describe characteristics of planet of solar system
Answers
Hot and Cold
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It rotates slowly — about twice for every three orbits it completes. Its cratered surface can experience temperatures upwards of 800 degrees Fahrenheit (426.7 degrees Celsius) because of its proximity to the sun. However, temperatures on the side facing away from the sun are cold — about -279 F (-173 C). Slightly larger than Earth's moon, it is the smallest planet in the solar system. It has no moons, no rings, and an atmosphere so thin that scientists classify it as an exosphere.
A Global Warming Catastrophe
The second planet from the sun, Venus is slightly smaller than Earth. Because of its relative proximity to Earth, it is the largest planet seen in the night sky. The cratered surface is hot with surface temperatures around 900 F (482 C), the product of a runaway greenhouse effect. Although the atmosphere is nowhere near as thick as that of any outer planet, it's the thickest of the terrestrial planets, and it consists mostly of sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide. The density of its atmosphere makes the air pressure at the surface 90 times that of Earth's. The heat and pressure make the planet decidedly inhospitable to life.
Home Sweet Home
Earth, the third planet from the sun and the largest terrestrial planet, is the only planet known to host living beings and the only one known to have liquid water on its surface. The atmosphere, made of mostly nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, is crucial to Earth's ability to support life. Although the surface of the earth is mostly water, the planet also has large landmasses which harbor a stunning variety of ecosystems.
The Rusty Planet
Stargazers from antiquity have called Mars, the fourth planet from the sun, Mars, the Red Planet. The red color of the surface comes from iron oxide or rust in the soil. The topography is characterized by large volcanoes and deep valleys, and Mars experiences frequent planet-wide wind storms. Some of the surface features of Mars, such as dry river beds, hint to the possibility that water previously existed on the planet and may still flow under the surface. The carbon dioxide atmosphere is very thin on Mars, with only 1/100th the atmospheric pressure of Earth. The planet is colder than Earth, with surface temperatures ranging from -171 to 32 F (-113 to 0 C).
King of the Solar System
Further from the sun, past a ring of asteroids, lies the largest planet in our solar system — Jupiter — the first of the gas giant planets. Its characteristic colored cloud patterns are caused by enormous, swirling storms in its atmosphere, which consists of primarily of hydrogen, helium, methane ammonia and water ice. The largest and most distinctive of the storms, the Great Red Spot, is larger than Earth. Jupiter has 63 moons and a faint ring system.
The Ringed One
Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, is also a gas giant, and it's most impressive feature as seen from afar is an extensive and complex ring system. The rings orbit the planet in a thin band about a mile thick. The radius of Saturn is about 9.5 times that of Earth, and instead of one paltry moon, it boasts 62. The interior of Saturn, like Jupiter, is made of mostly hydrogen and helium. Nearing the core, the intense pressure turns the gases into liquids and ultimately into a metallic form that conducts electricity.
An Oddball that Spins on Its Side
While most planets spin on their axis with a slight tilt, the ice giant Uranus spins on an axis parallel to its orbit. With a diameter of 31,518 miles (50,723 kilometers), this cold planet is four times the size of Earth and is made of a large atmosphere of methane with a dense core of frozen methane. Uranus has a faint ring system and 27 moons in its orbit.
Answer:
The planets of our solar system along with their main characteristics have been enlisted below:
1. Mercury- smallest planet, second dense( after Earth), nearest planet to the sun and so have a high surface temperature and also has the fastest movement around the sun.
2. Venus- close to Earth, hence referred to as our sister planet, morning star and the most inhabitable one, higher temperatures and highly toxic atmosphere. Like mercury, it has no moons.
3. Earth- life-bearing planet, fifth-largest in the solar system, consists one moon and takes 24 hours and 365 days for rotation and revolution respectively.
4. Mars- red planet( due to presence of iron oxide), similar characteristic as that of Earth. Rotation and revolution around the sun take 24.6 hours and 687 days respectively. It has two moons.
5. Jupiter- largest planet, has only liquid and gas, consists of four rings of dust, takes 9.19 hours and 12 years for rotation and revolution around the sun respectively.
6. Saturn- has three rings, a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen, and also found to have 62 moons. It takes 10 hours and 12 years to rotate and revolve around the sun respectively.
7. Uranus- third largest planet, blue in colour, made up of only gases and has 27 moons and a system of 9 rings. It takes 17 hours and 84 years to rotate and revolve around the sun respectively.
8. Neptune- furthest from the sun, has a system of 5 rings and 14 moons. It takes 165 years to revolve around the sun.
9. Pluto- dwarf planet, mainly contains ice and rocks, has one large moon and takes 6.4 days for rotation and 28 years for revolution around the sun.