The Solar System Study Guide
Planets of the Solar System
Student Name: ______________________________________
Date of the Lesson: ____________________
Teacher: _______________
Instructions: Complete each of the Planet Fact Sheets tables by filling in the correct
information taken from http://www.nineplanets.org/
Material taken from the following sources (copyright permission received):
www.kidscosmos.org/kid-stuff
http://www.nineplanets.org/
http://www.nasa.gov/
1
Planet Page 1
Mercury
Mercury is a battered and baked planet just larger than Earth's moon. Evidence of heavy
bombardment from the chaos of the formation of the solar system is left in the hundreds
of craters and resulting lava flows on this small, barren planet.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the eighth largest. Mercury is slightly smaller
in diameter than the moons Ganymede and Titan but more than twice as massive.
orbit:
57,910,000 km (0.38 AU) from Sun
diameter: 4,880 km
mass: 3.30e23 kg
Quick Facts about Mercury
Topic
Data
Diameter
Density
5.43 g/cm3
Mass
3.303 x 1023 kg
Volume
6.084 x 1010 km3
Temperature Range
-173° C to 427° C
Atmosphere
Some Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen
Winds
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
Orbital Period
Rotation
Tilt
0.00°
Rings
None
Composition
Iron Core, Silicate Surface
Magnetic Field
Slight
Class Notes:
2
Planet Page 2
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the sixth largest. Venus' orbit is the most
nearly circular of that of any planet, with an eccentricity of less than 1%.
orbit:
108,200,000 km (0.72 AU) from Sun
diameter: 12,103.6 km
mass: 4.869e24 kg
Quick Facts about Venus
Topic
Data
Diameter
12,104 km
Density
5.25 g/cm3
Mass
4.869 x 1024 kg
Volume
9.284 x 1011 km3
Temperature Range
-45° C to 464° C
Atmosphere
97% Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen
Winds
350 km/hr
Moons
None
Average Distance from Sun
Orbital Period
Rotation (Retrograde)
Tilt
177.36°
Rings
None
Composition
Iron Core, Silicate Surface
Magnetic Field
Slight
Class Notes:
3
Planet Page 3
Earth
Earth, our home planet is teeming with life and wondrous things. We have studied Earth
more than any other planet yet there is still more to be discovered.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest:
orbit:
149,600,000 km (1.00 AU) from Sun
diameter: 12,756.3 km
mass: 5.972e24 kg
Quick Facts about Earth
Topic
Data
Diameter
12,756.28 km
Density
5.515 g/cm3
Mass
5.976 x 1024 kg
Volume
1.087 x 1012 km3
Temperature Range
Atmosphere
Mostly Nitrogen and Oxygen
Winds
483 km/hr
Moons
One
Average Distance from Sun
149,597,870 km
Orbital Period
1 Year, 0 Days, 0 Hours
Rotation
23 Hours 56.1 Min
Tilt
23.45°
Rings
None
Composition
Iron Core, Silicate Surface
Magnetic Field
Up to 362000 km from Surface
Class Notes:
4
Planet Page 4
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the seventh largest:
orbit: 227,940,000 km (1.52 AU) from Sun
diameter: 6,794 km
mass: 6.4219e23 kg
Quick Facts about Mars
Topic
Data
Diameter
6794.4 km
Density
3.94 g/cm3
Mass
6.421 x 1023 kg
Volume
1.643 x 1011 km3
Temperature Range
-140° C to 20° C
Atmosphere
Mostly Carbon Dioxide
Winds
Up to 100 km/hr
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
227,940,000 km
Orbital Period
Rotation
Tilt
25.19°
Rings
No
Composition
Iron Oxides and Silicates
Magnetic Field
Slight
Class Notes:
5
Planet Page 5
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest. Jupiter is more than twice as
massive as all the other planets combined (the mass of Jupiter is 318 times that of Earth).
orbit:
778,330,000 km (5.20 AU) from Sun
diameter: 142,984 km (equatorial)
mass: 1.900e27 kg
Quick Facts about Jupiter
Topic
Data
Diameter
142,984 km
Density
1.33 g/cm3
Mass
1.900 x 1027 kg
Volume
1.377 x 1015 km3
Temperature Range
-163° C to >-121° C
Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Winds
Up to 150 m/s
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
778,330,000 km
Orbital Period
Rotation
0 Days, 9.925 Hours
Tilt
3.13°
Rings
Yes
Composition
Hydrogen and Helium
Magnetic Field
Extends 1,600,000 km
Class Notes:
6
Planet Page 6
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest:
orbit:
1,429,400,000 km (9.54 AU) from Sun
diameter: 120,536 km (equatorial)
mass: 5.68e26 kg
Quick Facts about Saturn
Topic
Data
Diameter
120,536 km
Density
0.69 g/cm3
Mass
5.688 x 1026 kg
Volume
8.183 x 1014 km3
Temperature Range
-191° C to >-130° C
Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Winds
Up to 400 m/s
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
1,429,400,000 km
Orbital Period
29 Years, 167 Days, 6.7 Hours
Rotation
0 Days, 10.233 Hours
Tilt
25.33°
Rings
Composition
Hydrogen and Helium
Magnetic Field
Extremely strong
Class Notes:
7
Planet Page 7
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third largest (by diameter). Uranus is
larger in diameter but smaller in mass than Neptune.
orbit:
2,870,990,000 km (19.218 AU) from Sun
diameter: 51,118 km (equatorial)
mass: 8.683e25 kg
Quick Facts about Uranus
Topic
Data
Diameter
51,118 km
Density
1.29 g/cm3
Mass
8.686 x 1025 kg
Volume
6.995 x 1013 km3
Temperature Range
-214° C to >-205° C
Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Winds
Up to 160 m/s
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
Orbital Period
84 Years, 3 Days, 15.66 Hours
Rotation
0 Days, 17.25 Hours
Tilt
97.86°
Rings
Yes
Composition
Hydrogen and Helium
Magnetic Field
Extends 15 times planet radius
Class Notes:
8
Planet Page 8
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the fourth largest (by diameter). Neptune is
smaller in diameter but larger in mass than Uranus.
orbit:
4,504,000,000 km (30.06 AU) from Sun
diameter: 49,532 km (equatorial)
mass: 1.0247e26 kg
Quick Facts about Neptune
Topic
Data
Diameter
49,572 km
Density
1.64 g/cm3
Mass
1.024 x 1026 kg
Volume
6.379 x 1013 km3
Temperature Range
-223° C to >-220° C
Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane
Winds
Up to 2400 m/s
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
4,504,300,000 km
Orbital Period
164 Years, 288 Days, 13.0 Hours
Rotation
0 Days, 16.11 Hours
Tilt
28.31°
Rings
Yes
Composition
Hydrogen and Helium
Magnetic Field
Up to 20 times its radius
Class Notes:
9
Planet Page 9
Pluto
Pluto orbits beyond the orbit of Neptune (usually). It is much smaller than any of the
official planets and now classified as a "dwarf planet". Pluto is smaller than seven of the
solar system's moons (the Moon, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan and Triton).
orbit:
5,913,520,000 km (39.5 AU) from the Sun (average)
diameter: 2274 km
mass: 1.27e22 kg
Quick Facts about Pluto
Topic
Data
Diameter
2320 km
Density
2.05 g/cm3
Mass
1.290 x 1022 kg
Volume
6.545 x 109 km3
Temperature Range
-240° C to -218° C
Atmosphere
Methane
Winds
Not Measurable
Moons
Average Distance from Sun
5,913,520,000 km
Orbital Period
Rotation
6 Days, 9.25 Hours
Tilt
122.52°
Rings
None
Composition
Frozen Methane and Other Ices
Magnetic Field
None
Class Notes:
10
After you complete the Interactive Lesson later, mark your answers
here on this page.
What Did You Learn? A Review…
Think About the Following Questions and Put Your Answers
on Your Planets Worksheet.
True False
1. The inner planets are closer to the sun
2. Mercury is the hottest of the planets
3. Venus is the closest in size to the Earth
4. Earth is the only planet in our solar system known to harbor life.
5. Most scientists agree that there was once large amounts of
water on the planet Mars.
6. The meteor belt is located between Mars and Jupiter
7. Hurricane-like storms called the Great Red Spot are located on
Jupiter
8. Galileo first observed Saturn with a telescope in 1610
9. Neptune was the first planet located by mathematical
predictions instead of regular observations
10. Pluto is no longer considered an official planet
38
11