What is SOLAR SYSTEM?

• the collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. [1]

• It comprises the Sun and the objects that orbit it, whether they orbit it directly or by orbiting other objects that orbit it directly [2]

• The Sun is a at the center of our solar

system.

•It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old.

•It supports all life on Earth through photo-synthesis and is the ultimate source of all food and fossil fuel.

•It is 333,400 times more massive than the Earth (this means that 333,400 Earths can make up the Sun).

•99.86% of all the mass of the solar system is found in the Sun.

•The core of the Sun is 16 million °C.

•The surface of the Sun is 7000° C

•It takes several hundred thousand years forto escape from the dense core and reach

the surface.

•The Sun generates energy the equivalent of 100 billion tons of TNT exploding every second.

• The Sun is basically a huge ball of hydrogen gas held together by the gravity created by its own mass. Under the intense pressure created at the centre of the Sun by gravity, hydrogen nuclei are fused together to produce helium nuclei. Very simply stated, four hydrogen nuclei are fused into one helium nucleus, however one helium atom has less mass than four hydrogen atoms. The fusion process releases enough energy to account for the lost mass.

• The energy released by nuclear fusion in the Sun's core heats the Sun. The hot Sun radiates light into space, warming the Earth and the other planets.

• About 1300 watts per square meter reaches the Earth's orbit, of which about 1000 watts per square meter reaches the Earth's surface (on a clear day).

•

• The Sun's energy is the principal driver of all of Earth's atmospheric events, from weather patterns in the lower layers, through auroras in the upper layers, to the environment of energetic particles at the altitudes of orbiting satellites. The energy originates from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in the Sun's core ( ). Over millions of years, the energy is transported outward to the visible surface, where it is radiated into space. The Sun contains the vast majority of all matter within our . It is mostly hydrogen, with some helium and smaller amounts of other .

• The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere. The Sun's atmosphere has two transparent layers. The chromosphere is just above the photosphere. The corona is the outer part of the Sun's atmosphere. In the outer region of the corona, particles travel away from the Sun and stretch far out into space. The chromosphere and corona can only be seen during solar eclipses, or with instruments that simulate a solar eclipse.

• The SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft is currently in position at the L1 point. Once of its instruments, LASCO, is a visible-lightcoronagraph, a device that blocks the bright light from the Sun's surface, allowing the details in the corona to be clearly seen.

• In one of LASCO's images of activity on the Sun, shown here, blobs of plasma (the solar wind stream) can be seen to be emitted from the Sun. Image courtesy of SOHO/LASCO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. [3]

• According to IAU, PLANET is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.[4]

What is PLANETS?

1st planet out from the sun.

Resembles Earth's Moon, scarred by thousands of impact craters. There are areas of smooth terrain as well as cliffs, some soaring a mile high, formed by ancient impacts.

Rocky material. It is a planet.

5.43 g/cm3

Almost no atmosphere. The very little atmosphere that exists is composed chiefly of oxygen, sodium, and helium.

.054 the of the Earth

Planetary satellites (Moons): None

58.65 days (very slow rotation)

: 88 days to go around the Sun once.

High: 467 °C on the sunny side of the planet. Low: -183 °C on the dark side of the planet.[5]

• Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system -- only slightly larger than the Earth's moon.

• It is the closest planet to the sun at a distance of about 58 million km (36 million miles) or 0.39 AU.

• One day on Mercury (the time it takes for Mercury to rotate or spin once) takes 59 Earth days. Mercury makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Mercury time) in just 88 Earth days.

• MESSENGER: First to orbit Mercury. Image Credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

• Mercury is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet. Mercury has a solid, cratered surface, much like Earth's moon.

• Mercury has no moons.

• There are no rings around Mercury. [6]

• Mercury's thin atmosphere, or exosphere, is composed mostly of oxygen (O2), sodium (Na), hydrogen (H2), helium (He), and potassium (K). Atoms that are blasted off the surface by the solar wind and micrometeoroid impacts create Mercury's exosphere.

• Only two spacecraft have visited this rocky planet: Mariner 10 in 1974-5 and MESSENGER, which flew past Mercury three times before going into orbit around Mercury in 2011.

• No evidence for life has been found on Mercury. Daytime temperatures can reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius) and drop to -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-180 degrees Celsius) at night. It is unlikely life (as we know it) could survive on this planet.

• Standing on Mercury's surface at its closest point to the sun, the sun would appear more than three times larger than it does on Earth. [6]

• Goals: MESSENGER was designed to map the surface composition,

study the magnetic field and interior structure of our solar system's smallest and innermost planet -- Mercury. It carries eight instruments to study Mercury's polar deposits, core and magnetic dynamo, crust and mantle, magnetosphere, crustal composition, geologic evolution and exosphere.

• Accomplishments: On 18 March 2011 (UTC), MESSENGER

became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. During a series of flybys that edged it closer to orbit insertion, the spacecraft revealed more of Mercury than has ever been seen before. Images and data reveal Mercury as a unique, geologically diverse world with a magnetosphere far different than the one first discovered by Mariner 10 in 1975.

• MESSENGER solved the decades-old question of whether there are

volcanic deposits on the planet's surface. MESSENGER orbital images have revealed volcanic vents measuring up to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) across that appear to have once been sources for large volumes of very hot lava that, after eruption, carved valleys and created teardrop-shaped ridges in the underlying terrain.

• The spacecraft also found Mercury has an unexpectedly

complex internal structure. Mercury's core is huge for the planet's size, about 85% of the planetary radius, even larger than previous estimates. The planet is sufficiently small that at one time many scientists thought the interior should have cooled to the point that the core would be solid. However, subtle dynamical motions measured from Earth-based radar combined with parameters of the gravity field, as well as observations of the magnetic field that signify an active core dynamo, indicate that Mercury's core is at least partially liquid. [7]

: 2nd planet out from the sun.

It is covered by thick, rapidly spinning clouds. Due to its thick cloud layer reflecting sunlight, it is the brightest planet in the sky

: Rocky material. It contains an iron core and a molten rocky mantle. The crust is a solid, rocky material. It is

5.24 gm/cm3

Consists mainly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and droplets of sulfuric acid; it contains almost no water vapor. This thick atmosphere traps immense amounts of heat in a large-scale .

.88 the of the Earth

(Moons): None

-243 days ( )

225 Earth days. Its day is longer than its year.Temperature: 450 °C. It’s hotter than Mercury due to the

greenhouse effect. It is actually hot enough to melt lead. [8]

•

• Venus is only a little smaller than Earth.

• Venus is the second closest planet to the sun at a distance of about 108 million km (67 million miles) or 0.72 AU.Magellan: Mapping Venus

• One day on Venus lasts as long as 243 Earth days (the time it takes for Venus to rotate or spin once). Venus makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Venusian time) in 225 Earth days.

• Venus is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet. Venus' solid surface is a cratered and volcanic landscape.

• Venus' thick and toxic atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2), with clouds of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) droplets.

• Venus has no moons. [9]

• There are no rings around Venus.

• More than 40 spacecraft have explored Venus. The mission in the early 1990s mapped 98 percent of the planet's surface.

• No evidence for life has been found on Venus. The planet's extreme high temperatures of almost 480 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit) make it seem an unlikely place for for life as we know it.

• Venus spins backwards (retrograde rotation) when compared to the other planets. This means that the sun rises in the west and sets in the east on Venus. [9]

•

Goals: Magellan was designed to make quality radar maps of at least 70 percent of Venus' surface, providing a clear look at the topography below the planet's thick, perpetual cloak of clouds.

• Accomplishments: Magellan mapped 98 percent of Venus' surface at a resolution of 100 to 150 meters (about the length of a football or soccer field), using synthetic aperture radar, a technique that simulates the use of a much larger radar antenna. It found that 85 percent of the surface is covered with volcanic flows and showed evidence of tectonic movement, turbulent surface winds, lava channels and pancake-shaped domes. Magellan also produced high-resolution gravity data for 95 percent of the planet and tested a new maneuvering technique called aerobraking, using atmospheric drag to adjust its orbit.

• The spacecraft was commanded to plunge into Venus' atmosphere in 1994 as part of a final experiment to gather atmospheric data. [10]

: 3rd planet out from the sun.

: The Earth looks blue and green from space with clouds moving through the atmosphere. The surface of the Earth is 70% water and 30% land.

: Rocky material. It is a planet. It has a nickel-iron core with a molten mantle and solid rocky crust.

: 5.52 gm/cm3

Mostly oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (78%). Some argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

40,000km (24,8000miles) around at the equator.

(Moons): 1 -

23 hours, 56miutes (1 day)

365.25 days

: Mean surface 15 °C to 20 °C [11]

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel.

• Earth is the third planet from the sun at a distance of about 150 million km (93 million miles) or one AU.Spacecraft study Earth from above.

• One day on Earth takes 24 hours (this is the time it takes the Earth to rotate or spin once). Earth makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Earth time) in about 365 days.

• Earth is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet, with a solid and dynamic surface of mountains, valleys, canyons, plains and so much more. What makes Earth different from the other terrestrial planets is that it is also an ocean planet: 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in oceans.

• The Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78 percent nitrogen (N2), 21 percent oxygen (O2) and 1 percent other ingredients -- the perfect balance for us to breathe and live. Many planets have atmospheres, but only Earth's is breathable. [12]

• Earth has one . Another name for a moon is satellite.

• Earth has no rings.

• Many orbiting spacecraft study the Earth from above as a whole system and together aid in understanding our home planet.

• Earth is the perfect place for life.

• Earth's atmosphere protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up in our atmosphere before they can strike the surface as meteorites. [12]

• Goals: Earth science missions are designed to study our home world from above as a whole system and aid in our understanding how the planet is changing.

• Accomplishments: Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, more than a dozen nations have launched hundreds of spacecraft to study our home world from orbit. A half-century of progress in Earth observation from space has steadily changed our perception of Earth. Satellite measurements enabled understanding of the Earth as a system of interconnected parts. It is now clear the characteristics of Earth's atmosphere so critical to life are maintained by complex and tightly coupled circulation dynamics, chemistry and interactions with the oceans, ice and land surface; all of which are driven by solar radiation and gravitational forces. [13]

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel and the moon would the size of a green pea.

• The moon is Earth's satellite and orbits the Earth at a distance of about 384 thousand km (239 thousand miles) or 0.00257 AU.Twelve human beings have walked on the moon.

• The moon makes a complete orbit around Earth in 27 Earth days and rotates or spins at that same rate, or in that same amount of time. This causes the moon to keep the same side or face towards Earth during the course of its orbit.

• The moon is a rocky, solid-surface body, with much of its surface cratered and pitted from impacts.

• The moon has a very thin and tenuous (weak) atmosphere, called an exosphere.

• The moon has no moons.

• The moon has no rings.

• More than 100 spacecraft been launched to explore the moon. It is the only celestial a body beyond Earth that has been visited by human beings

• The moon's weak atmosphere and its lack of liquid water cannot support life as we know it.

• Surface features that create the face known as the "Man in the moon" are impact basins on the moon that are filled with dark basalt rocks. [14]

•

• Goals: The goal of NASA's Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moonand bring them safely back to Earth. Six of the missions achieved this goal:

Apollo 11Apollo 12

• Accomplishments: The Apollo program remains one of humanity's greatest achievements. The missions returned a wealth of scientific data, established humanity's ability to live and work in space and collected 382 kilograms (842 pounds) of lunar rocks. The program also produced countless technological spinoffs, ranging from cordless tools to firefighter breathing systems. [15]

: 4th planet out from the

sun.

Mars appears red due to the

iron oxide in its soil. It has polar ice caps that grow and recede with the seasons, and it has dust storms, which cause giant dunes, wind streaks, and wind-carved features.

Rocky material. It is

a terrestrial planet.

3.94 gm/cm3

Mostly carbon dioxide,

nitrogen, and argon.

149 times the volume of the Earth.

2 Moons

24 hours, 33 minutes.

686.67 days.

-87 °C to -5 °C [16]

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel, and Mars would be about as big as an aspirin tablet.

• Mars orbits our sun, a star. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun at a distance of about 228 million km (142 million miles) or 1.52 AU.

• One day on Mars takes just a little over 24 hours (the time it takes for Mars to rotate or spin once). Mars makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Martian time) in 687 Earth days.

• Mars is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet. Mars' solid surface has been altered by volcanoes, impacts, crustal movement, and atmospheric effects such as dust storms.

• Mars has a thin atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar).

• Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos. [17]

• There are no rings around Mars.

• More than 40 spacecraft have been launched for Mars, from flybys and orbiters to rovers and landers that touched surface of the Red Planet. The first true Mars mission success was

• At this time in the planet's history, Mars' surface cannot support life as we know it. A key science goal is determining Mars' past and future potential for life.

• Mars is known as the Red Planet because iron minerals in the Martian soil oxidize, or rust, causing the soil -- and the dusty atmosphere -- to look red. [17]

• Engineering interplanetary journeys is very complicated, so the exploration of Mars has experienced a high failure rate, especially in earlier attempts. Roughly two-thirds of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions, and there are some that failed before their observations could begin. However, missions have also met with unexpected levels of success, such as the twin Mars Exploration Rovers operating for years beyond their original mission specifications.

• As of 24 September 2014, there are two scientific rovers on the surface of Mars beaming signals back to Earth (Opportunity of the Mars Exploration Rover mission, and Curiosity of the Mars Science Laboratory mission), and five orbiters currently surveying the planet: Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Orbiter Mission andMAVEN.

• To date, no sample return missions have been attempted for Mars, and one attempted return mission for Mars' moon Phobos(Fobos-Grunt) has failed.

• On 24 January 2014, NASA reported that current studies on the planet Mars by the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers will now be searching for evidence of ancient life, including a biosphere based on autotrophic, chemotrophic and/or chemolithoautotrophicmicroorganisms, as well as ancient water, including fluvio-lacustrine environments (plains related to ancient rivers or lakes) that may have been habitable. The search for evidence of habitability, taphonomy (related to fossils), and organic carbon on the planetMars is now a primary NASA objective [18]

• Hall named the moons for the mythological sons of Ares, the Greek counterpart of the Roman god, Mars. Phobos means fear or panic (think "phobia"), and Deimos means flight (as in running away after an overwhelming defeat). Fitting names for the sons of a war god. [19]

Mars' moons are among the smallest in the solar system. Phobos is a bit larger than Deimos, and orbits only 6,000 km (3,700 miles) above the Martian surface. No known moon orbits closer to its planet. It whips around Mars three times a day, while the more distant Deimos takes 30 hours for each orbit. Phobos is gradually spiraling inward, drawing about 1.8 m closer to the planet each century. Within 50 million years, it will either crash into Mars or break up and form a ring around the planet. [19]

: 5th planet out from the sun.

: It is sometimes called a “mini-solar system” because of its numerous moons and several rings. Jupiter appears striped because light and dark belts are created by strong east-west winds.

: It is a gas giant, meaning it is mostly made of gases. Jupiter's core is probably not solid but a dense, hot liquid with a consistency like thick soup.

: 1.76 gm/cm3

: Mostly hydrogen, helium and methane.

1316 times the of the Earth. It is the planet with the highest gravity in the solar system.

s): some of them have been named and some have alphanumeric designations.

9 hours, 54 minutes

11.86 Earth

-108 °C [20]

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, the Earth would be the size of a nickel and Jupiter would be about as big as a basketball.Juno: Next generation Jupiter explorer

• Jupiter orbits our sun, a star. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun at a distance of about 778 million km (484 million miles) or 5.2 AU.

• One day on Jupiter takes about 10 hours (the time it takes for Jupiter to rotate or spin once). Jupiter makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Jovian time) in about 12 Earth years (4,333 Earth days).

• Jupiter is a gas-giant planet and therefore does not have a solid surface. However, it is predicted that Jupiter has an inner, solid core about the size of the Earth.

• Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He).[21]

• Jupiter has 50 known moons, with an additional 17 moons awaiting confirmation of their discovery -- that is a total of 67 moons.

• Jupiter has a faint ring system that was discovered in 1979 by the Voyager 2 mission.

• Many missions have visited Jupiter and its system of moons. The Juno mission will arrive at Jupiter in 2016.

• Jupiter cannot support life as we know it. However, some of Jupiter's moons have oceans underneath their crusts that might support life.

• Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm (about the size of two to three Earths) that has been raging for hundreds of years. [21]

• Goals: NASA's Juno Mission will study how Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, formed and became the dynamic world we see today. The solar-powered spacecraft will map the gravity field, magnetic field and atmospheric structure of Jupiter from a unique polar orbit. Juno's observations will lead to a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and planetary systems discovered around other stars.

• Accomplishments: This mission is en route to its primary science target. [22]

•

• NASA launched Juno on August 5, 2011 to study Jupiter in detail from a polar orbit when it arrives 2016. The spacecraft will be placed in a polar orbit to study theplanet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. Juno will also search for clues about how Jupiter formed, including whether the planet has a rocky core, the amount of water present within the deep atmosphere, and how the mass is distributed within the planet. Juno will also study Jupiter's deep winds,[50][51] which can reach speeds of 600 km/h. [23]

1. Io

2. Europa

3. Ganymede

4. Callisto

5. Amalthea

6. Himalia

7. Elara

8. Pasiphae

9. Sinope

10. Lysithea

11. Carme

12. Ananke

13. Leda

14. Thebe

15. Adrastea

16. Metis

17. Callirrhoe

18. Themisto

19. Megaclite

20. Taygete

21. Chaldene

22. Harpalyke

23. Kalyke

24. Iocaste

25. Erinome

26. Isonoe

27. Praxidike

28. Autonoe

29. Thyone

30. Hermippe

31. Aitne

32. Eurydome

33. Euanthe

34. Euporie

35. Orthosie

36. Sponde

37. Kale

38. Pasithee

39. Hegemone

40. Mneme

41. Aoede

42. Thelxinoe

43. Arche

44. Kallichore

45. Helike

46. Carpo

47. Eukelade

48. Cyllene

49. Kore

50. S/2003 J2

51. S/2003 J3

52. S/2003 J4

53. S/2000 J11

54. S/2000 J5

55. S/2003 J9

56. S/2003 J10

57. S/2003 J12

58. S/2003 J15

59. S/2003 J16

60. S/2003 J17

61. S/2003 J18

62. S/2003 J19

63. S/2003 J23

: 6th planet out from the sun.

Saturn has a large system of rings, and the yellow

and gold bands in its atmosphere are caused by super-fast winds combined with heat rising from its interior.

: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is mostly

made of the gases hydrogen and helium.

.70 gm/cm3 (This low density means that Saturn could float

on water if their was a body of water big enough).

Mostly hydrogen and helium.

755 times the volume of the Earth.

60 Moons; some have been

named and others have alphanumeric designations

: 10 hours, 38 minutes

: 29.45 Earth years

: -139 °C [24]

•

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, the Earth would be the size of a nickel and Saturn would be about as big as a basketball.Cassini: Long-lived Saturn Explorer.

• Saturn orbits our sun, a star. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun at a distance of about 1.4 billion km (886 million miles) or 9.5 AU.

• One day on Saturn takes 10.7 hours (the time it takes for Saturn to rotate or spin once). Saturn makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Saturnian time) in 29 Earth years.

• Saturn is a gas-giant planet and does not have a solid surface.

• Saturn's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He).

• Saturn has 53 known moons with an additional 9 moons awaiting confirmation of their discovery. [25]

• Saturn has the most spectacular ring system of all our solar system's planets. It is made up of seven rings with several gaps and divisions between them.

• Five missions have been sent to Saturn. Since 2004, Cassini has been exploring Saturn, its moons and rings.

• Saturn cannot support life as we know it. However, some of Saturn's moons have conditions that might support life.

• When Galileo Galilei looked at Saturn through a telescope in the 1600s, he noticed strange objects on each side of the planet and drew in his notes a triple-bodied planet system and then later a planet with arms or handles. Thehandles turned out to be the rings of Saturn. [25]

• On July 1, 2004, the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft performed the SOI (Saturn Orbit Insertion) maneuver and entered into orbit around Saturn. Before the SOI, Cassini had already studied the system extensively. In June 2004, it had conducted a close flyby of Phoebe, sending back high-resolution images and data.

• The orbiter completed two Titan flybys before releasing the Huygens probe on December 25, 2004. Huygens descended onto the surface of Titan on January 14, 2005, sending a flood of data during the atmospheric descent and after the landing. During 2005 Cassini conducted multiple flybys of Titan and icy satellites.

• On March 10, 2006, NASA reported that the Cassini probe found evidence of liquid water reservoirs that erupt ingeysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

• On September 20, 2006, a Cassini probe photograph revealed a previously undiscovered planetary ring, outside the brighter main rings of Saturn and inside the G and E rings.

• In July 2006, Cassini saw the first proof of hydrocarbon lakes near Titan's north pole, which was confirmed in January 2007. In March 2007, additional images near Titan's north pole discovered hydrocarbon "seas", the largest of which is almost the size of the Caspian Sea.

• As of 2009 the probe has discovered and confirmed four new satellites. Its primary mission ended in 2008 when the spacecraft completed 74 orbits around the planet. In 2010, the probe began its first extended mission, the Cassini Equinox Mission. It is now currently on its second mission extension, the Cassini Solstice Mission, expected to last through September 2017. [26]

•

1. Mimas

2. Enceladus

3. Tethys

4. Dione

5. Rhea

6. Titan

7. Hyperion

8. Iapetus

9. Erriapus

10. Phoebe

11. Janus

12. Epimetheus

13. Helene

14. Telesto

15. Calypso

16. Kiviuq

17. Atlas

18. Prometheus

19. Pandora

20. Pan

21. Ymir

22. Paaliaq

23. Tarvos

24. Ijiraq

25. Suttungr

26. Mundilfari

27. Albiorix

28. Skathi

29. Siarnaq

30. Thrymr

31. Narvi

32. Methone

33. Pallene

34. Polydeuces

35. Daphnis

36. Aegir

37. Bebhionn

38. Bergelmir

39. Bestla

40. Farbauti

41. Fenrir

42. Fornjot

43. Hati

44. Hyrokkin

45. Kari

46. Loge

47. Skoll

48. Surtur

49. S/2004 S7

50. S/2004 S12

51. S/2004 S13

52. S/2004 S17

53. S/2006 S1

54. S/2006 S3

55. Greip

56. Jarnsaxa

57. Tarqeq

58. S/2007 S2

59. S/2007 S3

60. Anthe

• Relative position: 7th planet out from the sun.

• Appearance: It has a blue-green color from the

methane gas above the deeper clouds. Methane absorbs red light and reflects blue light. It does have a small system of rings.

• General composition: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is

mostly made of the gases hydrogen and helium, with a small amount of methane and traces of water and ammonia. It has no solid surface, but it does contain a liquid core made mostly of “icy” materials (water, methane, and ammonia)

• Density: 1.30 gm/cm3

• Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium, and methane.

• Size: 52 times the volume of the Earth.

• Planetary satellites (Moons): 27 Moons

• Rotation: 17 hours, 11 minutes

• Revolution: 84.02 Earth years

• Temperature: -197 °C [27]

Special feature: Uranus’ axis is tilted so that it seems to rotate on its side. This tilt gives it seasons that last over twenty years.

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel and Uranus would be about as big as a baseball.Uranus: The Sideways Planet.

• Uranus orbits our sun, a star. Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun at a distance of about 2.9 billion km (1.8 billion miles) or 19.19 AU.

• One day on Uranus takes about 17 hours (the time it takes for Uranus to rotate or spin once). Uranus makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Uranian time) in about 84 Earth years.

• Uranus is an ice giant. Most (80 percent or more) of the planet's mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of "icy" materials – water (H2O), methane (CH4). and ammonia (NH3) – above a small rocky core.

• Uranus has an atmosphere which is mostly made up of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He), with a small amount of methane (CH4). [28]

• Uranus has 27 moons. Uranus' moons are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

• Uranus has faint rings. The inner rings are narrow and dark and the outer rings are brightly colored.

• Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus.

• Uranus cannot support life as we know it.

• Like Venus, Uranus has a retrograde rotation (east to west). Unlike any of the other planets, Uranus rotates on its side, which means it spins horizontally. [28]

• Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Uranus on January 24, 1986, coming within 81,500 kilometers (50,600 mi) of the planet's cloud tops. This was the probe's first solo planetary flyby, since Voyager 1 ended its tour of the outer planets at Saturn's moon Titan.

• The Uranian moon Miranda, imaged by Voyager 2

• Uranus is the third-largest planet in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun at a distance of about 2.8 billion kilometers (1.7 billion miles) and completes one orbit every 84 years. The length of a day on Uranus as measured by Voyager 2 is 17 hours and 14 minutes. Uranus is distinguished by the fact that it is tipped on its side. Its unusual position is thought to be the result of a collision with a planet-sized body early in the Solar System's history. Given its odd orientation, with its polar regions exposed to sunlight or darkness for long periods, scientists were not sure what to expect at Uranus.

• The presence of a magnetic field at Uranus was not known until Voyager's arrival. The intensity of the field is roughly comparable to that of Earth's, though it varies much more from point to point because of its large offset from the center of Uranus. The peculiar orientation of the magnetic field suggests that the field is generated at an intermediate depth in the interior where the pressure is high enough for water to become electrically conductive. Voyager 2 found that one of the most striking influences of the sideways position of the planet is its effect on the tail of the magnetic field, which is itself tilted 60 degrees from the planet's axis of rotation. The magnetotail was shown to be twisted by the planet's rotation into a long corkscrew shape behind the planet.

Radiation belts at Uranus were found to be of an intensity similar to those at Saturn. The intensity of radiation within the belts is such that irradiation would quickly darken (within 100,000 years) any methane trapped in the icy surfaces of the inner moons and ring particles. This may have contributed to the darkened surfaces of the moons and ring particles, which are almost uniformly gray in color. [29]

1. Cordelia

2. Ophelia

3. Bianca

4. Cressida

5. Desdemona

6. Juliet

7. Portia

8. Rosalind

9. Mab

10. Belinda

11. Perdita

12. Puck

13. Cupid

14. Miranda

15. Francisco

16. Ariel

17. Umbriel

18. Titania

19. Oberon

20. Caliban

21. Stephano

22. Trinculo

23. Sycorax

24. Margaret

25. Prospero

26. Setebos

27. Ferdinand

• : 8th planet out from the sun.

: Neptune has a blue color because of the methane in its atmosphere. The methane reflects blue light while it absorbs red light. It has a small system of rings and periodically Great Dark Spots (hurricane-like storms) appear.

tion: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is mostly made of the gases hydrogen, helium, and methane. It has no solid surface, but its liquid core is composed of water and other “melted ices.”

: 1.76 gm/cm3

: Mostly hydrogen, helium,andmethane.

44 times the volume of the Earth.

(Moons): 13 Moons

16 hours, 4 minutes

: 164.79 Earth years

: -200 °C [30]

Voyager 2 captured this image of Neptune in 1989.

• If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, the Earth would be the size of a nickel and Neptune would be about as big as a baseball.

• Neptune orbits our sun, a star. Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun at a distance of about 4.5 billion km (2.8 billion miles) or 30.07 AU.

• One day on Neptune takes about 16 hours (the time it takes for Neptune to rotate or spin once). Neptune makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Neptunian time) in about 165 Earth years (60,190 Earth days).

• Neptune is a sister ice giant to Uranus. Neptune is mostly made of a very thick, very hot combination of water (H2O), ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4) over a possible heavier, approximately Earth-sized, solid core. [31]

• Neptune's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2), helium (He) and methane (CH4).

•Neptune has 13 confirmed moons (and 1 more awaiting official confirmation of discovery). Neptune's moons are named after various sea gods and nymphs in Greek mythology.

•Neptune has six rings.

•Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Neptune.

•Neptune cannot support life as we know it.

•At times during the course of Neptune's orbit, dwarf planet Pluto is actually closer to the sun, and us, than Neptune. This is due to the unusual elliptical (egg) shape of Pluto's orbit. [31]

• English: NASA photograph of one of the two identical Voyager space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in 1977.The 3.7 metre diameter high-gain antenna (HGA) is attached to the hollow ten-sided polygonal body housing the electronics, here seen in profile. The Voyager Golden Record is attached to one of the bus sides.

• The angled square panel below is the optical calibration target and excess heat radiator.

• The three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are mounted end-to-end on the left-extending boom. One of the two planetary radio and plasma wave antenna extends diagonally left and down, the other extends to the rear, mostly hidden here. The compact structure between the RTGs and the HGA are the high-field and low-field magnetometers (MAG) in their stowed state; after launch an Astromast boom extended to 13 metres to distance the low-field magnetometers.

• The instrument boom extending to the right holds, from left to right: the cosmic ray subsystem (CRS) above and Low-Energy Charged Particle (LECP) detector below; the Plasma Spectrometer (PLS) above; and the scan platform that rotates about a vertical axis.

• The scan platform comprises: the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) (largest camera at right); the Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) to the right of the UVS; the two Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) vidicon cameras to the left of the UVS; and the Photopolarimeter System (PPS) barely visible under the ISS.

• Suggested for English Wikipedia:alternative text for images: A space probe with squat cylindrical body topped by a large parabolic radio antenna dish pointing upwards, a three-element radioisotope thermoelectric generator on a boom extending left, and scientific instruments on a boom extending right. A golden disk is fixed to the body.[32]

Triton's Surface photographed by Voyager 2

in 1989.

1. Triton

2. Nereid

3. Naiad

4. Thalassa

5. Despina

6. Galatea

7. Larissa

8. Proteus

9. Halimede

10. Psamathe

11. Sao

12. Laomedeia

13. Neso

: 9th planet out from the sun.

A large frozen ball of ice.

Rocky core surrounded by water

ice.

: 2.0 gm/cm3

Frozen most of the time. When it is

closest to the Sun the bright layer of frozen methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide thaws out and gives it a thin atmosphere.

: .005 the volume of the Earth. It is the planet with the lowest gravity in the solar system.

): 3

• 1. Charon

• 2. Hydra

• 3. Nix

-6.39 days (retrograde)

: 247.9 Earth years

-233 °C [33]

From: www.planetsforkids.org