Solar System Features

Study Notes

Neptune

Has 27 moons with diverse landforms, deep canyons, and craters
Has a ring system with at least 9 distinctive ring belts
Mass is same as Uranus
Takes 60,000 Earth days to orbit the sun
Rotates on its axis in 16 Earth hours
Has cirrus-like clouds made of frozen methane
Has 13 to 28 moons
Has a large rotating storm called the Great Dark Spot, which vanished a few years after discovery
Has thin and dark rings

Terrestrial Planets (Inner Planets)

Include Mercury and Earth
Characteristics of Mercury:
- Has very little atmosphere
- Has a faint magnetic field strong enough to deflect solar winds
Characteristics of Earth:
- Has a thin atmosphere composed of O2, N2, and little CO2
- Has a magnetic field generated by its outer core

Jupiter

Characteristics:
- Largest planet in the solar system
- Bright enough to be visible with the naked eye
- Mass is 2.5 times greater than the mass of all other planets and moons combined
- Takes 4332 Earth days to orbit the sun
- Rotates on its axis in less than 10 Earth hours
- Has a hydrogen and helium atmosphere with small amounts of ammonia and methane
- Is thought to be a gigantic ocean of liquid nitrogen
- Has 64 to 85 moons
- Has a ring system made of fine dark particles similar to smoke
- Has a large storm known as the Great Red Spot, which can fit 3 Earths inside and has speeds of 430 to 680 km/h

Historical Fact

All planets in our solar system are named after Roman gods or characters, except for Earth

Saturn

Characteristics:
- Size and volume are 764 times larger than Earth's
- Takes 11,000 Earth days to complete one orbit around the sun
- Rotates on its axis more than twice for every one Earth's rotation
- Has 3rd place from the sun
- Has polar icecaps and frozen CO2 at the north and south poles
- Has 2 natural moons
- Takes 687 Earth days to orbit the sun
- Rotates on its axis in 25 Earth hours
- Has no magnetic field

Mars

Characteristics:
- Has the largest inactive volcano, Olympus Mons, which is 2.5 times higher than Mount Everest
- Has canyons and valleys, including the Valles Marineris, which is over 5000 km long and up to 8 km deep
- Has a thin atmosphere
- Has a magnetic field
- Has the highest mountain, Mount Everest

Description

Explore the fascinating features of our solar system, including satellites and ring systems. Learn about the diverse landforms, canyons, and craters on moons and the distinctive ring belts of planets.