The document describes the 8 planets in our solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) and provides key details about each planet's average distance from the sun, temperature, diameter, composition, atmospheric makeup, number of moons and rings, length of day and year, and surface features. It also includes some additional interesting facts about each planet, such as Mercury possibly having an undiscovered planet interfering with its orbit and Europa and Titan being potential places where life could exist.

1. The Planets

2. • The Solar System consists of the Sun and the
astronomical objects gravitationally bound in
orbit around it, all of which formed from the
collapse of a giant molecular cloud
approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
• The Solar System is full of planets, moons,
asteroids, comets, minor planets, and many
other exciting objects.
• Pluto is no longer considered as a Planet

3. Mercury
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 36
• Average Temperature(C): 140
• Diameter in km: 4900
• Solid Planet:
• Atmosphere: a thin layer of Helium
• No moons
• No rings
• Length of a Day: 59 days
• Length of a Year: 88 days
• Surface Features: Craters, cliffs, dusty.

4. • It’s said that Mercury's orbit is being
interfered with by another undiscovered
planet.
• There are no seasons on Mercury

5. Venus
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 67
• Average Temperature(C): 450
• Diameter in km: 12,100
• Solid Planet
• Atmosphere: Carbon Dioxide
• No moons
• No rings
• Length of a Day: 243 days
• Length of a Year: 225 days
• Surface Features: rocky, canyons, dusty.

6. • Other than the Moon, Venus is the brightest
natural object in the night sky
• Venus is the only planet named after a female
figure, the goddess of love.

7. Earth
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 93
• Average Temperature(C): 10
• Diameter in km: 12,800
• Solid Planet
• Atmosphere: Nitrogen and Oxygen
• 1 moon
• No rings
• Length of a Day: 24 hours
• Length of a Year: 365 days
• Surface Features: water, mountains, volcanoes.

8. • Earth is not a perfect sphere, it is an oblate
spheroid.
• The moon is moving away from the earth at a
rate of 4 cm a year.
• Around 70% of water on Earth is locked within
glaciers and polar ice caps

9. Mars
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 142
• Average Temperature(C): -40
• Diameter in km: 6,800
• Solid Planet
• Atmosphere: Carbon Dioxide
• 2 moons
• No rings
• Length of a Day: 25 hours
• Length of a Year: 687 days
• Surface Features: Dunes, volcanoes, red dirt canyons.

10. • Scientists believe that Mars was once a very
different place. Evidence points to volcanic
activity, water and a rich atmosphere and
warm climate.

11. Jupiter
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 484
• Average Temperature(C): -150
• Diameter in km: 143,000
• Gas Planet
• Atmosphere: Hydrogen, Helium
• 63 moons
• 4 rings
• Length of a Day: 10 hours
• Length of a Year: 12 years
• Surface Features: Red spot, storms.

12. • One spot that planetary scientists think
organisms could survive is Europa, Jupiter’s
moon
• The Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm.
• Jupiter is the largest planet

13. Saturn
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 885
• Average Temperature(C): -180
• Diameter in km: 120,700
• Gas Planet
• Atmosphere: Hydrogen, Helium
• 31 moons
• 1000+ rings
• Length of a Day: 10 hours
• Length of a Year: 30 years
• Surface Features: Storms, clouds.

14. • Another place where life could exist is Titan,
Saturn’s largest moon.
• Saturn has an average density less than water,
that means it would float if there were an ocean
big enough to hold it.
• Saturn was the name of the Roman god of
agriculture and harvest
• The particles that make up Saturn’s rings range
from the size of a grain of salt to the size of a
mountain.

15. Uranus
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 1,781
• Average Temperature(C): -200
• Diameter in km: 51,800
• Gas Planet
• Atmosphere: Hydrogen, Helium
• 27 moons
• 11 rings
• Length of a Day: 17 hours
• Length of a Year: 84 years
• Surface Features: Green, blue clouds.

16. • Uranus was the first planet discovered in
modern history. It was also the first discovered
using telescope.
• The moons are named after characters of
William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

17. Neptune
• Average distance from the sun(million miles): 2,793
• Average Temperature(C): -220
• Diameter in km: 49, 500
• Gas Planet
• Atmosphere: Hydrogen, Helium
• 13 moons
• 4 rings
• Length of a Day: 16 hours
• Length of a Year: 165 years
• Surface Features: Storms, blue clouds.

18. • Neptune is named after the Roman god of the
Sea.
• Neptune’s icy rings were discovered in 1968
• Winds on Neptune can reach 2,000 km per
hour –faster than the speed of sound.
• The Kuiper belt, a large field of space debris is
dominated by Neptune’s gravity.