The nine planets

The Nine Planets

(13.14)

The Nine Planets in our Solar System

The Inner PlanetsThe four planets closest to the Sun are

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.All four of these planets are made up

of a rocky material and therefore are called the terrestrial planets.

These planets are also known as the inner planets.

MercuryMercury is the closest planet to the Sun;

therefore, it gets sunlight that is 10 times brighter than the Earth’s.

Mercury does not have an atmosphere to help trap the heat it receives from the Sun, so it loses all of its heat at night dropping to -180 degrees Celsius (oC).

Mercury’s daytime temperature is a sweltering 400 (oC).

Mercury is rarely seen in our night sky because it is so close to the Sun.

When we do see Mercury, it is generally at sunset and at sunrise.

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/merc/mercury.htm

How Was Mercury Formed?

• There are two theories as to how planets in the solar system were created.

1.The first and most widely accepted, core accretion..

2.The second, the disk instability method, may account for the creation of these giant planets.

What is Mercury Made Of?

How Big is Mercury?

• Radius, diameter and circumference

Mercury's diameter is 3,030 miles (4,878 km).The planet has a mean radius of 1,516 miles (2,440 km), and its circumference at the equator is 9,525 miles (15,329 km).

How Big is Mercury? Density, mass and volume

Mercury has a mass of 330 x 1023 kilograms. This mass is contained in a volume of 14.6 trillion cubic miles (60.8 trillion cubic km). The mass and volume of Mercury is only about 0.055 times that of Earth.

• But because Mercury's small mass is enclosed inside of a tiny body, the planet is the second densest in the solar system, weighing in at 5.427 grams per cubic centimeter, or 98 percent of the density of our planet.

Mercury's Atmosphere• Of all the planets in the solar system,

Mercury has the thinnest atmosphere, thinner than even Mars. Several components are constantly replenished by the solar wind blowing off of the nearby sun.

Atmospheric ComponentsThe makeup of Mercury's negligible atmosphere is:

– Oxygen: 42 percent– Sodium: 29 percent– Hydrogen: 22 percent– Helium: 6 percent– Potassium: 0.5 percent

• With possible traces of argon, carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen, xenon, krypton, neon, calcium, and magnesium

Atmospheric Components• The hydrogen and helium atoms likely

come from the sun, streaming in on the solar wind and spreading out through the planet's atmosphere. Impacting comets and meteorites likely brought in the water vapor and other elements. Others may come from the radioactive decay of the planet's crust. Eventually, these gases are caught by the solar wind and carried off of the planet.

Climate and WeatherThe lack of atmosphere also contributes to the

planet's wild temperature extremes. On other planets, the atmosphere functions as a blanket, helping to redistribute heat somewhat. But on Mercury, the thin atmosphere does nothing to stabilize the incoming solar rays—and because the distance to Mercury from the sun is so small, the day side of the planet feels the heat keenly, while the night side, turned from the sun, only registers the cold. Mercury's lack of atmosphere means that it is not the hottest planet; Venus, with its runaway global warming, has that honor.

Mercury ProfileMass 330,104,000,000,000 billion kg (0.055 x Earth)

Equatoria Diameter 4, 879 km

Polar Diameter 4, 879 km

Circumference 15, 329 km

Known Moons None

Notable Moon None

Orbit Distance 57, 909, 227 km (0.39 AU)

Orbit Period 87.97 Earth days

Surface Temperature -173 to 427°C

First Record 14th century BC

Recorded by Assyrian Astronomers

VenusAfter the Sun and the Moon,

Venus is the brightest object that we can see in the sky because it is so close to our planet Earth.

Also, the atmosphere on Venus is very thick and the light it receives from the Sun is reflected to us.

Venus’s atmosphere is made up from mainly carbon dioxide.

This gas acts like the glass of a greenhouse and keeps the surface of the planet hot enough to melt lead.

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/venus/venusmar.htm

How Was Venus Formed?




What is Venus Made Of?

How Big is Venus?• Radius, diameter and circumferenceVenus has a mean radius of 3,760 miles, or

6,052 kilometers.• A trip around the equator of Venus would

carry you 23,627 miles (38,025 km), 95 percent the distance around Earth's center line.

How Big is Venus? Density, mass and volume

• Venus is a rocky, terrestrial planet like Earth, and likely formed the same way at the same time. It has a mass of 4.87 trillion trillion kilograms, about 82 percent that of its sister planet.

• Like its size, its density is comparable to Earth at 5.243 grams per cubic centimeter. The volume of the planet is 223 billion cubic miles (928 billion cubic kilometers), about 86 percent that of our own.

http://www.space.com/18525-venus-composition.html

http://www.space.com/18524-how-was-venus-formed.html

Venus' Atmosphere: Composition, Climate and Weather

• Venus has the distinction of being the hottest planet in the solar system, and the fault lies solely with its atmosphere. What is it about the air on Venus that keeps the planet cooking?

Atmospheric MakeupThe atmosphere of Venus is made up almost

completely of carbon dioxide. Nitrogen exists in small doses, as do clouds of sulfuric acid. The air of Venus is so dense that the small traces of nitrogen are four times the amount found on Earth, although nitrogen makes up more than three-fourths of the terrestrial atmosphere. This composition causes a runaway greenhouse effect that heats the planet even hotter than the surface of Mercury, although Venus lies farther from the sun.

http://www.space.com/18529-distance-to-venus.html

Atmospheric Makeup

• Here's a breakdown of its composition:– Carbon dioxide: 96 percent– Nitrogen: 3.5 percent– Carbon monoxide, argon, sulfur dioxide, and

water vapor: less than 1 percent

Climate and Weather• Winds of about 224 mph (360 kph) keep

the clouds of Venus in constant motion. Though the planet spins slowly, only once every 243 Earth days, the clouds zip around the top of the planet every four days. But wind speeds drop closer to the surface, where they only move a few miles per hour.

Climate and WeatherOn Earth, seasons change based on the planet's

tilt; when a hemisphere is closer to the sun, it experiences warmer regions. But on Venus, most of the sun's heat fails to make it through the thick atmosphere. As such, the planet not only doesn't experience significant temperature changes over the course of the year, it also keeps things constant from night to day.

http://www.space.com/18526-venus-temperature.html

Venus ProfileMass

4,867,320,000,000,000 billion kg

(0.815 x Earth)Equatoria Diameter 12,104 km

Polar Diameter 12,104 km

Circumference 38,025 km

Known Moons None

Notable Moon None

Orbit Distance 108,209,475 km (0.73 AU)


Surface Temperature 462° C

First Record 14th century BC

Recorded by Babylonian Astronomers

EarthLife has grown on Earth because the

atmosphere on this planet is perfect for beings to have changed.

Earth’s atmosphere is mainly made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor.

There is a small amount of ozone in our atmosphere and this is what filters some of the damaging radiation from the Sun.

Water from lakes, oceans, and rivers covers approximately 70% of planet Earth.

The rest of the Earth’s surface is covered by soil, which allows for the growth of vegetations and habitat for land creatures.

Earth is changing every day because of several environmental factors such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and pollution.

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/earth/bluemarblewest.htm

How Was Earth Formed?




What is Earth Made Of?

Crust• Earth's crust is made up of several

elements: iron, 32 percent; oxygen, 30 percent; silicon, 15 percent; magnesium, 14 percent; sulfur, 3 percent; nickel, 2 percent; and trace amounts of calcium, aluminum and other elements.

MantleThe mantle under the crust is about 1,800

miles deep (2,890 km). It is composed mostly of silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron. Intense heat causes the rocks to rise. They then cool and sink back down to the core. This convection — like a lava lamp — is believed to be what causes the tectonic plates to move. When the mantle pushes through the crust, volcanoes erupt.

MantleThe mantle under the crust is about 1,800 miles deep (2,890 km). It is composed mostly of silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron. Intense heat causes the rocks to rise. They then cool and sink back down to the core. This convection — like a lava lamp — is believed to be what causes the tectonic plates to move. When the mantle pushes through the crust, volcanoes erupt.

CoreAt the center of the Earth is the core, which

has two parts. The solid, inner core of iron has a radius of about 760 miles (about 1,220 km). It is surrounded by a liquid, outer core composed of a nickel-iron alloy. It is about 1,355 miles (2,180 km) thick.

Earth's Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather

Earth is the only planet in the solar system with an atmosphere that can sustain life. The blanket of gases not only contains the air that we breathe but also protects us from the blasts of heat and radiation emanating from the sun. It warms the planet by day and cools it at night.

• Earth's atmosphere is about 300 miles (480 kilometers) thick, but most of it is within 10 miles (16 km) the surface. Air pressure decreases with altitude.

Composition of Air• The gases in Earth's atmosphere include:

– Nitrogen – 78 percent– Oxygen – 21 percent– Argon – 0.93 percent– Carbon dioxide – 0.038 percent

• Water vapor and other gases exist in small amounts as well.

Atmosphere LayersEarth's atmosphere is divided into five main

layers:1.the exosphere, 2.the thermosphere, 3.the mesosphere, 4.the stratosphere and 5.the troposphere.

Atmosphere Layers (The Troposphere)

The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth's surface. It is 4 to 12 miles (7 to 20 km) thick and contains half of Earth's atmosphere. Air is warmer near the ground and gets colder higher up. Nearly all of the water vapor and dust in the atmosphere are in this layer and that is why clouds are found here.

Atmosphere Layers (The Stratosphere)

The stratosphere is the second layer. It starts above the troposphere and ends about 31 miles (50 km) above ground. Ozone is abundant here and it heats the atmosphere while also absorbing harmful radiation from the sun. The air here is very dry, and it is about a thousand times thinner here than it is at sea level. Because of that, this is where jet aircraft and weather balloons fly.

http://www.space.com/16666-sr-71-blackbird.html

Atmosphere Layers (The Mesosphere)

The mesosphere starts at 31 miles (50 km) and extends to 53 miles (85 km) high. The top of the mesosphere, called the mesopause, is the coldest part of Earth's atmosphere with temperatures averaging about minus 130 degrees F (minus 90 C). This layer is hard to study. Jets and balloons don't go high enough, and satellites and space shuttles orbit too high. Scientists do know that meteors burn up in this layer.

http://www.space.com/15353-meteor-showers-facts-shooting-stars-skywatching-sdcmp.html

Atmosphere Layers (The Thermosphere)

The thermosphere extends from about 56 miles (90 km) to between 310 and 620 miles (500 and 1,000 km). Temperatures can get up to 2,700 degrees F (1,500 C) at this altitude. The thermosphere is considered part of Earth's atmosphere, but air density is so low that most of this layer is what is normally thought of as outer space. In fact, this is where the space shuttles flew and where the International Space Station orbits Earth. is and Aurora Australis.

http://www.space.com/16726-space-shuttle.html

http://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html

http://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html

Atmosphere Layers (The Exosphere)

The exosphere, the highest layer, is extremely thin and is where the atmosphere merges into outer space. It is composed of very widely dispersed particles of hydrogen and helium.

Climate and Weather• Earth is able to support a wide variety of living

beings because of its diverse regional climates, which range from extreme cold at the poles to tropical heat at the Equator. Regional climate is often described as the average weather in a place over more than 30 years. A region's climate is often described, for example, as sunny, windy, dry, or humid. These can also describe the weather in a certain place, but while the weather can change in just a few hours, climate changes over a longer span of time.

Climate and Weather• Earth's global climate is an average of

regional climates. The global climate has cooled and warmed throughout history. Today, we are seeing unusually rapid warming. The scientific consensus is that greenhouse gases, which are increasing because of human activities, are trapping heat in the atmosphere.

How Big is Earth?

• Radius, diameter and circumferenceThe mean radius of Earth is 3,959 miles (6,371

kilometers). However, Earth is not quite a sphere. Earth's equatorial diameter is 7,926 miles (12,756 kilometers), but from pole to pole, the diameter is 7,900 miles (12,720 km) — a difference of only 40 miles (64 km).

• The circumference of Earth at the equator is about 24,902 miles (40,075 km), but from pole-to-pole — the meridional circumference — Earth is only 24,860 miles (40,008 km) around.

How Big is Earth?

• Density, mass and volumeEarth's density is 5.52 grams per cubic centimeter.

Earth is the densest planet in the solar system because of its metallic core and rocky mantle.

• Earth's mass is 6.6 sextillion ton (5.9722 x 1024 kilograms). It volume is 1.08321 x 1012 km.

• The total surface area of Earth is about 197 million square miles (509 million square km). About 71 percent is covered by water and 29 percent by land.

Earth ProfileMass

5,972,190,000,000,000 billion kgEquatoria Diameter 12,756 km



Known Moons 1

Notable Moon The Moon

Orbit Distance 149,598,262 km (1 AU)


Surface Temperature -88 to 58° C

MarsMars is one of the

brightest planets in the sky and is sometimes referred to as the “RED Planet” because of the reddish tinge it casts. This reddish colour is caused by the rust-coloured soil.

Mars is very dry and barren, but there is evidence that Mars was once covered with volcanoes, glaciers and flood waters.

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mars/marslarge.htm

How Was Mars Formed?




What is Mars Made Of? Composition of Planet Mars

Mars is the "red planet" for a very good reason: its surface is made of a thick layer of oxidized iron dust and rocks of the same color. Maybe another name for Mars could be "Rusty." But the ruddy surface does not tell the whole story of the composition of this world.

http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html

What is Mars Made Of? Composition of Planet Mars

• Dusty crustThe dust that covers the surface

of Mars is fine like talcum powder. Beneath the layer of dust, the Martian crust consists mostly of volcanic basalt rock. The soil of Mars also holds nutrients such as sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium. The crust is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) thick.

Mantle and coreThe mantle that lies beneath the crust is largely dormant. It

is made up primarily of silicon, oxygen, iron, and magnesium and probably has the consistency of soft rocky paste. It is probably about 900 to 1,200 miles (5,400 to 7,200 kilometers) thick, scientists say.

• The center of Mars likely has a solid core composed of iron, nickel, and sulfur. It is estimated to be between 1,800 and 2,400 miles (3,000 and 4,000 kilometers) in diameter. The core does not move, and therefore Mars has no magnetic field. Without a magnetic field, radiation bombards the planet making it relatively inhospitable compared to Earth.

Water and AtmosphereMars is too cold for liquid water to exist for any length of

time, but features on the surface suggest that water once flowed on Mars. Today, water exists in the form of ice in the soil, and in sheets of ice in the polar ice caps. The average temperature is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C), although they can vary from minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C) near the poles during the winter to as much as 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) at midday near the equator.

• The atmosphere of Mars is too thin to easily support life as we know it. It is about 95 percent carbon dioxide.

How Big is Mars? Diameter and circumference

Mars is not a sphere. Because the planet rotates on its axis (every 24.6 hours), it bulges at the equator (as do Earth and other planets). At its equator, Mars has a diameter of 4,222 miles (6,794 km), but from pole to pole, the diameter is 4,196 miles (6,752 km). Mars’ radius is, of course, half of planet’s diameter.

• The circumference of Mars around the equator is about 13,300 miles (21,343 km), but from pole-to-pole Mars is only 13,200 miles (21,244 km) around. This shape is called an oblate spheroid.

How Big is Mars?• Mass and gravityMars' mass is 6.42 x 1023 kilograms, about

10 times less than Earth. This affects the force of gravity. Gravity on Mars is 38 percent of Earth's gravity, so a 100-pound person on Earth would weigh 38 pounds

Mars' Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather

Mars has a thin atmosphere — too thin to easily support life as we know it. The extremely thin air on Mars can also become very dusty. Giant dust storms can blanket the entire planet and last for months.

What is Mars' atmosphere made of?

The atmosphere of Mars is about 100 times thinner than Earth's, and it is 95 percent carbon dioxide. Here's a breakdown of its composition:– Carbon dioxide: 95.32 percent– Nitrogen: 2.7 percent– Argon: 1.6 percent– Oxygen: 0.13 percent– Carbon monoxide: 0.08 percent

• Also, minor amounts of: water, nitrogen oxide, neon, hydrogen-deuterium-oxygen, krypton and xenon

Climate and Weather• Mars' thin atmosphere and its greater distance from

the sun mean that Mars is much colder than Earth. The average temperature is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C), although it can vary from minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C) near the poles during the winter to as much as a comfortable 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) at midday near the equator.

• The atmosphere of Mars is also roughly 100 times thinner than Earth's, but it is still thick enough to support weather, clouds and winds.

http://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html

Climate and Weather• Giant dust devils routinely kick up the oxidized iron

dust that covers Mars' surface. The dust storms of Mars are the largest in the solar system, capable of blanketing the entire planet and lasting for months. One theory as to why dust storms can grow so big on Mars starts with airborne dust particles absorbing sunlight, warming the Martian atmosphere in their vicinity. Warm pockets of air flow toward colder regions, generating winds. Strong winds lift more dust off the ground, which in turn heats the atmosphere, raising more wind and kicking up more dust.

http://www.space.com/15175-mars-dust-devil-photo.html

http://www.space.com/1743-hubble-snaps-photos-giant-martian-dust-storm.html

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast16jul_1/

Mars ProfileMass

641,693,000,000,000 billion kg (0.107

x Earth)Equatoria Diameter 6,805 km



Known Moons 2

Notable Moon Phobos & Deimos


Orbit Period 686.98 Earth days (1.88 Earth years)

Surface Temperature -87 to -5 °C

First Record 2nd Millennium BC

Recorded by Egyptian astronomers

http://theplanets.org/phobos/

http://theplanets.org/deimos/

The Outer PlanetsThe remaining 5 planets in our solar system

are known as the outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The first 4 of these planets are also known as the Gas Giants. Their atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.

These planets have soupy surfaces and gets denser as you sink to the middle. Not possible to land on.

The outermost planet, Pluto, is unique among the outer planets.

JupiterJupiter is the largest

planet of all of the planets.

Its diameter is 11 times larger than Earth’s diameter.

Its mass is greater than the masses of all the other planets combined.

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/jup/jupwsmap.htm

Jupiter is also a very bright object in

the night sky because of its size and the large amount of light reflected by its clouds.

Jupiter’s most interesting features are its coloured bands and the Great Red Spot.

Jupiter has approximately 16 moons, and sometimes you can see four of these moons by using binoculars.

What is Jupiter Made Of? Composition of Planet Mars


• Atmospheric composition (by volume): 89.8 percent molecular hydrogen, 10.2 percent helium, minor amounts of methane, ammonia, hydrogen deuteride, ethane, water, ammonia ice aerosols, water ice aerosols, ammonia hydrosulfide aerosols

• Magnetic field: Nearly 20,000 times stronger than Earth's.


Chemical composition: Jupiter has a dense core of uncertain composition, surrounded by a helium-rich layer of fluid metallic hydrogen, wrapped up in an atmosphere primarily made of molecular hydrogen.

• Internal structure: A core less than 10 times Earth's mass surrounded by a layer of fluid metallic hydrogen extending out to 80 to 90 percent of the diameter of the planet, enclosed in an atmosphere mostly made of gaseous and liquid hydrogen.

http://www.space.com/18388-what-is-jupiter-made-of.html

Orbit & rotation

• Average distance from the sun: 483,682,810 miles (778,412,020 km). By comparison: 5.203 times that of Earth

• Perihelion (closest approach to the sun): 460,276,100 miles (740,742,600 km). By comparison: 5.036 times that of Earth

• Aphelion (farthest distance from the sun): 507,089,500 miles (816,081,400 km). By comparison: 5.366 times that of Earth

http://www.space.com/18383-how-far-away-is-jupiter.html

Jupiter's ringsJupiter's three rings came as a surprise when NASA's

Voyager 1 spacecraft discovered them around the planet's equator in 1979. Each are much fainter than Saturn's rings. The main ring is flattened. It is about 20 miles (30 km) thick and more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) wide.

• The inner cloud-like ring, called the halo, is roughly 12,000 miles (20,000 km) thick. The halo extends halfway from the main ring down to the planet's cloud tops and expands by interaction with Jupiter's magnetic field. Both the main ring and halo are composed of small, dark particles.

Jupiter's ringsThe third ring, known as the gossamer ring because

of its transparency, is actually three rings of microscopic debris from three of Jupiter's moons, Amalthea, Thebe and Adrastea. It is probably made up of dust particles less than 10 microns in diameter, about the same size of the particles found in cigarette smoke, and extends to an outer edge of about 80,000 miles (129,000 km) from the center of the planet and inward to about 18,600 miles (30,000 km).

• Ripples in the rings of both Jupiter and Saturn may be signs of impacts from comets and asteroids.

http://www.space.com/11269-comet-impacts-saturn-jupiter-rings.html

Jupiter ProfileMass

1,898,130,000,000,000,000 billion kg




Known Moons 67

Notable Moon Io, Europa, Ganymede, & Callisto

Known Ring 4


Orbit Period 4,332.82 Earth days (11.86 Earth years)

Surface Temperature -108°C

First Record 7th or 8th Century BC

Recorded by Babylonian Astronomers

http://theplanets.org/io/

http://theplanets.org/europa/

http://theplanets.org/ganymede/

http://theplanets.org/callisto/

SaturnSaturn is the second-largest planet, but it

is the least dense of all the planets, with a possibility of no core.

Saturn’s atmosphere is cloudy and windy.Saturn’s average temperature is -180oC.

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06193

How Was Saturn Formed?




What is Saturn Made Of?

The gas giant Saturn contains many of the same components as the sun. Although it is the solar system's second largest planet, it lacks the necessary mass to undergo the fusion needed to power a star. Still, its gaseous composition — and the stunningly beautiful rings that surround it — make it one of the more interesting object in the solar system.

http://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html

What is Saturn Made Of?

Saturn is predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium, the two basic gases of the universe. The planet also bears traces of ices containing ammonia, methane, and water. Unlike the rocky terrestrial planets, gas giants such as Saturn lack the layered crust-mantle-core structure, because they formed differently from their rocky siblings.

http://www.space.com/topics/saturn-ringed-planet-moons-discoveries/page-22.html

What is Saturn Made Of? (Saturn's surface)

What is Saturn Made Of? (Saturn's surface)

• Saturn is classified as a gas giant because it is almost completely made of gas. Its atmosphere bleeds into its "surface" with little distinction. If a spacecraft attempted to touch down on Saturn, it would never find solid ground. Of course, the craft would be fortunate to survive long before the increasing pressure of the planet crushed it.

• Because Saturn lacks a traditional ground, scientists consider the surface of the planet to begin when the pressure exceeds one bar, the approximate pressure at sea level on Earth.

http://www.space.com/18475-saturn-s-atmosphere-composition-climate-and-clouds.html

What is Saturn Made Of? (Saturn's Interior)

At higher pressures, below the determined surface, hydrogen on Saturn becomes liquid. Traveling inward toward the center of the planet, the increased pressure causes the liquefied gas to become metallic hydrogen. Saturn does not have as much metallic hydrogen as the largest planet, Jupiter, but it does contain more ices. Saturn is also significantly less dense than any other planet in the solar system; in a large enough pool of water, the ringed planet would float.

What is Saturn Made Of? (Saturn's Interior)

During the formation of Saturn, the core would have been created first. Research suggests that Saturn's rocky core is between 9 to 22 times the mass of Earth. Only when it reached sufficient mass would the planet have been able to gravitationally pile on the light hydrogen and helium gas that make up most of the its mass.

What is Saturn Made Of? (A strong magnetic field)

As on Jupiter, the liquid metallic hydrogen drives the magnetic field of Saturn. Saturn's magnetosphere is smaller than its giant sibling, but still significantly more powerful than those found on the terrestrial planets. With a magnetosphere large enough to contain the entire planet and its rings, Saturn's magnetic field is 578 times as powerful as Earth's.

What is Saturn Made Of? (The Rings of the Saturn)

When Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei turned his telescope toward Saturn, he observed two blobs on either side that he identified as bodies separate from the main planet. It wasn't until Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens studied the planet with a more powerful scope that the rings of Saturn were first identified.

What is Saturn Made Of? (The Rings of the Saturn)

Although most of the gas giants boast rings of some sort, Saturn's are the largest and arguably the most visually stunning. Stretching as far out as 262,670 miles (422,730 km), or eight times the radius of the planet, the rings are made up of ice and rock pieces that create a rainbow effect as they refract the light from the sun.

How Big is Saturn?

Saturn, the sixth planet in the solar system, is the second largest. Only Jupiter is larger, weighing in just shy of three times its mass. Saturn's beautiful rings, visible even with an inexpensive telescope, make it a favorite in the night sky.

How Big is Saturn?(Diameter, Radius and Circumference)

The mean radius of the body of Saturn is 36,184 miles (58,232 kilometers). The polar radius (33,780 miles, or 54,364 km) only about 90 percent that of the equatorial radius (37,449 miles, or 60,268 km).

The circumference of Saturn is 227, 351 miles (366, 035.11 kilometers).

How Big is Saturn? (Density, mass and volume)

The mean density of Saturn is 0.687 grams per cubic centimeter, making it the only planet in the solar system less dense than water. The mass of the ringed planet is 5.68 x 1026 kilograms, 95 times the mass of Earth. Although the planet is only a third the mass of Jupiter, it is about 80 percent as large, contributing to its low density.

How Big is Saturn? (Ring around the Planet)

Although several other planets boast rings, Saturn's are the largest and most visually stunning. Balanced around the equator, the rings start about 4,120 miles (6,630 km) out from the planet and extend to a distance of 262,670 miles (422,730 km), or eight times the radius of the planet. The five rings are composed primarily of chunks of water-ice, mixed with pieces of rocks. They average a thickness of 66 feet (20 meters).

Composition & Structure

• Atmospheric composition (by volume): 96.3 percent molecular hydrogen, 3.25 percent helium, minor amounts of methane, ammonia, hydrogen deuteride, ethane, ammonia ice aerosols, water ice aerosols, ammonia hydrosulfide aerosols

• Magnetic field: Saturn has a magnetic field about 578 times more powerful than Earth's.

Composition & StructureChemical composition: Saturn seems to have a hot

solid inner core of iron and rocky material surrounded by an outer core probably composed of ammonia, methane, and water. Next is a layer of highly compressed, liquid metallic hydrogen, followed by a region of viscous hydrogen and helium. This hydrogen and helium becomes gaseous near the planet's surface and merges with its atmosphere.

• Internal structure: Saturn seems to have a core between about 10 to 20 times as massive as Earth.

Orbit & Rotation

• Average distance from the sun: 885,904,700 miles (1,426,725,400 km). By comparison: 9.53707 times that of Earth.

• Perihelion (closest approach to sun): 838,519,000 miles (1,349,467,000 km). By comparison: 9.177 times that of Earth.

• Aphelion (farthest distance from sun): 934,530,000 miles (1,503,983,000 km). By comparison: 9.886 times that of Earth.

Saturn ProfileMass

568,319,000,000,000,000 billion kg




Known Moons 62

Notable Moon Titan, Rhea & Enceladus

Known Ring 30+ (7 Groups)


Orbit Period 1,426,666,422 km (9.58 AU)

Surface Temperature -139 °C

First Record 8th Century BC

Recorded by Assyrian Astronomers

UranusUranus’s diameter is 4

times larger than Earth.

Its atmosphere is made up primarily of hydrogen, with some helium and methane.

This planet has winds that blow up to 500 km/h. In our night sky, Uranus looks like an extremely faint star.

How Was Uranus Formed?




What is Uranus Made Of?

What is Uranus Made Of?

Far, far from the sun, Uranus has a blue-green atmosphere that hints at its makeup. One of the two ice giants, the planets composition differs somewhat from Jupiter and Saturn in that it is made up of more ice than gas.

What is Uranus Made Of?(The surface of Uranus)

Like the other gas giants, Uranus lacks a solid, well-defined surface. Instead, the gas, liquid, and icy atmosphere extends to the planet's interior. Were you to land — and hover — at the point where the atmosphere transitions to the interior, you would experience less of a gravitational tug than you might feel on Earth. Gravity on Uranus is only about 90 percent that of Earth; if you weigh a hundred pounds at home, you would only weight 91 pounds on Uranus.

What is Uranus Made Of?(The surface of Uranus)

Uranus is the second least dense planet in the solar system, indicating that it is made up mostly of ices. Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, which are composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium, Uranus contains only a small portion of these light elements. It also houses some rocky elements, equal to somewhere between 0.5 to 1.5 times the mass of Earth. But most of the planet is made up of ices, mostly water, methane, and ammonia. Ices dominate because the vast distance to Uranus from the sun allows the planet to maintain frigid temperatures.

What is Uranus Made Of?(A frigid core)

While most planets have rocky molten cores, the center of Uranus is thought to contain icy materials. The liquid core makes up 80 percent of the mass of the planet, mostly comprised of water, methane, and ammonia ice, though it only extends to about 20 percent of the radius.

• While other gas giants are powered by their cores, Uranus radiates almost no excess heat into space. One reason for this could be due to an impact soon after the planet's formation.

What is Uranus Made Of?(Rocky Rings)

Like all gas giants, Uranus carries a set of rocky rings around its equator. The thin strips, most only a few miles wide, are made up of tiny bits of rock and ice smaller than a meter. The planet has at least 13 known rings in two systems.

How Big is Uranus?(Radius, diameter and circumference)

The mean radius of Uranus is 15,792 miles (25,362 kilometers), giving a diameter four times that of Earth. At the poles, Uranus has a radius of 15,517 miles (24,973 km), but at the equator, it expands to 15,882 miles (25,559 km). This bulge gives Uranus a shape known as an oblate spheroid.

The circumference of the Uranus is 98, 978 miles (159,354 km)

How Big is Uranus? (Density, Mass and Volume)

• Although Uranus, discovered in 1781, is only four times the physical size of Earth, it is significantly more massive, weighing in at 86 septillion kilograms (just under one trillion trillion trillion). That makes it more than 14.5 times as massive as our rocky home.

• The planet has a volume of 6.83x1013 cubic kilometers.

How Big is Uranus? (Density, Mass and Volume)

The density of Uranus is 1.27 grams per cubic centimeter, making it the second least dense planet in the solar system. Its low density indicates that it is predominantly composed of ice rather than gas. The icy composition of Uranus and Neptune both differ from the heavier gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, and have caused them to be labeled "ice giants."

How Big is Uranus? (Ring around the Planet)

• Although not as famous as Saturn, Uranus does display a set of rings around its middle. The rings around Uranus are made up of tiny dark particles smaller than a meter. Only two of the 13 rings are larger than six miles across.

• Although the second ring system to be discovered, the rings around Uranus weren't found until 1977, when astronomers attempted to study the planet's atmosphere as it crossed in front of a bright star.

How Big is Uranus? (Ring around the Planet)

The rings of Uranus encircle the equator of the planet, but to observers on Earth, they appear to stand almost straight up and down. This is because the planet is tipped almost completely on its side in relation to the plane of the solar system. Scientists think a collision soon after Uranus' formation caused the intriguing misalignment.

What is the Temperature of Uranus?

The seventh planet from the sun, Uranus has the coldest atmosphere of any of the planets in the solar system, even though it is not the most distant. Despite the fact that its equator faces away from the sun, the temperature distribution on Uranus is much like other planets, with a warmer equator and cooler poles.

What is the Temperature of Uranus?(An icy atmosphere)

Like Neptune, Uranus, discovered in 1781, is known as an "ice giant," in a slightly different category from Saturn and Jupiter. Both planets boast frigid atmospheres made up of ice rather than gas.

Atmospheric composition by volume:– Molecular hydrogen: 82.5%– Helium: 15.2%– Methane: 2.3%

What is the Temperature of Uranus? (Tipped on its side)

Unlike most planets in the solar system, which have their equators pointed in the direction of the sun, Uranus is tipped on its side. The planet faces one pole at a time toward the sun, gradually spinning over the course of its orbit until the other pole receives light instead of darkness. The strange orientation of the planet was likely caused by a collision soon after its formation.

What is the Temperature of Uranus? (A cool interior)

Despite the fact that it powers the planet's weather, the internal temperature of Uranus is lower than other planets. Very little excess heat is radiated into space.

• Unlike other gas giants, Uranus most likely boasts a rocky core rather than a gaseous one. Temperatures inside it may reach 8,540 F (4,727 C), which sounds warm but is cooler than other planets — Jupiter's core may reach 43,000 F (24,000 C).

Uranus ProfileMass

86,810,300,000,000,000 billion kg

(14.536 x Earth)

Equatoria Diameter 51, 118 km

Polar Diameter 49, 946km


Known Moons 27

Notable Moon Oberon, Titania, Miranda, Ariel & Umbriel

Known Ring 13

Orbit Distance 2,870,658,186 km (19.22 AU)



First Record March 13th 1781

Recorded by William Herschel

NeptuneFrom Earth, Neptune is

barely visible with the use of a telescope.

Neptune has bright blue and white clouds and a dark region – the Great Dark Spot – that appears to be the centre of a storm.

Neptune has at least 8 moons and thin rings orbiting around it.

How Was Neptune Formed?




What is Neptune Made Of?

What is Neptune Made Of?

Neptune, like Uranus, is one of the two outer planets known as an "ice giant." Made up of more ices than Jupiter and Saturn, the chilly body almost seems to be in a class by itself.

What is Neptune Made Of?(Beneath the Clouds)

The first layer of Neptune is its icy atmosphere, which is mostly hydrogen and helium. The bluish coloration comes from traces of methane in the air, but the planet is a more brilliant hue than the dull blue of Uranus, which implies something else could be affecting it. The enormous distance to the sun keeps the planet's temperatures low.

What is Neptune Made Of?(Beneath the Clouds)

Neptune is the third most massive planet. Like the rest of the gas giants, Neptune has no definite surface layer. Instead, the gas transits into a slushy ice and water layer. The water-ammonia ocean serves as the planet's mantle, and contains more than ten times the mass of Earth. Temperaturesinside the mantle range from 3,140 degrees Fahrenheit (1,727 degrees Celsius) to 8,540 F (4,727 F). At deep enough depths, the methane may transform into diamond crystals.

What is Neptune Made Of?(Strange Rings)

Like the other gas giants, Neptune boasts a series of rings. But the blue planet's six rings are not as solid as its neighbors. Instead, the clumpy rings contain prominent arcs, likely due to the influence of one of Neptune's moons. Made up of ice particles and silicates, the rings are reddish.

What is Neptune Made Of?(Strange Rings)

Neptune's rings were first discovered when it passed between a star while astronomers were attempting to study the planet. The star faded out, then returned to view. Unlike other rings, the arc-like nature meant that the fading did not repeat on the other side of the planet, which puzzled scientist. It wasn't until Voyager imaged the planet in 1989 that the mystery of the rings was solved.

What is Neptune Made Of?(A tipped magnetosphere)

Neptune has an unusual magnetic field which is tipped on its side in relation to the axis that the planet rotates around. The strong magnetic field, which is about 27 times more powerful than Earth's, is tipped at a 47 degree angle and is likely powered by the motions inside the mantle itself. These motions also drive strong winds and unusual weather patterns in Neptune's atmosphere.

How Big is Neptune?

The most distant planet from the sun, Neptune is the third most massive. Despite its great size, it was the last planet to be discovered, because it lies so far away.

How Big is Neptune?(Radius, Diameter and Circumference)

Neptune is the fourth largest planet in terms of diameter, making it the smallest in physical size of the gas giants. The average distance from the center of the planet to its surface is 15,299 miles (24,622 kilometers). The radius at the poles is 15,125 miles (24,341 km), slightly smaller than the equatorial radius of 15,388 miles (24,764 km). The average diameter across the planet is 30,598 miles (49,244 km), almost four times the diameter of Earth.

How Big is Neptune?(Radius, Diameter and Circumference)

• A trip around Neptune's equator would cover 96,129 miles (154,705 km). Such a trip could not be made on foot—the planet's surface is covered with water and melted ice rather than solid rock.

• The planet's surface area covers 2.9 billion square miles (7.6 billion square km).

• Like all of the gas giants, Neptune has rings around it. The clumpy arcs extend as far as 39,105 miles (62,933 km) from the center of the planet.

How Big is Neptune? (Density, mass, and volume)

The gas giant weighs in at 1.02 x 1026

kilograms, or 102 trillion trillion kilograms. It is more than seventeen times as massive as Earth.

• The rock, ices, and gas that make up the icy giant fill a volume of 15 trillion cubic miles (62 trillion cubic kilometers), almost 58 times the volume of Earth.

How Big is Neptune? (Density, mass, and volume)

The density of Neptune is 1.638 grams per cubic centimeter. The low density indicates that, like Uranus, its atmosphere is made up of more ices than Saturn and Jupiter, causing scientists to call it an "icy giant".

Despite hosting a significantly lower mass, Neptune's surface gravity is second only to Jupiter.

Neptune's Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather

The eighth and last planet in the solar system, Neptune has an atmosphere more comparable with Uranus than with Saturn and Jupiter. The two most distant planets boast atmospheres dominated by ices. But even with a chill in the air, Neptune still manages to host some of the most extreme and violent weather in the solar system.

Atmospheric compositionNeptune's atmosphere is made up

predominately of hydrogen and helium, with some methane. The methane is part of what gives Neptune its brilliant blue tint, as it absorbs red light and reflects bluer colors. Uranus also has methane in its atmosphere, but has a duller shading. Something else must be contributing to Neptune's hue, but scientists aren't certain what.

Atmospheric compositionThe planet has ten to a hundred times more methane,

ethane, and ethyne at its equator than it does at its poles.• Atmospheric composition by volume:

– Molecular hydrogen: 80 percent– Helium: 19 percent– Methane 1.5 percent– Hydrogen Deuteride: 192 parts per million– Ethane: 1.5 parts per million

• Ammonia ice, water ice, ammonia hydrosulfide, and methane ice also compose Neptune's atmosphere.

Layering the atmosphere

• The atmosphere of Neptune is made up of two main regions. Like the other three gas giants, the planet has no firm surface, so scientists have established that the "surface" is where the pressure is equal to the pressure found at sea level on Earth.

Layering the atmosphere

• Just above the surface lies the troposphere. As altitude increases,temperature in the troposphere decreases. But in the next layer, the stratosphere, temperatures increase with altitude. This is related to the motion inside of the planet's core, which heats Neptune more than the rays from the distant sun. The next layer is the thermosphere, where pressures are lower. The very outer edge of the atmosphere is known as the exosphere.

Cloud patterns on Neptune

The clouds of Neptune vary with the altitude. Cold temperatures allow methane clouds to condense in the highest layers of the atmosphere. Scientists think that clouds made up of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide exist at higher pressures. Farther down, clouds of hydrogen sulfide, ammonium sulfide, ammonia, and water could exist. Clouds of water-ice may be found at pressures of 50 bars, with clouds of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia beneath them.

Cloud patterns on Neptune

• The highest layers contain cirrus clouds made up of frozen methane, which have been observed casting shadows on other clouds 35 miles (56 kilometers) beneath them.

• Neptune also contains a haze at very high altitudes. These smog-like clouds are made up of hydrocarbons, much like smog over major cities on Earth.

Neptune ProfileMass

102,410,000,000,000,000 billion kg

(17.15x Earth)Equatoria Diameter 49,528 km

Polar Diameter 48, 682 km


Known Moons 14

Notable Moon Triton

Known Ring 5

Orbit Distance 4,498,396,441 km (30.10 AU)



First Record September 23rd 1846

Recorded by Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier& Johann Galle

PlutoPluto is now classified as a

dwarf planet. It is unusual because it is not a gas giant and it does not seem to be terrestrial.

The motion of Pluto’s orbit suggests that Pluto may have been one of Neptune’s moons at one time.

Pluto also has a moon called Charon which is about the same size as Pluto.

How Was Neptune Formed?




What is Pluto Made Of?

Far out in the distant reaches of the solar system, the dwarf planet Pluto lies in a neighborhood of ice and rock known as the Kuiper Belt. Frigid temperatures mean that the tiny body contains a great deal of ice.

What is Pluto Made Of?

How Big is Pluto?

After 76 years of classification as a planet, Pluto was demoted in 2006 to a dwarf planet, in part because of its size but also because of its minor gravitational effects on the bodies around it. It remains one of the most well-known non-planetary bodies in the solar system.

How Big is Pluto?(Radius, diameter and circumference)

Pluto has a mean radius of 715 miles (1,151 kilometers). The diameter of the planet is 1,430 miles (2,302 km), only about two-thirds the diameter of the moon.

The circumference of Pluto is 4, 490.2 miles ( 7, 230 kilometers).

How Big is Pluto? (Density, mass and volume)

• Although all of the planets beyond Mars are gas giants, Pluto is small and rocky. The tiny body has a mass of only 1.31 x 1022 kilograms, about two-tenths of a percent of Earth's. It has a volume of 1.5 billion cubic miles (6.4 billion cubic km).

• Pluto's small size and low mass mean that it has a density of 2.05 grams per cubic centimeter, about 40 percent of Earth's density.

Planetary Summary

Closest to the Sun 0.386 0 Brown crater

Chunks of rock none 59 days To orbit Sun

2nd from the Sun3rd from the Sun4th from the Sun5th from the Sun6th from the Sun7th from the Sun8th from the Sun9th from the Sun

0.72

0.5326

10

11

1

0.186

3.8

4

0

1

2

63

33

29

3

13

Hot enough to melt leadSoil and Water

Reddish coloured soilColoured Bands,Great Red SpotSurface temp. isAbout -180oPolar hood overSouth poleIt’s blue.

Cold and rocky

CO2, N2

CO2, N2

N2, O2

H2, He, CH4

H2, He, CH4

H2, He, CH4

H2, He, CH4

none

A 1.7 KM highVolcanoVolcanoes, hurricanesVolcanoes, glaciersWinds, hurricanesWindy, cloudy500 km/hwindsDark spotRotates on side

Science

The nine planets