The Solar System
An Interactive Learning Station
The Planets
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Currently, there are nine planets which
have been discovered. They include:
Mercury
Neptune
Venus
Saturn
Earth
Uranus
Mars
Pluto
Jupiter
Mercury
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Closest to the sun.
Only visited by one spacecraft:
Mariner 10.
Orbits the sun every 88 days.
Temperatures can reach 467
degrees Celsius.
Second smallest planet to Pluto.
Surface resembles the moon
because meteorites can not
burn up – there is practically no
atmosphere.
Venus
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Similar to Earth in size,
mass and composition
Covered with clouds that
trap in heat, creating a
greenhouse effect.
Rotates once every 243
Earth days and orbits the
Sun every 225 days – this
makes its day is longer than
its year!
Earth
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Only planet known to
have life.
Earth has seasons
because its axis is tilted
23 degrees.
Oceans cover 70% of
Earth’s surface.
Has one satellite: the
moon.
Mars
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Small, red, rocky planet.
Has two small moons.
Experiences large dust
storms.
Water ice was discovered in
2002 – this discovery will aid
scientists in answering the
question, “Is there, was
there, or will there be life on
Mars?”
Has the largest volcano in
space.
Jupiter
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Largest planet.
Has three rings.
Surface is probably gases
and liquids.
Our VIP – Galileo –
discovered 4 of Jupiter’s
moons: Io, Europa,
Ganymede, and Callisto.
Jupiter officially has 52
moons - the most in the
solar system.
Saturn
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In 1610, Galileo became the
first astronomer to see
Saturn through a telescope.
Made mostly of hydrogen
and helium.
The rings of Saturn are
made of mostly water ice.
Saturn has at least 30
moons. The largest is Titan
and is a bit bigger than
Mercury.
Uranus
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The blue-green color comes
from methane gas.
It takes 84 years for Uranus
to complete one revolution
around the sun.
Seasons in Uranus last about
20 years due to it’s unique
horizontal tilt.
Uranus has 11 rings and at
least 20 moons.
Neptune
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Neptune was the first planet
to be discovered by using
mathematics rather than
observations of the sky.
Neptune was discovered in
1846. Its orbit is 165 years,
therefore it has yet made a
full circle around the Sun
since it was discovered.
Neptune's largest moon,
Triton, gets colder than Pluto.
Pluto
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Pluto is so far away that is it
difficult for scientists to learn
about it. The outer fringes of
our solar system await close-up
observations by a robotic space
flight mission.
Pluto is different from the rest
of the planets. It may be the
largest of a group of icy objects
just beyond Neptune called the
Kuiper Belt.
Self Check Question One
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Which planet has frequent dust storms?
Earth
Pluto
Uranus
Mars
Correct!
Next Question
Self Check Question Two
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Which planet has seasons that last 20 years?
Mercury
Jupiter
Uranus
Mars
Correct!
Next Question
Self Check Question Three
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Which planet has the most moons?
Jupiter
Earth
Venus
Pluto
Correct!
Next Question
Self Check Question Four
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Which planet was discovered using mathematics
rather than observation?
Saturn
Neptune
Venus
Pluto
Correct!
Next Question
Self Check Question Five
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Which Planet’s surface resembles the moon’s?
Jupiter
Mercury
Neptune
Saturn
Congratulations!
You have completed the interactive learning
station!
References
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NASA Kids
Goodman, Polly. Space & Art Activities. New
York: Crabtree Pub, 2002.
Simon, Seymour. Planets Around the Sun. New
York: Seastar Books, 2002.
Nine Planets
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