By Jakob Shaw

The Solar System contains The Solar System contains the sunthe sun, eight , eight planetsplanets and and their moons, their moons, dwarf planets dwarf planets and other small objects such and other small objects such as asteroids, comets and meteorites.as asteroids, comets and meteorites.

The Sun is the centre of the Solar System and The Sun is the centre of the Solar System and everything else orbits around it.everything else orbits around it.

The four inner planets (The four inner planets (Mercury, VenusMercury, Venus, , Earth and MarsEarth and Mars) ) are made up of balls of rock and metal.are made up of balls of rock and metal.

The outer planets (The outer planets (Jupiter, SaturnJupiter, Saturn, ,

Uranus and NeptuneUranus and Neptune) )

are giant balls of gas and liquid.are giant balls of gas and liquid.

The astro belt keeps the The astro belt keeps the

inner and outer planets apart.inner and outer planets apart.

The sun is a star and makes 99% of The sun is a star and makes 99% of the Solar Systems the Solar Systems mass. It is made up of hydrogen gas.mass. It is made up of hydrogen gas.

At its core it continually explodes (bigger than a nuclear At its core it continually explodes (bigger than a nuclear bomb) creating pure heat and light.bomb) creating pure heat and light.

The temperature at the core The temperature at the core is 15 million*C and 6 000*C is 15 million*C and 6 000*C on the surface.on the surface. The sun is about 5 billion The sun is about 5 billion years old and has enough years old and has enough energy to shine for anotherenergy to shine for another 5 billion years. 5 billion years.

PlanetPlanet MaterialsMaterials AtmosphereAtmosphere TemperatureTemperature Distance Distance from sunfrom sun

Time to orbitTime to orbit(In Earth years)(In Earth years)

Number Number of of moonsmoons

diameterdiameter

MercuryMercury Rock and Rock and metalmetal

Argon, neon Argon, neon and heliumand helium

-180*C to -180*C to 430*C430*C

58 million 58 million kmkm

88 days88 days OO 4 874km4 874km

VenusVenus Rock and Rock and metalmetal

Very thick Very thick carbon dioxidecarbon dioxide

460*C460*C 108 million 108 million kmkm

224 days and 224 days and 17 hours17 hours

OO 12 091km12 091km

EarthEarth Rock and Rock and metalmetal

Nitrogen and Nitrogen and oxygenoxygen

-88*C to -88*C to 58*C58*C

150 million 150 million kmkm

365 days 365 days and 6 hoursand 6 hours

11 12 745km12 745km

MarsMars Rock and Rock and metalmetal

Thin carbon Thin carbon dioxidedioxide

-125*C to -125*C to 24*C24*C

225 million 225 million kmkm

687 days and 687 days and 23 hours23 hours

22 6 787km6 787km

JupiterJupiter Gas and Gas and liquidliquid

Hydrogen Hydrogen and heliumand helium

-110*C-110*C 772 million 772 million kmkm

11 years and 11 years and 11 months11 months

6363 142 868km142 868km

SaturnSaturn Gas and Gas and liquidliquid

Hydrogen Hydrogen and heliumand helium

-140*C-140*C 1 432 1 432 million kmmillion km

29 years and 5 29 years and 5 monthsmonths

5656 120 438km120 438km

UranusUranus Gas and Gas and liquidliquid

Hydrogen, Hydrogen, helium and helium and methanemethane

-215*C-215*C 2 880 2 880 million kmmillion km

84 years84 years 2727 51 076km51 076km

NeptuneNeptune Gas and Gas and liquidliquid

Hydrogen, Hydrogen, helium and helium and methanemethane

-195*C-195*C 4 505 4 505 million kmmillion km

164 years164 years 1313 49 488km49 488km

Mercury:Mercury: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘Messenger of the Roman ‘Messenger of the Roman Gods’.Gods’.

It has little atmosphere so its It has little atmosphere so its surface is covered with craters surface is covered with craters because asteroids collide with because asteroids collide with it.it.

It has the widest range of It has the widest range of temperature than any other temperature than any other planet (-180*C to 430*Cplanet (-180*C to 430*C).).

Venus:Venus: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘Roman Goddess of love and ‘Roman Goddess of love and beauty’.beauty’.

It has the longest day of any It has the longest day of any

planet, 243 earth days.planet, 243 earth days. The sun rises in the west The sun rises in the west

and sets in the east and sets in the east (opposite to other planets in (opposite to other planets in the solar systemthe solar system).).

Earth:Earth: Origin of name, a Origin of name, a Saxon word for ground.Saxon word for ground.

It is the only planet in the It is the only planet in the Solar system Solar system were life has were life has been found.been found.

Man made structures such Man made structures such as the great wall of China as the great wall of China and pyramids can be spotted and pyramids can be spotted while orbiting the earth.while orbiting the earth.

Mars:Mars: Origin of name after the Origin of name after the Roman God of war and also known Roman God of war and also known as the ‘red planet’ because of the as the ‘red planet’ because of the rusty rock and red sand.rusty rock and red sand.

Can have Tornadoes as large as Can have Tornadoes as large as 8km high.8km high.

It is the planet most like Earth it’s It is the planet most like Earth it’s rocky with an iron core, rocky with an iron core, atmosphere, weather, seasonsatmosphere, weather, seasons and and polar icecaps. polar icecaps.

ice capice cap

Jupiter:Jupiter: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘King of Roman Gods’.‘King of Roman Gods’.

It is the largest planet in our It is the largest planet in our solar system solar system and could contain and could contain all of the planets combined.all of the planets combined.

The red spot on Jupiter is a The red spot on Jupiter is a Hurricane twice as big as Hurricane twice as big as Earth and has been raging for Earth and has been raging for several centuries.several centuries.

redred

spotspot

Saturn:Saturn: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘Roman God of agriculture’. Also ‘Roman God of agriculture’. Also known as ‘lord of the rings’.known as ‘lord of the rings’.

It has the most spectacular ring It has the most spectacular ring system. The rings consist of system. The rings consist of billions of chunks of ice.billions of chunks of ice.

As it is mostly made of light As it is mostly made of light hydrogen gas it could float in hydrogen gas it could float in water and you would not be able water and you would not be able to land on itto land on it..

Uranus:Uranus: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘Greek God of the sky’.‘Greek God of the sky’.

It is the only planet that spins It is the only planet that spins on it’s side and rolls around its on it’s side and rolls around its orbit.orbit.

It also has rings but can only It also has rings but can only be seen when they block the be seen when they block the light of other stars beyond light of other stars beyond the solar system.the solar system.

Neptune:Neptune: Origin of name, Origin of name, ‘Roman God of the sea’.‘Roman God of the sea’.

It has the fastest winds in It has the fastest winds in the solar system at over the solar system at over 2000km a hour. 2000km a hour.

Its vivid blue colour is a Its vivid blue colour is a mystery.mystery.

Dwarf Planets:Dwarf Planets: Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet because of Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet because of its small size and distant location.its small size and distant location.

It also overlaps Neptune's orbit because it orbits around the sun in a It also overlaps Neptune's orbit because it orbits around the sun in a long elliptical (oval shape) manner rather than a circular one like the long elliptical (oval shape) manner rather than a circular one like the other planets.other planets.

Pluto:Pluto: Pluto is named after the Roman God of the underworld. It has one large moon called Charon and two very small moons Nix and Hydra.

Pluto is found in the Kuiper belt with other Dwarf planets such as 2003EL61, Eris and Sedna. The first probe is due to visit Pluto The first probe is due to visit Pluto in July 2015 so more will be known in July 2015 so more will be known then.then.

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