The Sun The Sun is made mostly of

The Sun ²The Sun is made mostly of a gas called hydrogen ²The core of the sun is made of a gas called helium ²Sunspots are cooler areas of the Sun that look like dark spots on its surface ²The temperature on the surface of the Sun is about 10, 000°F. ²The Sun’s centre (or core) is 27 times wider than Earth and has a temperature of 15 million° celcius

Mercury ²Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun ²During the day Mercury is hot (up to 427°c – over four times hotter than boiling water!), but at night it is freezing cold. This is because there is no atmosphere to keep the Sun’s heat near to the planet. ²Mercury is a rocky planet with a large metal core made of iron and nickel. ²There is no water on Mercury and it is covered in craters. ²It takes Mercury 88 Earth days to orbit the Sun. ²Mercury is 57. 9 million km from the Sun.

Venus ²Is the second planet from the Sun and the closest planet to Earth. It is 108, 000 km from the sun. ²Venus has an atmosphere. A layer of thick, swirling clouds hides the surface of Venus. ²Venus’ atmosphere contains carbon dioxide ²The clouds trap the Sun’s heat and it is hotter on Venus than on Mercury. ²The clouds contain acid. ²Much of the surface of Venus is covered in lava from the many volcanoes on the surface of Venus.

Earth ²Earth is the third planet from the Sun ²Earth is the only planet known in the solar system to have life. ²Much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water ²Earth is constantly spinning, causing only half of its surface to face the Sun at any one time. ²Earth is 149. 6 million km from the Sun ²The Earth’s atmosphere contains oxygen.

The Moon Ø The Moon circles the Earth every 28 days Ø The side of the moon facing the sun is often hotter than boiling water (123⁰c), but the other side is freezing cold (-163⁰c). Ø There is no air on the moon Ø The moon is the only celestial body in the solar system that astronauts have visited. Ø The moon is 384, 400 km from Earth. Ø The Moon has many craters. Ø The dark patches on the surface of the Moon are known as seas – they formed millions of years ago from solid lava.

Mars • Is sometimes called the “Red Planet” because it looks red in the sky from Earth. • Mars is mostly dry desert with craters, canyons and volcanoes. • There are few clouds that cover Mars. The clouds are made of ice, so no rain falls. • Mars is 228 million km from the Sun. • It takes 687 days to orbit the Sun. • Mars has two moons – Deimos and Phobos.

Jupiter • Is the largest planet in the Solar System • Jupiter has a thin, faint ring around it. It is made from time specks of dust. This can’t be seen from Earth. • Jupiter has 63 moons according to NASA – called the Galileo moons. They have been discovered by the Galileo space probe. • The Giant red spot seen on Jupiter is a huge storm in Jupiter’s clouds • Jupiter takes 11. 9 years to orbit the Sun. • Jupiter is 778, 000 km from the Sun. • Jupiter is not a frozen planet because pressurized hydrogen gas at the heart of the planet is generating heat.

Saturn • Saturn has a thin, wide system of rings made of millions of icy chunks of rock moving around the planet. • Saturn is the lightest planet in the solar system • Saturn is nine times wider than the Earth. • It takes Saturn 29. 5 years to orbit the sun. • Saturn is made mostly of hydrogen and helium/ • NASA says there at leaset 31 moons around Saturn. • Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system • Saturn is spinning so fast that it appears to bulge out in the middle, and be squashed at the poles. • It is 1, 429, 000 km (1, 429 million km) from the Sun

Uranus • The third largest planet in the solar system • Blue and green clouds surround Uranus • It was the first planet to be discovered – in 1781 by a telescope. • It is 2, 870 million km away from the Sun • There at least 22 moons • It takes 84 years to orbit the Sun.

Neptune • Is the smallest gas planet and eighth planet from the Sun. • Blue clouds and white clouds cover the surface of Neptune • It is 4, 504 million km from the Sun • It takes about 165 Earth years to orbit the Sun • Winds around Neptune can reach 2, 000 km an hour – a Formula One car can reach around 250 km an hour. • Neptune has 12 moons.

Pluto • Is no longer regarded as a planet • Recently scientists have discovered that Pluto is made up only of rock and ice and is 5 times lighter than Earth, and 3 times smaller. • Scientists now call Pluto a dwarf planet, because it is comparatively smaller. • Pluto takes 248 years to travel once around the Sun • Pluto is 4, 425 million km from the Sun. Its orbit can take it as far as 7, 375 million km away from the Sun! • It takes 12 years fro a space probe to get there, so we know relatively little about Pluto!