The sun is the heart of our solar system. All of the planets revolve around the sun. The planet that we live on, Earth, depends on the sun to sustain life. The plants on our planet need the sun's light for the process of photosynthesis, which is the process where plants get their food. The sun is huge, approximately 1 million earths could fit into it. The sun's heat is powered by nuclear fusion reactions in the core of the sun. The sun uses about 4 million tons of hydrogen every second. The surface of the sun is an approximate 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun was born about 4.6 billion years ago.
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Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. This planet got its name from a Roman Messenger God. Mercury revolves quickly around the sun, but it rotates on its axis very slowly, making one day on Mercury is 2 months on Earth! Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system with no moons. A cool fact about Mercury is that it isn't the hottest planet considering that it is the closest to the sun!
When we go near a stove, we feel hotter than going away from it, so most people think that Mercury would be the hottest because of its short distance from the sun! Mercury is in fact, the second hottest planet! Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Another cool fact about Mercury is that you would weigh 38% less on the surface of Mercury than you would weigh on Earth! |
Venus, is the second planet in our solar system. Venus got its name from the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Venus is also called the Evening Star or the Morning Star. Scientists aren't sure why Venus is called those names because Venus isn't a star! Venus has some unique characteristics compared to the other planets in the solar system. Venus spins east to west, the opposite of other planets in the solar system, who spin west to east. Another unique characteristic of Venus is its atmosphere. Venus's atmosphere is covered in thick clouds. Those clouds trap heat, making Venus the hottest planet Like Mercury, Venus also has no moons.
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Earth is the 3rd planet in our solar system. We are all familiar with this planet because we all live here. Earth is the only planet by far to be recognized to hold life. Earth is the largest terrestrial planet and also has 1 moon. Earth is the only planet in our solar system to not be named after a Greek or Roman god or goddess. Earth was formed 4.56 billion years ago. Earth is also the densest planet in the solar system. Earth also has a very strong magnetic field. The magnetic field is the only reason why compasses work on Earth. Another interesting fact about earth is that its rotation is gradually slowing down. This could mean that in the future, the hours in a day could increase from 24 hours to even 25 hours or higher.
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Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system and is the second smallest planet. Mars's name comes from the Roman God of War. Mars is commonly called the Red Planet because of its surface's reddish color. Mars also has one moon named Phobos. Scientists are saying that in the next 20- 40 million years, Phobos will be ripped apart and Mars will have a ring of rock. Mars's atmosphere is very thin and is composed of carbon dioxide. Some might say the largest volcano is Mauna Loa, but the largest volcano is located on Mars, named Olympus Mons. Olympus Mons is about 21 km high. After lots of experiments and expeditions on Mars, scientists said that there were signs that there used to be water on Mars.
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Jupiter is the fifth planet in our solar system and is the largest planet. Jupiter was named after a Roman King. This planet is primarily composed of thick gases earning the name "The Gas Giant." This planet has four rings around it. An interesting fact about Jupiter is that despite its distance from the sun and axis length, Jupiter is has the shortest days in the solar system. A famous spot is visible on Jupiter as you can see in the picture. This spot is a huge storm that stays in one place on Jupiter. This spot is called "The Great Red Spot." When we look up in the sky at night, we see our one moon from Earth. Well, Jupiter has 67 moons!
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Saturn is the sixth planet in our solar system. Saturn was named after the Roman god Saturnus, who was known to the Greeks as Cronus. Saturn is a really flat planet; its height is very short compared to the other planets in the solar system. Another fact about Saturn is that it has more than 30 rings. These rings are the most extensive in the solar system. Also, Saturn has 62 moons orbiting around it. Saturn's atmosphere is divided up into bands of clouds, and has some storms that are similar to Jupiter. Saturn is mostly composed of hydrogen. An interesting fact about Saturn is that Saturn orbits the Sun once every 29.4 Earth years!
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Uranus is the seventh planet in our solar system. Uranus gets its name from the ancient Greek deity Ouranos. Uranus is rolled on its side on approximately 98 degrees. It is described by scientists as "a planet rolling around the sun." Uranus has 27 moons and 13 rings. The rings in Uranus are very dark colored. A day on Uranus is about 17 hours and 14 minutes. Uranus makes a trip around the sun every 84 Earth years! Another cool fact is that Uranus is the coldest planet in our solar system. Another interesting fact is that only one space ship has flown to Uranus and that is the Voyager 2.
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Neptune is the eighth planet in the solar system and is the farthest away from the sun. Neptune was named after the Romen god of the sea. Neptune has 14 moons and 5 rings. Scientists believe that Neptune was formed close to the sun before drifting off farther from the sun. Neptune spins once on its axis in 18 Earth hours. Neptune is one of the very few planets to contain an active atmosphere. Neptune has constant storms and very fast winds that go 600 meters per second! Like Uranus, the only space ship that has flown past Neptune is the Voyager 2.
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