THE SUN The Sun, the star that dominates the solar system, support all life on Earth. Image credit: J AXA/NASA
This image reveals the filamentary nature of the plasma connecting regions of different magnetic polarity. The chromosphere is a thin layer of solar atmosphre sandwiched between the visible surface, photosphere and corona. Image credit: J AXA/NASA
Photo Credit & Copyright: Ralph Encarnacion
Age : About 4.5 billion years Surface Area: 2,347 000 000 000 square miles Composition : Mostly hydrogen and helium Surface temperature: About 10,000 degrees F MERCURY The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury has the shortest orbit; a mere 88 days Credit: NASA/J ohns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Average Distance from the Sun : 36 million niles Atmosphere : Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon Surface temperature: -279/801 degrees F (min/max) Length of day: 58.646 earth days Credit: NASA/J ohns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
VENUS The second closest planet to the Sun, Venus is called the morning star and the evening star. Average Distance from the Sun : 67,237,910 miles Atmosphere : Carbon dioxide, nitrogen Surface temperature: 864 degrees F (average) Length of day: 117 earth days Impact craters on the surface of Venus (image reconstructed from radar data) Venus is always brighter than the brightest stars EARTH The third planet from the Sun, Earth is the only planet known to harbor life. Average Distance from the Sun : 92,955,820 miles Atmosphere : Nitrogen,oxygen Surface temperature: -126/136 degrees F (min/max) Length of day: 24 hours MARS Mars is sometimes called the Red Planet for its red, iron-oxide rich soil. Average Distance from the Sun : 141,633,260 miles Atmosphere : Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon Surface temperature: -125/23 degrees F (min/max) Length of day: 1.026 Earth days Rock strewn surface imaged by Mars Pathfinder Size comparison of Earth and Mars ASTEROID Asteroids are rocky fragments leftover from the birth of the solar system;most orbit the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. Distance to Sun: The asteroid Phaethon comes closest to the Sun at 13.9 million miles Largest known asteroid : Ceres (estimated diameter 590 miles) Number of asteroids in solar system ; More the 1 million Total mass of asteroids: Less than the mass of the Moon, 7.3483 10^22 kg The first asteroid to be imaged in close up JUPITER The is the largest planet in the solar system. Average Distance from the Sun : 483,682,810 miles Atmosphere : Hydrogen, helium Surface temperature: -162 degrees F (average) Length of day: 0.41354 Earth days Approximate size comparison of Earth and Jupiter, including the Great Red Spot SATURN Galileo was the first person to observe Saturn, the ringed planet. Average Distance from the Sun :885,904,700 miles Atmosphere : Hydrogen,helium Surface temperature: -218 degrees F (average) Length of day: 0.44401 Earth days Four of Saturn's moons: Dione, Titan, Prometheus (edge of rings), Telesto (top center) URANUS It takes Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, 84 Earth years to make one orbit. Average Distance from the Sun :1,783,939,400 miles Atmosphere : Hydrogen, helium, methane Surface temperature: -323 degrees F (average) Length of day: 0.7196 Earth days This color results from the presence of methane in Uranus' atmosphere; the gas absorbs red wavelengths of light, leaving the predominant hue seen here. Image Credit: NASA/J PL
NEPTUNE Neptune, the eight planet from the Sun, is though to be the windiest in the solar system Average Distance from the Sun : 2,795,084,800 miles Atmosphere : Hydrogen, helium, methane Surface temperature: -303 degrees F (average) Length of day: 0.67125 Earth days A size comparison of Neptune and Earth Bands of high-altitude clouds cast shadows on Neptune's lower cloud deck PLUTO Once considered the solar systems nith planet. Pluto was downgraded to dwarf planet in 2006. Average Distance from the Sun : 3,670,050,000 miles Atmosphere : A layer of frozen methane, nitrogen and carbon monoxide temporarily forms a thin atmosphere when Pluto is close to the Sun. Surface temperature: -369 degrees F (average) Length of day: 6.387 Earth days Pluto and its three known moons Pluto's volume is about 0.66% that of Earth