We live
in a spiral galaxy called the milky way. In the galaxy we are one tiny
spec. In our solar system there are 8 (9 if you include Pluto) planets. We
are the 3rd from the sun meaning we have the perfect conditions for
life.
The
names of the planets (and their conditions) are:
Mercury is the
closest planet to the Sun. It orbits the Sun quickly, once every 88 days.
Mercury is small, Because Mercury is so close to the Sun meaning it is very
hot. The surface of Mercury is gray to orange in color, and is covered with craters.
Venus, the second planet away from the Sun, is Earth’s closest
neighbor. It is about the same size as the Earth. We could not breathe on
Venus, because the atmosphere would be very toxic to humans. This atmosphere
gives Venus a brownish-yellow color. It also traps heat (making the surface of
Venus the hottest in the Solar System.
Earth is a
little more than 12,000 kilometers in diameter. It differs from the other
planets because it has liquid water on its surface, maintains life, and has
active plate movement.
Mars is a
little more than half the size of the Earth. Mars has a very thin
atmosphere which is composed largely of CO2. Its surface is very
cold, and is covered with craters, volcanoes, and large canyons. Mars is
reddish in color.
Jupiter is the
largest planet in the Solar System. Its surface is made up of gas (mostly
hydrogen), so that if you landed on the surface you would sink into it. Jupiter
probably has a core of metallic hydrogen and rock. The outer gas part of
Jupiter is broken into bands of white, yellow, red, and brown clouds. Jupiter
has 4 rings mainly composed of dust. Huge oval-shaped storms also occur on the
surface.
Saturn is well
known for its system of three rings. It is a large planet. Like Jupiter, Saturn
is composed of mostly gas, and has a core composed of rock and metallic
hydrogen. The surface of Saturn looks banded, and has a brown-yellow color.
Saturn’s rings are probably composed of small particles of ice and rock.
Uranus is about
4.4 times the size of the Earth. It is covered by a thick layer of gas, and has
a fairly uniform blue-green color. Uranus is surrounded by a system of
nine rings.
Neptune is
slightly smaller than Uranus. Its atmosphere appears blue , and is marked by
large dark blue storm systems. It is surrounded by a system of five rings.
Pluto in 2006
was renamed as a dwarf planet. Pluto is probably composed of rock. Its surface
and color are unknown.
Photos source: Google images
By Deanna Allman 9D
