Sun

The

sun

is a

mas

sive

ball

of g

as a

nd th

e la

rges

t bod

y in

the

sola

r sys

tem

.

Diam

eter

86

3,40

0 m

iles

(1,3

90,0

00 k

m)

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

10

,800

° F (6

,000

° C)

Inte

rior

Tem

pera

ture

27

,000

,000

° F

(15,

000,

000°

C)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

25–3

6 da

ys

Estim

ated

Age

4.

5 bi

llion

yea

rs

Prim

ary

Chem

ical

Co

mpo

nent

Hy

drog

en

Mer

cury

M

ercu

ry is

the

clos

est p

lane

t to

the

sun

and

the

smal

lest

in th

e so

lar s

yste

m.

Diam

eter

3,

031

mile

s (4

,880

km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

0

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

35,9

74,2

72 m

iles

(57,

910,

000

km)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

58.6

5 da

ys

Orb

ital P

erio

d 87

.97

days

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

35

4° F

(179

° C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Heliu

m

Venu

s

The

seco

nd p

lane

t fro

m th

e su

n, c

loud

-co

vere

d Ve

nus r

otat

es fr

om e

ast t

o w

est.

Diam

eter

7,

518

mile

s (1

2,10

3 km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

0

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

67,2

14,9

20 m

iles

(108

,200

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

243.

0 da

ys

Orb

ital P

erio

d 22

4.7

days

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

89

9° F

(482

° C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Carb

on D

ioxi

de

Eart

h

The

only

pla

net w

ith li

quid

wat

er o

n its

su

rfac

e, it

is th

e on

ly p

lane

t to

supp

ort l

ife.

Diam

eter

7,

924

mile

s (1

2,75

6 km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

1

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

92,9

33,0

00 m

iles

(149

,600

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

23 h

ours

, 56

min

s

Orb

ital P

erio

d 36

5.2

days

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

35

4° F

(179

° C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Nitr

ogen

Mar

s

The

four

th p

lane

t fro

m th

e su

n is

a ba

rren

, ro

cky,

rust

y re

d w

orld

. Di

amet

er

4,22

0 m

iles

(6,7

94 k

m)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

2

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

141,

050,

000

mile

s (2

27,9

40,0

00 k

m)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

24.6

2 ho

urs

Orb

ital P

erio

d 68

7 da

ys

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

-8

1° F

(-63

° C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Carb

on D

ioxi

de

Aste

roid

s and

Com

ets

Aste

roid

s are

big

spac

e ro

cks l

eft o

ver f

rom

w

hen

the

sola

r sys

tem

form

ed a

bout

4.6

bi

llion

yea

rs a

go. M

ost a

ster

oids

orb

it th

e su

n w

ithin

the

mai

n as

tero

id b

elt b

etw

een

Mar

s and

Jupi

ter.

Num

ber o

f kno

wn

aste

roid

s: 7

94,7

70

Com

ets a

re th

e ol

dest

, mos

t prim

itive

bo

dies

in th

e So

lar S

yste

m. T

hey

are

huge

sn

owba

lls o

f fro

zen

gase

s, ro

ck, a

nd d

ust

that

orb

it th

e su

n. W

hen

clos

e to

the

sun,

a

com

et h

eats

up,

and

its d

ust a

nd g

ases

form

a

tail

that

stre

tche

s for

mill

ions

of m

iles.

N

umbe

r of k

now

n co

met

s:

3

,570

Jupi

ter

Alm

ost t

wic

e th

e siz

e of

all

of th

e ot

her

plan

ets c

ombi

ned

and

has a

gia

nt re

d sp

ot.

Di

amet

er

88,8

23 m

iles

(142

,984

km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

64 k

now

n

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

482,

546,

000

mile

s (7

78,3

30,0

00 k

m)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

9.84

hou

rs

Orb

ital P

erio

d 43

33 d

ays

Clou

d Te

mpe

ratu

re

-185

° F (-

121°

C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Hydr

ogen

Satu

rn

Satu

rn, a

gas

gia

nt w

ith th

ree

mai

n ba

nds o

f rin

gs, i

s cal

led

the

jew

el o

f the

sola

r sys

tem

.

Diam

eter

74

,565

mile

s (1

20,5

36 k

m)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

62

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

884,

740,

000

mile

s (1

,429

,400

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

10.2

5 da

ys

Orb

ital P

erio

d 29

.46

year

s

Clou

d Te

mpe

ratu

re

-193

° F (-

125°

C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Hydr

ogen

Ura

nus

The

only

pla

net t

hat r

otat

es o

n its

side

, U

ranu

s is a

feat

urel

ess b

lue-

gree

n sp

here

.

Diam

eter

31

,755

mile

s (5

1,11

8 km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

27

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

1,78

3,48

7,00

0mile

s (2

,870

,990

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

17.3

hou

rs

Orb

ital P

erio

d 84

yea

rs

Clou

d Te

mpe

ratu

re

-315

° F (-

193°

C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Hydr

ogen

Nep

tune

A

gian

t blu

e sp

here

with

unu

sual

clo

ud

feat

ures

and

a th

in, d

ark

syst

em o

f rin

gs.

Diam

eter

30

,744

mile

s (4

9,49

2 km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

13

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

2,79

8,11

6,00

0mile

s (4

,504

,300

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

15.8

hou

rs

Orb

ital P

erio

d 16

5 ye

ars

Clou

d Te

mpe

ratu

re

-315

° F (-

193°

C)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Hydr

ogen

Plut

o

Plut

o is

offic

ially

cla

ssifi

ed a

s a d

war

f pla

net

and

has a

n ov

al a

nd ti

lted

orbi

t.

Diam

eter

1,

473

mile

s (2

,370

km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

5

Dist

ance

from

the

Sun

3,67

3,53

7,00

0mile

s (5

,913

,520

,000

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

6.3

days

Orb

ital P

erio

d 24

8 ye

ars

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

-3

82° F

(-23

0° C

)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Met

hane

Moo

n O

ur m

oon

is th

e 5t

h la

rges

t of t

he 1

90+

moo

ns o

rbiti

ng p

lane

ts in

the

sola

r sys

tem

.

Diam

eter

2,

160

mile

s (3

,476

km

)

Nat

ural

Sat

ellit

es

0

Dist

ance

from

the

Eart

h 23

8,80

0 m

iles

(384

,400

km

)

Rota

tiona

l Per

iod

27.3

2 da

ys

Orb

ital P

erio

d 27

.32

days

Surf

ace

Tem

pera

ture

0°

F (-

17° C

)

Mai

n At

mos

pher

ic

Com

pone

nt

Hydr

ogen