rings
•Biggest planet
•Made of gas, no solid surface
•Great Red Spot, a hurricane-like storm on the surface
•Atmosphere of hydrogen and helium
Saturn
•Revolution time – 29 ½ yrs
•Rotation time – 10 hrs 40 min
•53 moons
•Most known for its rings
•Rings made of rocks and dust
•Atmosphere of hydrogen and helium
•Would float in water
Uranus
•Revolution time – 84 years
•Rotation time – 17.3 hours
•Bluish green in color
•11 Rings
•27 moons
•Rotates on its side
•No solid surface
•Atmosphere – 84% hydrogen
Neptune
•Revolution time – 165 years
•Rotation time – 16 hours
•Fastest winds
•Faint rings
•13 moons
•Blue color from methane in
atmosphere
•Two dark storms on surface – Great
Dark Spot and Scooter
Pluto
•Revolution Time – 248 years
•Rotation Time – 6 days 9 hours
•3 moons
•Switches orbit with Neptune for 20
years of its revolution
•Now considered a “dwarf planet”
•Atmosphere of nitrogen and methane
Saturn is
the only
planet that
can float in
water!!!
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm