The Planets in Our Solar System
Planet (or Dwarf
Planet)
Distance from the
Sun
(Astronomical Units
miles
km)
Period of Revolution
Around the Sun
(1 planetary year)
Period of
Rotation
(1 planetary
day)
Mass
(kg)
Diameter
(miles
km)
Apparent size
from Earth
Temperature
(K
Range or
Average)
Number of Moons
Mercury
0.39 AU, 36 million
miles
57.9 million km
87.96 Earth days
58.7 Earth days
3.3 x
1023
3,031 miles
4,878 km
5-13 arc
seconds
100-700 K
mean=452 K
0
Venus
0.723 AU
67.2 million miles
108.2 million km
224.68 Earth days
243 Earth days
4.87 x 7,521 miles
1024
12,104 km
10-64 arc
seconds
726 K
0
Earth
1 AU
93 million miles
149.6 million km
365.26 days
24 hours
5.98 x 7,926 miles
Not Applicable
1024
12,756 km
260-310 K
1
Mars
1.524 AU
141.6 million miles
227.9 million km
686.98 Earth days
24.6 Earth
hours
=1.026 Earth
days
6.42 x 4,222 miles
1023
6,787 km
4-25 arc
seconds
150-310 K
2
Jupiter
5.203 AU
483.6 million miles
778.3 million km
11.862 Earth years
9.84 Earth
hours
1.90 x
1027
88,729
miles
142,796
km
31-48 arc
seconds
120 K
(cloud tops)
67 (18 named plus many
smaller ones)
Saturn
9.539 AU
886.7 million miles
1,427.0 million km
29.456 Earth years
10.2 Earth
hours
5.69 x
1026
74,600
miles
120,660
km
15-21 arc
seconds
excluding rings
88 K
62 (30 unnamed)
Uranus
19.18 AU
1,784.0 million miles
2,871.0 million km
84.07 Earth years
17.9 Earth
hours
8.68 x
1025
32,600
miles
51,118 km
3-4 arc
seconds
59 K
27 (6 unnamed)
Neptune
30.06 AU
2,794.4 million miles
4,497.1 million km
164.81 Earth years
19.1 Earth
hours
1.02 x
1026
30,200
miles
2.5 arc seconds
48,600 km
48 K
13
Pluto (a dwarf
planet)
39.53 AU
3,674.5 million miles
5,913 million km
247.7 years
6.39 Earth days
37 K
4
Period of Revolution
Around the Sun
(1 planetary year)
Period of
Rotation
(1 planetary
day)
Temperature
(K
Range or
Average)
Number of Moons
Distance from the
Sun
Planet (or Dwarf
(Astronomical Units
Planet)
miles
km)
1.29 x 1,413 miles
1022
2,274 km
Mass
(kg)
0.04 arc
seconds
Diameter
Apparent size
(miles
from Earth
km)
Planet Interior and Surface Features.
Mercury, the innermost planet of the
solar system, is a little bigger than the
Earth's Moon. The surface of the
planet is covered with craters, like the
Moon, but temperatures there can
reach over 800oF because Mercury is
so close to the Sun and rotates so
slowly. Scientists believe that the
interior structure of Mercury includes
a metallic core, an intermediate rocky
layer, and a thin brittle crust. The
composition of Mercury is probably
high in iron, although surface
features indicate that volcanic activity
once existed at the surface. There is
little evidence of motions near the
surface of the planet now, although at
earlier times during
Mercury's evolution the surface was
much more active. We know relatively
little about Mercury, compared to
most of the other planets, because it
is relatively difficult to see and only
one spacecraft has studied the planet.
Venus is the second planet from the
Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor
in the solar system. Venus is the
brightest object in the sky after the
Sun and the Moon, and sometimes
looks like a bright star in the morning
or evening sky. The planet is slightly
smaller than Earth, and its interior is
similar to Earth. We can't see
the surface of Venus from Earth,
because it is covered with thick
clouds that strongly reflect sunlight.
However, space missions to Venus
have shown us that its surface is
covered with craters, over 1600 major
volcanoes, mountains, large highland
terrains, and vast lava plains. The
surface of Venus is not where you'd
like to be, with temperatures reaching
more than 450C (approaching 900F high enough to melt lead),
an atmosphere 90 times heavier than
our own, and clouds of sulfuric acid
floating around to top it off!
Earth, the largest and densest rocky
planet, was formed about 4.5 billion
years ago. The Earth's interior is
divided into four layers, which is
typical of rocky planets. Each layer
has different characteristics and is
made of different elements and
minerals.
Jupiter's interior composition is
primarily that of simple molecules
such as hydrogen and helium, which
are liquids under the high pressure
environments found in the interiors of
the outer planets, and not solids.
Saturn's interior composition is
primarily that of simple molecules
such as hydrogen and helium, which
are liquids under the high pressure
environments found in the interiors of
the outer planets, and not solids.
Uranus's interior is primarily made
of methane ice.
Motions in the interior of Jupiter
contribute in a very special way to the
development of the powerful and
extensive magnetosphere of Jupiter.
Heat generated within Jupiter
contributes to the unusual motions of
the atmosphere.
Motions in the interior of Saturn
contribute in a very special way to the
development of the powerful and
extensive magnetosphere of Saturn.
Heat generated within Saturn
contributes to the unusual motions of
the atmosphere.
There are many different types of
features on Earth’s surface due to the
complexity of our planet.
The surface is unique from the other
planets because it is the only one
which has liquid water in such large
quantities. Water forms some features
of Earth's surface such as rivers,
oceans, beaches and lakes.
Other surface features, such as
mountains, earthquakes and
volcanoes, are formed when large
pieces of the Earth’s outer layer move
slowly by plate tectonics.
The uniquely red global surface of
Mars is marked by many interesting
features - some like those on the
Earth and others strangely different.
The reddish color is caused by rust
(iron oxide) in the soil.
Some of these features
are; volcanoes, canyon systems, river
beds,cratered terrain, and dune fields.
Of these features, the most
interesting includes the apparently
dead volcano Olympus Mons, which
rises 23 km (~75,000 ft) above the
surrounding plains and is the highest
known peak in the Solar
System. Valles Marineris is a giant
canyon system that runs about 2,500
miles across the surface of the planet
and reaches depths of 6 km or 4
miles (for comparison, the Grand
Canyon is not more than 1 mile
deep).
.
Motions in the interior of Uranus help
form the magnetosphere of Uranus.
Heat generated within Uranus helps
form the unusual winds of the
atmosphere.
Neptune's interior make-up is
primarily methane ice, just as Uranus'
is.
Motions in the interior of Neptune
help form the magnetosphere of
Neptune. Heat
generated within Neptune helps form
the unusual winds of the atmosphere.