Observe: The Planets of the Solar System

Topography

What is unique about the eight planets that are in the solar system?

Each planet has its own characteristics of temperature, colour, diameter, topography, climate, number of moons, etc. The differences (and similarities) are numerous.

In the following activity, you will look closely at how these other planets compare to Earth.

  Notebook: What are the characteristics and surface conditions of the planets in our solar system?

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Planet Observation Chart

Planet Average Temperature (°C) Diameter                     
(in km) 		Number
of Moons 		Topography
(surface) 		Temperature and Climate Atmosphere Two Interesting Facts
Inner Planets
Mercury -173 to 427 4,879 0 lots of craters hot and cold hydrogen, helium and oxygen; smaller amounts of sodium smallest planet; it is the size of the United States; it circles the sun faster than any other planet
Venus 460 12,104 0 rolling plains, lava flow, volcanoes hot carbon dioxide; very dense is brighter than any star at night; called Earth’s sister planet; hottest planet in the solar system; one day on Venus is longer than one year
Earth 16 12,742 1 plate tectonics, water mild nitrogen 78% and oxygen 21% its magnetic field shields us from harmful radiation; called the “water planet”
Mars -63 6779 2 evidence of erosion, hills very cold carbon dioxide; thin red planet; northern half of its rocky surface is smooth and southern half is very cratered; has the highest mountain in the solar system
Outer Planets
Jupiter -145 bulges at the equator 142,984 63 gas, storms, wind very hot hydrogen and helium has rings like Saturn but are too dark to be seen from Earth; 11x as wide as Earth; large spot is actually a storm
Saturn -130 120,660 50 no solid surface very hot hydrogen, helium, and methane 10x as wide as Earth; is so light that it would float in water
Uranus -200 approximately 51, 118 27 mostly gas very long seasons hydrogen, helium, and methane 4x as wide as Earth; it is so tilted that it almost lays on its side; also has rings
Neptune -200 49,528 14 discovered so far mostly gas; has 5 rings windy, cold hydrogen, helium, and methane; more ice in atmosphere than other planets has the fastest winds of the solar system – over 1600 km/h; is an extremely vivid blue color
Dwarf Planets
Pluto -223 2300 5 gas; thin layer of blue clouds very cold nitrogen and methane occasionally it is closer to the Sun than Neptune; used to be considered the 9th planet; it has a heart shaped patch on its surface;