The Sun

The Sun is a star.

It is 4,500 million years old
It takes 8 minutes for its light to
reach the Earth.
98.6% mass of the Solar System
Consists of Hydrogen (74%) and
Helium (24%)

Radius: 695,000 km
Mass: 333,000 Earths!
Surface Temperature: 5,500 C
Core Temperature: 15,500,000 C

Mercury
Scans

indicate that craters

at the poles contain water
ice.
Temperatures reach
450C during the day. At
night, the temperature
drop to -170C.
Radius: 2400 km
Mass: 3.30 x 1023 kg
Distance from Sun: 58 million km (0.38 AU)

Mercury Earth Size Comparison

Venus
Surface

temperatures are
a constant 500C due to
thick atmosphere
The atmosphere is 95%
Carbon Dioxide
Venus rotates in the
opposite direction to other
planets in the Solar
System.

Radius: 6500 km
Mass: 4.86 x 1024 kg
Distance from Sun: 108 million km (0.72 AU)

Mountain ranges on Venus taken

with Radar. Note the metallic snow.

Thick cloud cover blanketing Venus

Earth

Radius: 6,400 km
Mass: 5.8 x 1024 kg
Temperature: -80 to 60 C
Distance from Sun: 146 million km (1 AU)
Surface is 70% covered by water.
Over 2200 manmade satellites in orbit

Mars
Surface

temperatures are
between 0C and -100C
Has the highest mountain
in the Solar System the
Olympus Mons (24km
high and 600km wide at
the base)
Radius: 3400 km
Mass: 6.4 x 1023 kg
Distance from Sun: 228 million km (1.5 AU)

Size comparison of the Inner Planet

Asteroid Belt
Located between
Jupiter and Mars
Has a dwarf planet,
Ceres 950km in
diameter
Gravity from Jupiter
prevented debris
from forming into a
planet

Ceres the dwarf planet

Gaspro a 400km-long
asteroid

Jupiter

Made up of 90%
hydrogen, 10% helium
probably has a core of
rocky material of 10 to
15 Earth-masses
Great Red Spot a
storm that has been
raging for over 300
years. As big as 2
Earths.
Has over 63 moons

Radius: 71000 km
Mass: 1.9 x 1027 kg
Distance from Sun: 780 million km (5.2 AU)

Time-lapse animation from Voyager I on approach to Jupiter.

While Hiding Behind The Sun,

Jupiter Loses One Of Its Belts

Io The most volcanically

active object in the Solar
System

Europa icecovered moon that

may harbour life

Saturn

75% hydrogen, 25% helium with a rocky core and liquid

hydrogen mantle.
The rings are 250000km in diameter but only 1 km thick.
Has 34 named moons

Radius: 60000 km
Mass: 5.7 x 1026 kg
Distance from Sun: 1400 million km (9.5 AU)

Saturns Rings showing

spoke formations

Mimas a small moon

of Saturn

Uranus
Composed

mainly of rock
and various ices
Has a tilt of 97 so
rotates on its side
has 21 named moons
and 6 unnamed
Surface temperature of
~50K (-223C)
Radius: 25000 km
Mass: 8.7 x 1025 kg
Distance from Sun: 2900 million km (19.2 AU)

Neptune
The

existence of Neptune
was predicted as it was
noticed that Uranus orbit
did not fit with Newtons
laws - another planet must
be influencing Uranus'
orbit.
Discovered in 1846
September 2011 marks
one orbit since it was
discovered.

Radius: 25000 km
Mass: 1 x 1026 kg
Distance from Sun: 4500 million km (30 AU)

Neptune
showing its
horizontal
axis and ring
formations

Clouds high in
the atmosphere
of Neptune

Pluto
Downgraded

from planet to dwarf planet in 2006

Smaller than The Moon
Has one moon - Charon

Kuiper Belt
30 to 55 AU
Like the asteroid
belt but consisting
of debris made of
ices

Oort Cloud

Hypothetical source of
comets that stray into our
Solar System
50,000 AU from the Sun

The Milky Way