The Solar System

AKA ~ The Milky Way

The Sun

Center of Our Solar System

Medium Sized Star

Giant Ball of Gases

Makes Life on Earth Possible

Provides Solar and Heat Energy

Inner Planets“Rocky Planets”

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Outer Planets“Gassy Planets”

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Mnemonic Device

My Very Excited Mother

Just Served Us Nachos

Can You Create Your Own?

Mercury

Planet closest to the Sun

Has little atomosphere

Very Hot Days, Very Cold Nights

One Day on Mercury is 176 Earth Days

Second Hottest Planet

Venus

2nd Brightest object in our Night Sky

Similar Size to Earth

Clouds Made of Sulfuric Acid

Rotates Counter Clockwise

Known as Morning Star & Evening Star

Earth

Our Favorite Planet

Only Known Planet to Support Life

Magnetic Field protects Earth from Solar Wind

Only Planet not Named after a god

Greatest Density

Mars

“Red Planet”

Tallest Mountain in Solar System

Large Dust Storms

Color of Planet due to Iron

Jupiter

Largest planet in the Sun

Turns on its axis about every 10 hours

Gas Giant

Great Red Spot could fit 3 Earths in it

Moon Ganymede is largest mood in Solar System

Saturn

Flattest Planet

Made of Mostly Hydrogen

Has Rings made of ice and dust

Can be seen through small telescope

Oval storms like Jupiter

Uranus

Tilted on its side 98 degrees

Rotates in a retrograde direction

Methane Ice Crystals give its blue color

Coldest Planet

Very thin sets of rings

Neptune

Farthest Planet from the Sun

14 moons – Triton well known

Had a storm “ Great Dark Spot” lasted 5 years

Similar Atmosphere to Uranus

Smaller than Uranus but has Greater Mass