This resource can be used throughout the unit to initial provide an

investigate and match up activity (looking for information that would

determine which planet/star/moon was which). It could also be used to
determine the order in which the planets are situated and compare
orbital time. This resource could also be a starting point of information
for creating a diorama or investigation activity to determine the
suitability of humans living on another planet.
ONLINE QUIZ: https://www.onlineexambuilder.com/earth-s-place-inCreated by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Pictures from left to

right: Sun, Saturn, Jupiter,
The moon, Pluto, Earth,
Venus, Mars, Mercury,
Neptune Uranus.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

The Sun
The largest & brightest star found at the centre of the Solar
system
Planets orbit around the Sun
The sun is Earths primary source of energy
Has Sunspots which are cooler regions- appear as dark spots
It is a nearly perfect spherical ball of hot plasma- which gives its
redish-orange glow
It consists of extremely hot gases exceeding 6000 degrees
The circumference of the Sun is 4,366,813 km and is approximately
149,600,000 km from Earth
The Solar System is named after the sun. The word sol means
sun.

The Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite
The Moon's gravitational influence produces the ocean tides and
the slight lengthening of the day
It is approximately 384,400 km from Earth
The moon orbits the Earth every 27.3 days
The surface of the Moon features a huge number of large impact
craters from comets and asteroids colliding
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the
Moon
Although looks white from Earth, its actually various shades of
grey
The circumference of the moon is 10,917 km

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Mercury
Mercury is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun
This planet has no known natural satellites (moons)
Temperature range from around 173 C at night 427 C during
the day
Mercury orbits the Sun approximately every 88 days, traveling
through space at nearly 50 km per second faster than any other
planet!
Mercury is one of four terrestrial planets in the Solar System, and
is a rocky body like Earth
The circumference of Mercury is 15,329km
Mercury consists of approximately 70% metallic and 30% silicate
material
Very similar appearance to the moon with smaller craters visible.
There is no water on Mercury, but there might be a little ice in
deep craters.

Venus
Venus is 108,200,000 km from the Sun and takes 225 days to orbit
around it
Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky after the
Moon
It is the hottest planet in our solar system. Average temperature is
462 degrees, it is surrounded by a opaque, cloud-like atmosphere
making the actual surface hard to see
The circumference of Venus is 38,025km
It is covered with poisonous acid clouds which trap in the Suns
heat.
There is no water and has a predominately Carbon dioxide based
atmosphere
Probes that scientists have landed there have survived only a few
hours before being destroyed.
Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Earth
Earth is 149,600,000 km from the Sun
It is the only known planet to have plant life and animals
Earth is the largest terrestrial planet, with its surface made up of
predominately water (71%)
Only 3% water of the earth is fresh, the rest is salt water (97%). Of
that 3%, over 2% is frozen in ice sheets and glaciers. Means less
than 1% fresh water is found in lakes, rivers and underground.
The moon is the Earths only natural satellite
The circumference of the Earth is 40,075 km
The highest air temperature ever measured on Earth was 56.7 C,
with the lowest air temperature was 89.2 C

Mars
The circumference of Mars is 21,344km and is situated
227,900,000 km from the Sun and has two natural satellites
(Phobos and Deimos)
Is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide
prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance
Mars is a terrestrial planet that consists of minerals containing
silicon and oxygen, metals, and other elements that typically
make up rock.
Surface temperatures vary from lows of about 143 C at the
winter polar caps, to highs of up to 35 C in equatorial
summer.
Visible surface features include impact craters similar to the
Moon and volcanoes, valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps
Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

found on Earth.

Jupiter
At the "surface" pressure the temperature is around 67 C. At
the phase transition region where hydrogen is heated beyond
its critical point & becomes metallic is 9,700 C.
Jupiter is made of gases such as hydrogen and helium that
swirl in storms that last for years, best known storm
(anticyclonic) is the Great Red Spot
Distance from Sun: 778,500,000 km, Circumference: 439,264
km
Jupiter has 67 known natural satellites, and takes 12 (Earth)
years to orbit the sun
is composed primarily of gaseous and liquid matter such as
hydrogen and helium that swirl in storms that last for years.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Saturn
Distance from Sun: 1,433,000,000 km, Circumference is
378,675 km
Inner core: hot solid iron and rocky material, Outer core:
ammonia, methane, and water, Next layer: highly
compressed, liquid metallic hydrogen, followed by a region of
hydrogen and helium. This hydrogen and helium becomes
gaseous near the planet's surface and merges with its
atmosphere.
Saturn has at least 62 moons, and more than 30 rings (7
groups)
Saturn is the flattest planet, turning on its axis every 10.5
hours (2nd shortest day on any planet in the solar system)
The rings are made mostly of chunks of ice and small amounts
of carbonaceous dust, they stretch out more than 120,700 km
from the planet, but are only about 20 meters thick.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Uranus
Has 27 natural satellites (such as: Oberon, Titania, Miranda,
Ariel & Umbriel)
Atmoshpere is made up of Hydrogen, helium & methane.
2,877,000,000 km away from the sun and has a circumference
of 160,590 km
Has 13 known rings around this planet, with some of the larger
rings surrounded by fine belts of dust
Uranus has the largest tilt and spins around on its side
The average temperature on this planet ranges from -212
degrees
Uranus is blue-green in color, and made up of predominately
ice (80 %)
The tilt gives rise to extreme seasons (approx. 20 years long)
A quarter of a year (84 Earth-years), the sun shines directly
over each pole, leaving the other half of the planet to
experience a long, dark, cold winter.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Neptune
Neptune spins on its axis very rapidly: taking only 18hours to
make 1 rotation
The atmosphere of Neptune is made of hydrogen and helium,
with some methane: which absorbs red light, which makes the
planet appear blue.
Neptune has a very thin collection of 6 rings that are likely
made up of ice particles mixed with dust grains and possibly
coated with a carbon-based substance.
Has 14 natural satellites, the circumference 155,600 km and is
situated approximately 4,498,252,900 km from the sun
Neptune has winds 9 times stronger than recorded on Earth
(up to 2,400 kph)
The air pressure on Neptune makes it impossible for any space
craft to land

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.

Pluto
Pluto is more than 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometers)
away from the sun & the circumference of 7,232 km
It takes Pluto 248 years to orbit the sun. One day on Pluto is
about 6 1/2 days on Earth.
The temperature on Pluto is 375 to 400 degrees below zero.
Pluto is so far away from Earth that scientists know very little
about what it is like. Pluto is probably covered with ice.
Pluto has about one-fifteenth the gravity of Earth. A person
who weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh only 7 pounds
on Pluto.
Has 5 known natural satellites (Charon, Hydra, Nix, Kerberos &
Styx)
Is one-third water (3x as much as water than Earths oceans)
Plutos surface is covered with ices, and has several mountain
ranges, light and dark regions, and a scattering of craters.

Created by Allyce Stegman, 2015.