A Trip to Outer Space!!A Trip to Outer Space!!

By Laura HadleyBy Laura Hadley

Our solar system consists of the sun, nine planets (and their moons), an asteroid belt, and many comets and meteors. The sun is the center of our solar system; the planets, their moons, the asteroids, comets, and other rocks and gas all orbit the sun.

The surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is at a temperature of about 5800 degrees Kelvin. Sunspots are "cool" regions, only 3800 degrees Kelvin (they look dark only by comparison with the surrounding regions). Sunspots can be very large, as much as 50,000 km in diameter. Sunspots are caused by complicated and not very well understood interactions with the Sun's magnetic field.

The Sun is the largest object in our Solar System. The sun contains 99.8% of all mass in our solar system, with Jupiter taking up most of the rest. The Sun is 4.5 billion years old! Its estimated life is another 5 billion years! When the Sun dies, scientists say that it will take many of the planets (including Earth!) with it. But don’t worry, that’s not for a very long time!

Easy ways to remember the order of the planets are the mnemonics: "My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas" and "My Very Easy Method Just Simplifies Us Naming Planets" The first letter of each of these words represents a planet - in the correct order.

Mercury!

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun.

Mercury is also the 2nd smallest planet in our solar system!

1 Mercurian year · 88 Earth days

Mercury has the widest temperature range of any planet in the Solar System, from a chilly -170°C at night to a sizzling 350°C during the day.The planet has very little atmosphere, but this means the planet has little protection against asteroids. So the surface is littered with craters of all sizes. Which explain all the bumps and bruises on Mercury’s surface!

Venus!

Venus is the 2nd Planet from the Sun and Earth’s closest neighbor!

1 Venusian year · 225 Earth days

With a poisonous atmosphere of sulfuric acid, this planet does not make living things welcome!

The poisonous clouds of sulfuric acid give Venus a thick atmosphere that creates a strong greenhouse effect, causing temperatures to rise to a sweltering 480ºC!

Earth! Did you know that Earth is home to 6.4 billion humans?

One Earth year: 365 days!

Two thirds of Earth are covered by water while

the Earth's terrain is the most varied of any

planet of the Solar System. The North and

South Poles are covered in layers of ice

and there are extremely hot deserts

near the equator. Earth's oceans also help to regulate the

planet's temperature. So it remains the same

temperature even when solar conditions

change.

The Earth has a powerful magnetic field. This, combined with the atmosphere, shields the planet from the majority of the harmful solar radiation. The Earth is the only planet in our solar system that humans can survive on! That’s why we are here!

Mars!

One Martian Year: 2.1 Earth Years

Mars is the planet closet to Earth in temperature. A normal Martian day in a warm season is around 27ºC, but the temperature can change quickly and fall to a shivering -133ºC in the winter seasons. Mars is home to the largest volcano in the Solar System. Olympus Mons is 17 miles high and 435 miles across! This giant volcano does not erupt anymore, but may be the reason for the deep canyons found in Mar’s surface.

Jupiter!

One Jovian Year: 11.9 Earth YearsJupiter is one of the easiest planets to spot from the Earth. Though Venus is brighter, Jupiter is further from the Sun, so it's visible long after the Sun and Venus have set. Other than the Moon, it's the brightest object you can see in the middle of the night.

Jupiter is one of the four 'gas giant' planets. Unlike rocky worlds like the Earth, Jupiter is composed almost entirely of gas. Inside this swirling ball of gas lies a small core of solid rock.

Saturn!1 Saturnian year · 29.5 Earth years

Like Jupiter, Saturn is a “gas giant” The atmosphere, like Jupiter’s, is mostly hydrogen and helium, with traces of simple compounds, that spins around the planet. Saturn has the most spectacular ring system in the Solar System. These rings aren't solid, but made up of billions of separate chunks. They range from microscopic particles to rocks that are a few meters in diameter.

Uranus!1 Uranian year · 84 Earth years

The atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium, with small quantities of methane. It's the methane that absorbs the red light from the Sun's ray, giving the planet its distinct blue color.

Uranus can occasionally be spotted with the naked eye, if you know where to look. But it's hard as it looks very similar to the background of stars.

Neptune!1 Neptunian year · 164.8 Earth years

Neptune has 11 moons!

Neptune’s atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium with traces of methane. Neptune’s weather is out of hand! The winds can get up to 2,000km per hour!Neptune can’t be seen from Earth by the naked eye, even through strong telescopes its hard to find!

Pluto!

1 Plutonian year · 248.0 Earth years Pluto is the furthest planet from the Sun - except for 20 years during its 248 year orbit, when it comes closer to the Sun than Neptune. Pluto is not visible by the naked eye from Earth, and even some of the most powerful telescopes have problems!

Pluto is the also the smallest planet in the solar system, made mostly of ice! It can get as cold as -220ºC !

Scientists are hard at work to learn more about our wonderful universe. As of right now, Earth is the only planet that can sustain life. There will always be more to discover and explore. Perhaps you will be the one to find something new, so always watch the night sky!

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Resources Continued

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Resources Continued