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The Planets:A Tour Through
the Solar System
The Solar System to Scale by Size
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
If the Sun was 2/3 the
size of a golf ball, and
placed at the goal line… =
Sun
Guess How Far Mercury Would be
Sun
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Mercury would be 1/10
the size of the tip of a ball
point pen, and be placed at
the 1 yard line.
=
Mercury
Sun
Which is Mercury & Which is the Moon?
A OR B
Answer:
A
Surface of Mercury
Mercury looks like the
moon. It has many craters
and smooth plains.
The Sun never shines on the North Pole,
so the negative 370° F temperatures froze
≈ 1 trillion tons of ice inside craters
Mercury: Atmosphere
Mercury does not have an
atmosphere like the Earth’s
Mercury has an exosphere, a thin
region of hydrogen, helium and
oxygen molecules that don’t
behave like gases
4 - 12 miles
31 miles
53 miles
62 miles
430 miles
6,200 miles
Temperature on Mercury
Day-time temperatures reach
800° Fahrenheit.
Night-time temperatures
reach – 280° F
The temperature never rises
above – 136° F at the poles.
Moons of Mercury
This is how many moons Mercury has…
Unfortunately, Mercury is all alone, with
no moons to keep it company
Mercury: Naked-
Eye Viewing
Mercury is always close
to the sun, so it can
only be seen when the
Sun is low on the
horizon.
It is visible soon before
sunrise in the southern
hemisphere and soon
after sunset in the
northern hemisphere.
Mercury: Year and Day
Mercury revolves quickly:
It takes 87.969 Earth days to
orbit the Sun.
But rotates slowly: Each day on
Mercury lasts 58 days, 15 hours,
and 30 minutes.
Habitable Zone
A habitable zone is a region around a star,
like our Sun, in which a planet can have
liquid water and possibly support life.
All life as we know it needs water to live.
Life on Mercury?
Mercury is not within the habitable zone for
liquid water, and life probably never existed.
Mercury ranges from – 280°- 800° Fahrenheit,
Has no atmosphere, and has been
bombarded by many asteroid impacts.
All Things Mercury!
Element:
Hg
Mercury
Nevada
1955
Mercury
Montclair
1940 Mercury Dime
USS Mercury
Mercury
Records
The Planet Venus
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Venus Would be
Mercury
Sun
Mercury = 1st yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Venus would be ¼ the
size of the tip of a ball
point pen, and be placed
at the 2 yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Sun
Surface of VenusVenus has about 1,000
impact craters across its
surface. Without plate
tectonics, these craters
will stay prestine.
Venus also has several times more volcanoes
than the Earth. The largest volcano on
Venus is Maat Mons, a shield volcano.
Radar Image of Venus
Radar Image of Venus
Real image from a Probe – Venera 13
Venus: Atmosphere
Venus was named after the
Roman goddess of beauty,
but what the Romans
didn’t know was that its
filled with deadly gases
and sulfuric acid rain that
could melt your skin
Venus has a very dense
atmosphere of carbon dioxide
and clouds of sulfur dioxide.
Its pressure is 93 times that
of Earth’s atmosphere.
Artist impression of a probe
landing on Venus
Temperature on Venus
Night-time temperatures are
the same due to heat transfer
by strong winds.
The atmosphere of Venus traps
in heat, causing it to have higher
temperatures than Mercury even though
its farther away from the sun.
Day-time temperatures reach 864° Fahrenheit.
Artist impression
Moons of Venus
Just like Mercury, Venus also does not
have any moons.
Venus: Naked-Eye
Viewing
After the Sun and Moon,
Venus is the brightest
object in the sky.
It is so bright, it can be
seen in a mid-day clear sky.
It can be seen when the
Sun is low on the horizon.
Venus: Year and Day
It takes Venus 225 days to orbit
the Sun, but takes 243 days to
rotate once.
In other words, a day on Venus
is longer than a year.
Life on Venus?
Venus is within the inner boundary of the
habitable zone, but its deadly atmosphere
and volcanic surface would make life
difficult.
The upper atmosphere of
Venus; however, could have life.
Life on Venus?
Artist impression of probe entering its atmosphere
About 40 miles above the surface, temperature
and pressure is similar to Earth; there is also
water vapor and oxygen. It is possible due to
bacteria being able to live in Earth’s clouds.
Earth
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Earth Would be
Mercury
Venus
Sun
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Earth would be ¼ the
size of the tip of a ball
point pen, and be placed
at the 3 yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Surface of EarthAbout 71% of Earth’s surface
is covered with water. The
oceans hold 96.5% of all
Earth’s water.
Earth has:1,500 1,000 185 Thousands
Active Natural Impact of
volcanoes Geysers Craters Mountains
Earth: Atmosphere
Earth’s Atmosphere extends to 6,200
miles above sea level to a layer called
the exosphere. Atoms and molecules
here are so far apart they don’t behave
like a gas and escape into space.
Earth’s lower
atmosphere is
78% nitrogen
and 21%
oxygen4 - 12 miles
31 miles
53 miles
62 miles
430 miles
6,200 miles
Temperature on Earth
The highest recorded
temperature was
159.26°F in the Lut
Desert of Iran in 2005
The lowest recorded
temperature was -
128.56°F in Vostok
Antarctica
Due to the seasons on Earth, climate and
temperatures vary greatly: However, the
average temperature is about 59° Fahrenheit
Moons of EarthEarth only has one moon
and because it is in
synchronous rotation
with the Earth, it only
shows one side of itself.
The United States
Apollo 11 was the first
manned mission to land
on the Moon, on July
20th 1969
Question:
• How many days does it take Earth to Orbit the Sun?
Earth: Year
It takes Earth 365.24 days to orbit the sun.
Question:
• How long does it take earth to make one rotation?
Earth: Day
It takes Earth 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1
seconds to make one rotation. The 4 minutes
each day adds up, causing an extra day added
in February which occurs once every 4 years.
This is called a leap year.
Mars
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Mars Would be
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
Earth = 3rd yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Mars would be 1/10 the
size of the tip of a ball
point pen, and be placed
at the 5 yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
Surface of MarsCalled the “Red Planet”
because of the the iron
oxide (rust) on its surface.
Has the largest volcano in
the Solar System:
Olympus Mons
Mars has many impact
craters, valleys, and deserts
across its surface.
Mars: Atmosphere
Mars has the largest dust storms in
the Solar System.
They can sometimes
cover the entire
planet and occur
when Mars is closest
to Sun.
The Atmosphere of Mars
is 96% carbon dioxide, and
is very dusty, giving the
atmosphere an orange-brown color.
It is 100 times thinner than Earth’s.
Temperature on Mars
Due to axial tilt, Mars has seasons
like Earth. Day-time
temperatures reach 70°F in
summer, but at night
it can drop to -100°F
This wide range in temperatures
is due to a very thin atmosphere
The Poles can get as low as –196°F
Martian Sunset
Moons of MarsAsaph Hall discovered each moon of
Mars in 1877, & was actually looking
for moons of Mars at the time.
One hypothesis of
the origin of the
moons is that they
are both captured
asteroids.
Relative size & distance between Mars, Phobos, & Deimos
Deimos
Phobos
Earth’s
Moon
Phobos
Deimos
Mars: Naked-Eye
Viewing
Mars is slightly dimmer
than Sirius, the brightest
star in the night sky.
Depending on the time of
the year, Mars can be seen
anywhere from directly
above you, to the horizon.
Mars: Year and Day
Mars revolves slowly:
It takes 687 Earth days to orbit
the Sun, compared Earth’s 365.
Rotates similar to Earth: Each day
on Venus lasts 1 day, 40 minutes.
Only 40 minutes difference
Life on Mars?Mars is within the habitable zone,
but no evidence of past or present life
has been found, plus it is too cold for
liquid water. The surface is not toxic,
but its exposed to radiation, and is
completely frozen. The curiosity
rover is still exploring Mars.
Jupiter
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Jupiter Would be
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
Earth = 3rd yard line
Mars = 5th yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Jupiter would be 2/3 the
size of a BB gun pellet,
and be placed at the 17
yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
Jupiter
Jupiter: Surface
Because Jupiter is a gas giant,
there is no surface in which to
walk, just layers of clouds.
However, the “surface” is defined
as when the pressure of its
atmosphere reaches that of
Earth’s surface.
There are 3 layers of clouds on
Jupiter: one layer is made of
ammonia, the other ammonia and
sulfur, and one with small
amounts of water vapor.
Jupiter: Core to Atmosphere
The core of Jupiter is believed to
be made of rocky material
Outside the core the pressure is so
high hydrogen gas exists in liquid
form, called metallic hydrogen
The outer atmosphere is
mostly hydrogen and helium
Jupiter: Atmosphere
There are many belts on Jupiter in which the
atmosphere moves at 180 miles per hour
The Great Red Spot is a massive storm so large that
three Earth’s could fit inside.
Temperature on Jupiter
The average temperature on Jupiter is a
frigid -234°F; however, the temperature
rises towards the core.
The “surface” of Jupiter, where
its atmospheric pressure is
equal to Earth’s is a very hot
152°F. About the same
temperature as the hottest
Ever recorded temperature
on earth.
Moons of Jupiter
Jupiter has 67 moons, the
largest amount of any
planet in the Solar System
The largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede & Callisto
are the Galilean moons; named after Galileo Galilei,
who discovered
them in 1610.
Ganymede is the
largest moon of
Jupiter, and the
largest moon in
the Solar System.
Jupiter
EuropaIo
Ganymede
Callisto
Jupiter: Naked-Eye
Viewing
Jupiter is the second
brightest planet, after
Venus in the night sky.
Jupiter is even brighter
than Sirius, the brightest
star in the night sky.
Depending on the time of
the year, Jupiter can be
seen directly above, or low
on the horizon.
Jupiter: Year and Day
Jupiter takes 11.86 Earth years to
orbit the Sun, compared Earth’s
365.
A day on Jupiter lasts 9
hours and 50 minutes.
It is also the fastest
spinning planet,
moving at a rate of
28,273 miles per hour.
Life on Jupiter?
No life is known to exist on
Jupiter; however, if life
were to exist, it would be
unlike any life on Earth.
Organisms would have to
be able to withstand
extreme temperatures,
breath hydrogen or
helium, and eat chemicals
like methane or ammonia.
Saturn
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Saturn Would be
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
Jupiter
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
Earth = 3rd yard line
Mars = 5th yard line
Jupiter = 17th yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Saturn would be ½ the
the size of a BB gun pellet,
and be placed at the 32
yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
JupiterSaturn
Saturn: Surface
Just like Jupiter, Saturn is a gas giant and there is
no surface in which to walk. Saturn also has
clouds with the same composition as Jupiter.
Saturn: Atmosphere
Saturn has colorful layers below the surface, but
they can’t be seen because the upper atmosphere is
too thick to see them. This is due to its weaker
gravity allowing
The atmosphere to
stretch out farther.
Wind speeds on
Saturn are very
high, measuring
slightly more than
1,000 mph
Temperature on Saturn
Saturn is colder than Jupiter with an
average temperature of -288°F.
Most of Saturn’s heat comes from its interior
(due to high pressures), rather than from
the Sun.
Moons of Saturn
Jupiter has 62 moons, 53 of which have names and
only 13 are larger than 30 miles
Saturn’s largest moon is
Titan, the only moon in the
Solar System that has an
atmosphere of its own.
Titan
Saturn: Naked-Eye ViewingSaturn, even at maximum brightness
(closest to the Earth) is not as bright as
Sirius, the brightest star.
Depending on the time of the year, Saturn
can be seen anywhere from directly above
you, to the horizon.
Saturn: Year and Day
Saturn revolves very slowly:
It takes 29.7 Earth years to orbit
the Sun.
Saturn rotates so
quickly that one
day lasts 10 hours,
45 minutes, and 45
seconds.
Life on Saturn?
No life is known to exist on
Saturn. Just like Jupiter,
life would have to find a
way to exist in clouds of
hydrogen, helium,
ammonia, and extreme
pressures that would
crush it.
Uranus
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Uranus Would be
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
JupiterSaturn
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
Earth = 3rd yard line
Mars = 5th yard line
Jupiter = 17th yard line
Saturn = 32nd yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Uranus would be ¼ the
the size of a BB gun pellet,
and be placed at the 64
yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
JupiterSaturn Uranus
Uranus: Surface
Just like Jupiter & Saturn, Uranus is a gas giant
and there is no surface in which to walk. Uranus
also has clouds with the same composition as
Jupiter and Saturn.
Uranus: Atmosphere
Uranus gets its blue-green color from methane gas
in its atmosphere.
Like the other gas
giants, Uranus is
primarily composed
of hydrogen and
helium.
Temperature on Uranus
Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar
system with an average temperature of
-404°F.
Uranus is the coldest planet even though it
is not the most distant because its core is
not as hot from pressure as the other
planets.
Moons of Uranus
Uranus has 27 known moons, all of which are named
from the works of William Shakespeare & Alexander
Pope.
Puck
Titania is the largest moon of Uranus,
and is made out of rock and ice. It is
named after the queen of the fairies in
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream.
Miranda
Ariel UmbrielTitania Oberon
Uranus and its 6 largest moons compared at their relative positions & sizes
Uranus: Naked-Eye ViewingUranus can be seen with the naked eyes;
but most people will never see it. A
person with very good eyes, under no light
pollution, and knowledge of exactly
where to look would see it as a “faint
star” in the sky.
Amateur Photograph of Uranus through
a telescope under dark skies
Uranus: Year and Day
Uranus revolves very slowly:
It takes 84.3 Earth years to orbit
the Sun. Many people would
never experience their first
birthday on Uranus.
Uranus rotates quickly:
One day lasts 17 hours, 14
minutes, and 24 seconds
Life on Uranus?
No life is known to exist on
Uranus. Just like Jupiter
and Saturn, life would
have to find a way to exist
in clouds of hydrogen and
helium with ices such as
methane and ammonia.
Neptune
The Solar System to Scale by Size
Guess How Far Neptune Would be
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
JupiterSaturn Uranus
Mercury = 1st yard line
Venus = 2nd yard line
Earth = 3rd yard line
Mars = 5th yard line
Jupiter = 17th yard line
Saturn = 32nd yard line
Uranus = 64th yard line
The Solar System to Scale by Distance
Neptune would be ¼ the
the size of a BB gun pellet,
and be placed at the 100
yard line.
=
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Sun
Mars
JupiterSaturn Uranus Neptune
Neptune: Surface
Just like Jupiter, Saturn & Uranus, Neptune is a
gas giant and there is no surface in which to walk.
Neptune also has clouds with the same composition
as Jupiter.
Neptune: Atmosphere
Neptune gets its blue color from methane gas in its
atmosphere.
NASA is uncertain as to why Neptune is bluer than
Uranus, but it must be due to some unknown
component.
Uranus Neptune
Temperature on Neptune
Neptune has a tilt similar to that of Earth’s,
so Neptune goes through seasons. Since
Neptune is very far from Earth, each season
is very cold. The average temperature on
Neptune is –328°F.
Moons of Neptune
Neptune has 14 known moons, all of which are
named for water deities in Greek mythology.
Triton is the largest moon of Neptune,
and is the only moon in the Solar System
that orbits its planet in the opposite
direction. It’s surface is mostly frozen
nitrogen with a crust of ice water.
Triton was pictured
next to Neptune
during the Voyager
2 mission in 1989
Neptune: Naked-Eye ViewingNeptune at maximum brightness is just
barely within the range capable of being
viewed by humans under the darkest of
skies.
Because Neptune
is so close to being
out of range of
human eyesight,
nobody has ever
seen it with their
naked eyes.
Amateur Photograph of Neptune
through a telescope under dark skies
Neptune: Year and Day
Uranus revolves very slowly:
It takes 164.79 years to orbit the
Sun. Even Jeanne Calment, the
oldest person to ever live (122
years) wouldn’t have made it to
her first birthday.
Neptune rotates quickly:
One day lasts 16 hours, 6
minutes, and 36 seconds
Life on Neptune?
No life is known to exist on
Neptune. Just like
Jupiter, Saturn and
Uranus, life would have to
find a way to exist in
clouds of hydrogen and
helium with ices such as
methane and ammonia.
–26.74 The Sun
–12.92 Full Moon: Maximum brightness
–7.50 The supernova of 1006 AD, the brightest stellar event in recorded history
–6.50 The total brightness of the entire night sky as seen from Earth
–6.00 The Crab Supernova of 1054 AD
–5.9 International Space Station (when the ISS is fully lit by the Sun)
–4.89 Maximum brightness of Venus
–3.82 Minimum brightness of Venus
–2.94 Maximum brightness of Jupiter
–2.91 Maximum brightness of Mars
–2.50 Minimum brightness of the moon (New Moon)
–2.45 Maximum brightness of Mercury
–1.61 Minimum brightness of Jupiter
–1.47 Sirius: The brightest star (except for the Sun)
–0.72 Canpous: Second-brightest star
–0.49 Maximum brightness of Saturn
–0.27 Alpha Centauri AB star system: Third-brightest star
–0.04 Arcturus: Fourth-brightest star (No more stars are listed after this point)
1.47 Minimum brightness of Saturn
1.84 Minimum brightness of Mars
3 to 4 Faintest stars visible in an urban neighborhood with naked eye
3.44 The Andromeda Galaxy
4.38 Maximum brightness of Ganymede (moon of Jupiter & the largest moon)
5.32 Maximum brightness of Uranus
5.73 Minimum brightness of Mercury
5.95 Minimum brightness of Uranus
6.64 Maximum brightness of dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt
6.75 Maximum brightness of asteroid Iris
7 to 8 Extreme naked eye limit: (person with extremely good eyes) in a class 1 Bortle Sky (best night skies on Earth)
7.78 Maximum brightness of Neptune
8.02 Minimum brightness of Neptune
8.10 Maximum brightness of Titan (largest moon of Saturn)
9.50 Faintest objects visible using common 7x50 binoculars under typical conditions
13.42 Maximum brightness of Triton (moon of Neptune)
13.65 Maximum brightness of Pluto
List of the
Brightest
Naked-Eye
Celestial
Objects
