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Chapter 23- “The
Planets and the Solar System”
Topic 1: 2 Groups of
Planets
4 planets nearest the sun- inner planets
(Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,) called Terrestrial Planets- or “earth-like,”
rocky planets.
Other 5 planets- outer planets- (Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto,) called Jovian- “Jupiter-like” – much bigger that
the terrestrial planets, gaseous and less dense.
Pluto- the oddball- outer planet because of
location only.
Asteroid Belt that orbits between Mars and
Jupiter divides the 2 groups.
Planet Fact Sheet
Name of Planet Mercury
1. Diameter (compared
to earth)
1/3 that of
earth’s diameter.
2. Period of
rotation
59 days,
turns on axis very slow.
3. Orbital period
88 earth days
4. Surface gravity
5. Composition of
atmosphere
None (too
close to the sun)
6.
Daytime=
400c; at night as low as -200c. Due to
very slow rotation.
7. Surface Features
Many impact
craters, smooth plains
8. Number of
Satellites
None
9. Presence of Rings
None
10. Most Unique Features
Many craters, no satellites or rings. Very small, no atmosphere.
Name of Planet Venus
1. Diameter (compared
to earth)
12,104 km
(earth’s diameter 12,756)
2. Period of
rotation
243.16 earth
days
Rotates backwards
3. Orbital period
224.7 earth
days
a “day” on
Venus is almost as long as a “year”
4. Surface gravity
About the
same as earht’s
5. Composition of
atmosphere
Very think layer of Carbon dioxide- CO2
Carbon Dioxide act as a blanket trapping in heat “Greenhouse Effect”
Clouds made up of droplets of sulfuric acid
“Global
Warming”
6.
Very
hot! Surface temperature- 482c high and
-33c low
7. Surface Features
Volcanoes
(not currently active,) large faults, impact craters, canyons
8. Number of
Satellites
None
9. Presence of Rings
None
10. Most Unique Features
Thick cloud cover, “Greenhouse” effect, rotates backwards, vast plains and high faulted mountains
Known as the morning or evening “star”
Visible
almost all year long
Planet Fact Sheet
Name of Planet Mars
1. Diameter (compared
to earth)
6794 km
(about ½ that of earth)
2. Period of
rotation
24 hours and
37 min
3. Orbital period
687 days (1
“Year” on Mars almost twice as long as on earth)
4. Surface gravity
2/5th
that of earth’s gravity
5. Composition of
atmosphere
Thin
atmosphere of 95% carbon dioxide, and 5% Nitrogen and Argon
6.
Mars is
colder than earth because it is farther away from the sun.
Highs may reach 27c and lows -125c
Mars is tilted on axis about the same
as earth 24c (earth 23.5c) this causes mars to have 4 seasons like earth does. But each season is twice as long.
7. Surface Features
Polar ice caps made of carbon dioxide and some frozen water.
Rust colored surface
Dormant volcanoes (largest in the Solar System- Olympus Mons)
Very large canyons and valleys (Valles Marineris)
No
liquid water (That we know of)
8. Number of
Satellites
2 small
satellites- Phobos and Diemos
9. Presence of Rings
None
10. Most Unique Features
Largest volcano in the solar system
Largest valley
Polar ice caps
Reddish
color