SOLAR SYSTEM

-Nine Planets THE Mercury – My
-Natural satellites SOLAR Venus – Very
-Meteors SYSTEM Earth – Excellent
-Comets Mars – Mother
-Asteroids Jupiter – Just
Saturn – Served
List of Uranus – Us
constituents Neptune – Nine
Pluto – Pudding

List of planets

1.1
The solar system

Planets
move around

the Sun

The Constituents of the Solar System

The Solar System consists of eight planets and the Sun. The other
members of the Solar System are natural satellites, asteroids, comets

and meteoroids. The eight planets in the Solar System beginning
with the nearest to the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,

Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. All the eight planets are moving
around the Sun each following its own oval path called orbit. . The
time taken for a planet to complete one revolution around the Sun

is different from the time taken for another planet.

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Since Mercury is closest to the Sun its
temperature can be over 300oC in the daytime. Mercury rotates on its own axis
very slowly, making one full rotation every 59 Earth days

Venus is the second planet from the Sun. The size of Venus is about the same as
that of the Earth. The planet is always covered by a very thick cloud of carbon
dioxide and acid vapour. Thus, the temperature of Venus is extremely hight,
even though Venus is twice as far from the Sun as Mercury and receives only a
quarter as much light. As a result, the surface temperature can be above
450oC. Venus takes about 225 days to revolve around the Sun. It rotates on its

own axis once every 243days. Its gravity is the same as that of the Earth.

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest planet. It is the only
planet with oxygen and water. Thus, it is the only planet on which living things
can survive and grow. Earth takes about 365 days to revolve around the Sun
and rotates on its own axis once every 24 hours. Earth has a natural satellite (the
Moon) revolving around it

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It also known as the Red Planet
because it surface is being covered with red dust. Mars is a cold and
lifeless planet. One revolution of Mars around the Sun takes 687 days.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System. It is the fifth planet from the Sun.
Most of Jupiter’s volume is made up of gases and ice with only a small rocky
core. The atmosphere is composed of mainly hydrogen in gaseous and liquid
forms together with helium, methane and ammonia. Jupiter has sixteen natural
satellites or moons and takes about 12 years to revolve once around the Sun

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is surrounded of a system of rings which
make it the most striking and beautiful planet when viewed through a
telescope. Saturn is the second-largest planet in the solar system. However, it is
lighter than a body of water of the same size. Saturn is thought to have a small,
rocky high-temperature core surrounded by ice and ammonia, mixed with grit
and gases.The time taken for Saturn to revolve around the Sun is around 29
years.

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun in the solar system. This planet is blue
because it has cold gases, mainly made up of hydrogen and helium. Uranus
also has a ring around it but the ring cannot be seen clearly because it is too
thin and dim. It has five moons, and it rotates on its own axis slightly more slowly
than Saturn. The time taken for Uranus to revolve around the Sun is around 84
years.

Neptune, the eighth planet from the Sun is almost the twin of Uranus. It is a little
heavier than Uranus and is very slightly bigger. It is bluish-green.Neptune consists
mainly of ice with some rocks and gases, and has less atmosphere. It has two
moons and takes about 165 years to revolve once around the Sun.

the Sun the Earth the Earth the Moon
1 100 1 4

Size of the Sun 1.2 The relative size Size of the Earth
relative to the size and distance between relative to the size

of the Earth. the Earth, the Moon of the Moon.
and the Sun

The relative distance from
the Earth to the Sun compared
to the relative distance from the

Earth to the Moon.

the Sun the Earth the Moon
: 382 500 km
150 000 000 km
1 400

•The nearer a planet to the Sun is, Much nearer :
•The temperature on the Earth would rise.
the hotter is the surface of the planet . •Water on Earth would evaporate.
•The farther a planet from the Sun is, •No water and the temperature would be

the colder is the surface of the planet. very hot.
•Do not have enough air and water.
Much farther :
•The temperature on the Earth would drop.
•Water would freeze into ice.

•All living things would die.

Why certain planets 1.3 EFFECT
are not conducive
Appreciating the perfect placement
for living things. of the planet Earth in the
Solar System

The Earth is
the only planet in the

Solar System that
has living things.

•Earth is the third planet from the Sun, it receives enough light

and heat from the Sun.
•It is not too hot or too cold.
•The atmosphere of the Earth contains air and there is water

on Earth.