Terrestrial Planets

1
Our Solar System

• Terrestrial Planets
• Outer Planets

click on the planets throughout presentation for
interesting astronomy sites!
2
Terrestrial Planets

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars

3
Mercury Venus

• The second closest planet to the sun.
• Only slightly smaller than Earth it is called
  Earths sister planet.
• Its surface consist of gently rolling plains.
• The atmosphere is very thick and mostly carbon
  dioxide.
• It has thick clouds of sulfuric acid that make
  the planet hotter than mercury.

• The closest planet to the sun.
• Like our moon with its heavily cratered surface.
• Contains a large Iron core.
• It has virtually no atmosphere.

4
Earth Mars

• Known as the red planet for its rustic red
  terrain.
• Has highly varied and interesting terrain.
• Has many evidences of erosion on the surface of
  the planet.
• Has a very thin atmosphere made of mostly carbon
  dioxide.
• A popular planet in regard to life beyond earth.

• The only planet where water and life have been
  observed.
• The densest body in the solar system.
• Only planet with plate tectonics.
• Only planet with a breathable free oxygen
  atmosphere.

5
Outer Planets

• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto

6
Jupiter Saturn

• It is by far the largest planet in the solar
  system.
• Its atmosphere is mainly hydrogen.
• The planet is made up of mostly liquid metallic
  hydrogen.
• Famous for its Great Red Spot, a 12,000 by 25,000
  km storm in Jupiter's atmosphere.

• Very well known for its beautiful and unique yet
  very thin rings.
• It is the least dense of the planets, being lest
  dense than water.
• It is very similar to Jupiter in that it is
  composed of mostly liquid metallic hydrogen and
  has a hydrogen atmosphere.

7
Uranus Neptune

• Neptunes composition and atmosphere is very
  similar to Uranus.
• It also has very faint rings similar to Uranus.
• Because contrast with Plutos orbit, is the most
  distant planet for a few years.
• The Great Dark Spot is similar to Jupiters Red
  Spot but is about half the size of Jupiter's
  storm.

• The only planet with a parallel spin to its
  elliptical orbit.
• It is made of rock and ice and has a primarily
  hydrogen atmosphere.
• Like Saturn it has 11 very dark rings.

8
Pluto

• Is the farthest planet away from the sun in our
  solar system.
• It is the smallest planet by far.
• The only planet not visited by a spacecraft.
• Some would classify Pluto as a large asteroid
  rather than a planet.