1. Click
Objectives Planets

2.  Explain how each Planet got its  List and describe the
name. temperature range of your
 Describe where each Planet is Planet.
positioned from the Sun.  List the number of moons if any
 Explain how long it takes for orbiting each Planet.
each Planet to rotate on its  List the number of rings if any
axis. orbiting each Planet.
• Describe the size of each Planet  Describe if and how a human
and how it relates to the sizes would survive on each Planet.
of the other Planets.  Describe two interesting facts
 Explain the force of gravity at about each Planet.
the surface of each Planet.  Describe the difference between
 Explain how long it takes each an asteroid, meteor, and
Planet to orbit the Sun. meteorite.
 Explain the composition of the
atmosphere of each Planet.
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3. Comets
Mercury Venus Earth Mars
Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
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4. MERCURY OVERVIEW
Mercury
Mercury is the planet closest to the
Web Links
Sun in our Solar System. This small,
rocky planet has almost no
Web Link-1
atmosphere. Mercury has a very
elliptical orbit and a huge range in
•Web Link-2
temperature.
•Web Link-3
During the long daytime (which lasts
58.65 Earth days or almost an
•Web Link-4
entire A year on the Mercury planet
is 88 days long), the temperature is
hotter than an oven; during the long
night (the same length), the
temperature is colder than a
freezer.
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5. VENUS OVERVIEW
Venus is the second planet from
the sun in our solar system. It
Venus is the hottest planet in our Solar
Web Links System. This planet is covered
Web Link-1 with fast-moving sulfuric acid
clouds which trap heat from the
Sun. Its thick atmosphere is
•Web Link-2 mostly carbon dioxide.
•Web Link-3 The surface of Venus is a very
unpleasant place featuring very
high temperatures, winds that
•Web Link-4
blow hundreds of miles per hour
and an atmosphere of sulfuric
acid.
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6. EARTH OVERVIEW
The Earth is the third
planet from the Sun in
our Solar System. It is the
Earth
planet we evolved on and
Web Links
the only planet in our
Solar System that is
Web Link-1 known to support life.
•Web Link-2 From a distance, our
planet looks like a
•Web Link-3 beautiful big blue marble.
There are a number of
•Web Link-4 things that make our
planet unique in the solar
system, not the least of
which is that we are the
only planet so far that we
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7. MARS OVERVIEW
Mars, the red planet, is the
fourth planet from the sun and
the most Earth-like planet in
Mars our solar system. It is about half
Web Links the size of Earth and has a dry,
rocky surface and a very thin
Web Link-1 atmosphere.
Web Link-2 The Red Planet is named after
the Roman god of war. Its
Web Link-3 distinctive rust color is easily
seen through a small telescope.
Web Link-4 The surface of Mars features
many mountains, canyons and
even polar ice caps that look a
lot like those here on Earth.
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8. JUPITER OVERVIEW
The fifth planet in our solar
system is also the largest planet
in our system, both in size and
mass. Jupiter is the fifth and
Jupiter Web Links largest planet in our solar
system.
Web Link-1
This gas giant has a thick
•Web Link-2 atmosphere, 39 known moons,
and a dark, barely-visible ring.
•Web Link-3 Its most prominent features are
bands across its latitudes and a
•Web Link-4 great red spot (which is a storm).
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9. SATURN OVERVIEW
Saturn is the sixth planet
from the sun in our solar
system. It is the second-
Saturn Web Links largest planet in our solar
system (Jupiter is the largest).
Web Link-1 Saturn is one of the most
beautiful planets in the solar
•Web Link-2 system.
•Web Link-3 Its fascinating system of rings
has been a source of wonder
•Web Link-4 since we first saw them with
the earliest telescopes. In
addition, Saturn has so many
moons that it is like a
miniature solar system.
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10. URANUS OVERVIEW
Uranus is the seventh
planet from the sun in our
solar system. This huge, icy
planet is covered with
Uranus Web Links clouds and is encircled by a
belt of 11 rings and 22
Web Link-1 known moons. Uranus is
one of the giant gas planets
•Web Link-2 in the solar system.
•Web Link-3 Its mysterious blue-green
color provides very few
•Web Link-4 clues as to what is going on
underneath the surface
clouds. If you get a chance
to look at Uranus through a
telescope, all you will see is
a faint blue disk that
appears exceptionally dull
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11. NEPTUNE OVERVIEW
Neptune is the eighth planet
from the sun in our solar
system. This giant, frigid planet
has a hazy atmosphere and
Neptune Web Links strong winds. This gas giant is
Web Link-1 orbited by eight moons and
narrow, faint rings arranged in
•Web Link-2 clumps.
•Web Link-3 Actually, there are times when
Neptune is the furthest planet
•Web Link-4 from the Sun. Pluto, which has
a very elliptical orbit, is
sometimes closer to the Sun
that Neptune for a period of
time, but, for the most part,
Neptune is closer to the Sun
than Pluto.
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12. ASTEROID OVERVIEW
Asteroids are chunks of rock
and metal that orbit around
the Sun. Scientists think that
Asteroid Web Links they are loose material that
never formed into planets.
Asteroids are rocky or
Web Link-1 metallic objects, most of
which orbit the Sun in the
•Web Link-2 asteroid belt between Mars
and Jupiter. None of the
•Web Link-3 asteroids have atmospheres.
Asteroids are also known as
•Web Link-4 planetoids or minor planets.
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