The Solar
System
The solar system
consists of the sun and
eight planets revolving
around it.
The Sun
a) It is NOT a planet but a STAR
b) 109 times LARGER than Earth
c) made up of helium and hydrogen
d) The core is 15 million degree celcius
(°C)
e) The surface is 5500 degree celcius
(°C)
f) 1 million Earths can be fit into the sun
Mercury
a) the first and the closest planet to the
Sun
b) it is the smallest planet
c) it is only a bit larger than our moon
d) it is not the hottest planet even
though it is the closest to the Sun
Venus
a) the brightest planet
b) the hottest planet
c) many missions have been sent to
Venus but failed due to its extremely
hot temperature
d) there are more than 1600 volcanoes
e) the surface can reach about 880
degree celcius (°C)
Earth
a) the only known planet to support
life
b) the ocean covers almost 70% of
Earth
c) there is about 30% land
d) there is only 1 moon
e) the fifth largest planet in the solar
system
Mars
a) the surface is reddish-brown colour
b) the second smallest planet
c) there are 2 moons at Mars
d) it has the largest volcano in the solar
system; Olympus Mons. It is 3 times taller
than Mount Everest.
e) Mars is the most explored planet in the
solar system
f) there have been 40 missions sent to Mars
but only 18 succeed
Jupiter
a) it is the largest planet in the solar
system
b) the planet is made up of gases and
liquids (water)
c) there are 79 moons at Jupiter
d) it can be almost 50000 degree
celcius (°C)
e) Jupiter’s biggest moon is bigger than
the planet Mercury
Saturn
a) it is the second largest planet in the solar
system
b) there are 7 rings around Saturn
c) the rings that surround Saturn are believed
to be pieces of asteroids, comets and
shattered moons
d) there are 62 moons at Saturn
e) it can be almost 21000 degree celcius (°C)
f) there have been four robotic spacecraft that
have visited Saturn. The latest was in
2004.
Uranus
a) it is the third largest planet in the
solar system
b) it is the coldest planet
c) there are 27 moons at Uranus
d) the temperature can be as low as
-224 degree celcius (°C)
e) the clouds are made up of hydrogen
sulfide; which smells like stinky
eggs
Neptune
a) it is the last planet in the solar
system
b)it is the fourth largest planet
c) there are 14 moons at Neptune
d)the latest space mission to
Neptune was in 1989
Task 1
1) How many planets are there in the solar
system? (There are eight planets in the
solar system.)
2) What is the smallest planet? (The smallest
planet is Mercury.)
3) What is the hottest planet? (The hottest
planet is Venus.)
4) What is the biggest planet? (The biggest
planet is Jupiter.)
5) What is the coldest planet? (The coldest
planet is Uranus.)
6) The rings around Saturn are made up of
______ , ________ and ______.
7) What is the percentage of land on Earth?
8) The Sun is made up of ______ and ____
