Solar System Data Sheet (Source: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov; http://solarviews.com) The Sun Diameter (miles) Surface Temperature Interior Temperature Rotation (length of “day”) Composition Sunspots Prominences Solar Flares 864,000 11,000o F 28,000,000o F 27 Earth Days (equator) 36 Earth Days (poles) Hydrogen and Helium Cooler areas on the Sun (6,000o F). Can be as large as 50,000 mi. Hot gasses extending from surface. Violent explosions in the Sun’s atmosphere. Sunspot Prominence Solar Flare The System
Planet Rocky or Gas Distance from Sun (millions of mi) Revolution (year) (Earth days or years) Rotation (day) (Earth hours or days) Diameter (mi) Moons Rings Temperature Atmosphere Mercury Rocky 36 88 days 59 days 3,100 0 No -300o F. to 800 o F. Very, very thin Venus Rocky 67 225 days 243 Days 7,500 0 No 900 o F. CO2 Very thick Earth Rocky 93 365 days (1 year) 23 hrs 56 min 7,900 1 No -125o F. to 125o F. Nitrogen Oxygen Thick Mars Rocky 141 687 Days 24 hrs 40 min 4,300 2 No -125o F. to 32o F. CO2 Very thin Jupiter Gas Giant 484 12 years 9 hrs 50 min 88,500 63+ Yes faint -235o F. Hydrogen Helium Very Thick Saturn Gas Giant 886 29 years 9 hrs 40 min 65,000 63+ Yes -288o F. Hydrogen Helium Very The Solar System
Planet Rocky or Gas Distance from Sun (millions of mi) Revolution (year) days or years) Rotation (day) (Earth hours or days) Diameter (mi) Moons Rings Temperature Atmosphere Uranus Gas Giant 1,800 84 years 17 hrs 34 min 31,000 27 Yes -360o F. Hydrogen Helium Methane Very Neptune Gas Giant 2,800 165 years 15 hrs 10 min 30,000 13 Yes faint -360o F. Hydrogen Helium Methane Very Thick Classifying the Planets Rocky Planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars Gas Giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Classical Planets (seen without a telescope) – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Modern Planets (seen with a telescope) – Uranus, Neptune Inferior Planets (having an orbit between Earth and the Sun) – Mercury, Venus Superior Planets (having an farther from the Sun than Earth) – Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Giant Planets (larger than Earth) - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Small Planets (smaller than Earth) – Mercury, Venus, Mars
Dwarf Planets Body Diameter (miles) Distance from Sun (millions of miles) Rotation (Day) Revolution (Year) Moons Rings Temperature Atmosphere Eris (Icy) (plutoid*) 1,500 3,500 (closest)** 12,700 (farthest) Unknown 557 Earth Years 1 No -406o F. None (Icy/Rocky) (plutoid*) 1,400 2,700 (closest)** 4,600 (farthest) 6.4 Earth Days 248 Earth Years 3 No -380o F. Nitrogen, CO2, and Methane (Thin) *Plutoid – a dwarf planet outside the orbit of Neptune. **Closest – closest approach to Sun; Farthest – farthest distance from Sun. Dwarf Planets Body Diameter (miles) Distance from Sun (millions of miles) Rotation (Day) Revolution (Year) Moons Rings Temperature Atmosphere Haumea 1,200 x 600 3,300 (closest)** 4,800 (farthest) 3 hrs 55 min 285 Earth Years 2 No -402o F. ?
(Icy/Rocky) (plutoid)* MakeMake (Mah-Key) (Icy) (plutoid)* Between 800 – 1,200 3,500 (closest)** 5,000 (farthest) ? 310 Earth Years 0 No -406o F. Methane Ceres (Rocky) 590 280 9 hours 4.6 Earth Years 0 No -100o F. (Sun high overhead) None *Plutoid – a dwarf planet outside the orbit of Neptune. **Closest – closest approach to Sun; Farthest – farthest distance from Sun. Asteroids Composition (what they’re made of) Locations Distance from Sun (millions of miles) Number Size Range Two Largest Irregular rocky bodies Most found between orbits of Mars & Jupiter 167,000,000 to 418,000,000 Over 150,000 330 mi to around 100 yards Vesta – 330 mi Pallas – 300 mi
(Note – Asteroids cannot be seen without a telescope.) Meteoroids/Meteors/Meteorites Where They Come From Size Range Definition of a Meteoroid Definition of a Meteor Definition of a Meteorite Most come from the Asteroid Belt. Few come from particles left from comets when Earth crosses their path. Grain of sand to around 100 yards. Grain or rock that is travelling in space. Grain or rock that has entered the atmosphere (sometimes called “shooting” or “falling” star.) A meteor that is enough to survive the trip through the atmosphere and hit the Earth’s surface. Kuiper Belt Objects Composition (what they’re made of) Locations Distance from Sun (millions of miles) Number Size Two Largest Icy bodies Outside Neptune’s orbit. 3,000,000,000 to 5,200,000,000 Estimated at 100,000 62 miles or larger. 1,500 miles to 100 yards. Eris – 1,500 miles Pluto – 1,400 miles (Note – Kuiper Belt Objects cannot be seen without a telescope.)
Comets Composition (what they’re made of) Location of Comets Distance from Sun (miles) Number Parts of a Comet Water ice, dry ice, ammonia ice, dirt, and rocks. Sometimes called snowballs” or “icy mudballs.” in the Oort Cloud. (Oort Cloud named after Jan Oort who proposed its existence [hasn’t been confirmed].) From 5,000,000,000 (outside the orbit of Neptune) to 6,000,000,000,000 (one light year) Over 1,000,000,000,000 Nucleus – The “dirty snowball.” Coma – Dense cloud of vaporized ices and dirt that surrounds Nucleus. Tail – Gases and other particles blown off the comet by the Solar Wind (particles from the Sun). Always points away from the Sun. (Note – Some comets can be seen without a telescope; a telescope is needed to see most comets.)