Planets Flashcards
What are some key details about Mercury?
- Mercury is a small, iron-rich planet
- About one-third the size of Earth.
- It has a grayish-brown color.
- Located closest to the Sun.
- It is the only planet besides Earth with a magnetic field.
Has no moons
What are some key details about Venus?
- Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System,
- It has no water and a mostly carbon dioxide atmosphere.
- Venus spins in the opposite direction of Earth
- A day on Venus is longer than its year
- Venus appears yellowish-white due to its thick cloud cover.
- It is visible as a bright blue-white star just before sunrise and after sunset.
- Venus has no moons.
What are some key details about Earth?
- Earth is only planet to be able support life
- Has a lot of water
- Is at the perfect distance from the Sun
- The atmosphere, made up of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen
- Earth has one moon that orbits it every month.
- Has a rotation period of 1 day, and an orbital period of 1 year.
- Earth appears mostly blue due to its oceans, with green and brown landmasses visible from space.
What are some key details about Mars?
- Mars, known as the “Red Planet” because of its red hue
- It has been a major focus of study, revealing dried-up riverbeds that suggest it once had water and could have supported life.
- It has a similar tilt to Earth, giving it four distinct seasons.
- Mars has two moons
What are some key details about Jupiter?
- Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System
- It is mostly made of hydrogen and helium
- Jupiter has a huge storm called the “Giant Red Spot,” which has been around for over 100 years.
- Jupiter has 16 moons,
- Has a color that is mainly pale yellow and orange.
What are some key details about Saturn?
- Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System,
- Has 1,000 rings.
- It has 18 moons, with Titan being the largest.
- Every 30 years, the Great White Spot storm appears, creating a huge white cloud.
- It appears pale yellow due to its cloud layers.
What are some key details about Neptune?
- Neptune is the smallest outer planet
- The furthest from the Sun.
- It appears bright blue
- Neptune’s winds are nine times stronger than Earth’s.
- It has 8 moons, with Triton being the most interesting
- Has an orbital period of nearly 165 years.
What are some key details about Uranus?
- Uranus has a large ice and rock core and distinct layers.
- Has a slight green color.
- Uranus has a ring system like Saturn’s
- It has 17 moons
- Has an orbital period of about 84 years.
What is an Astronomical Unit?
An Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average distance from Earth to the Sun, about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. Astronomers use AU to measure distances within our Solar System because the numbers are easier to work with.
What is a Light Year?
For objects outside the Solar System, we use light-years to measure distance. A light-year is how far light travels in one year, which is about 63,000 AU or 9 trillion kilometers.
What are terrestrial planets?
Terrestrial planets are planets with solid, rocky surfaces. In our solar system, there are four terrestrial planets:
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
They are small, made mostly of rock and metal, and have a solid surface you can walk on. They are different from gas giants like Jupiter, which don’t have a solid surface.
What are gas giants?
Gas giants are very large planets made mostly of gases, like hydrogen and helium. They don’t have a solid surface. In our solar system, the two gas giants are:
Jupiter
Saturn
They are much bigger than rocky planets (like Earth) and have thick atmospheres.
What are ice giants?
Ice giants are planets like Uranus and Neptune. They are called this because they have more water, ammonia, and methane.
They are smaller than gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn but much bigger than Earth.
