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MERCURY
Mercury is the planet
closest to the Sun in our Solar System. This small, rocky planet
has almost no atmosphere. Mercury has a very elliptical orbit and
a huge range in temperature. During the long daytime (which lasts
58.65 Earth days or almost an entire Mercurian year, which is 88
days long), the temperature is hotter than an oven; during the
long night (the same length), the temperature is colder than a
freezer.
Mercury is so close to
the Sun that you can only see it near sunrise or sunset.
Mercury is a heavily cratered planet; its surface is similar to
the surface of our Moon . Cratering on Mercury triggered volcanic
eruptions that filled much of the surrounding area. Mercury does
have a magnetic field (probably generated by a partly-liquid iron
core).
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VENUS
Venus is the
second planet from the sun in our solar system. It is the hottest
planet in our Solar System. This planet is covered with
fast-moving sulphuric acid clouds which trap heat from the Sun.
Its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. Venus has an iron
core but only a very weak magnetic field.
This is a planet on which
a person would asphyxiate in the poisonous atmosphere, be cooked
in the extremely high heat, and be crushed by the enormous
atmospheric pressure.
Venus is also known as the "morning
star" or the "evening star" since it is visible and quite bright
at either dawn or dusk. It is only visible at dawn or dusk since
it is closer to the sun than we are.
Like the moon, Venus' appearance from
Earth changes as it orbits around the Sun. It goes from full to
gibbous to crescent to new and back.
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MARS
Mars, the red planet, is the fourth planet from
the sun and the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. It is
about half the size of Earth and has a dry, rocky surface and a
very thin atmosphere.
The surface of Mars is dry, rocky, and mostly covered with
iron-rich dust. There are low-lying plains in the northern
hemisphere, but the southern hemisphere is dotted with impact
craters. The ground is frozen; this permafrost extends for several
kilometers.
The north and south poles of Mars are covered by ice caps composed
of frozen carbon dioxide and water.
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JUPITER
Jupiter is the fifth and
largest planet in our solar system. This gas giant has a thick
atmosphere, 39 known moons, and a dark, barely-visible ring. Its
most prominent features are bands across its latitudes and a great
red spot (which is a storm).
Jupiter is composed mostly of gas. This enormous planet radiates
twice as much heat as it absorbs from the Sun. It also has an
extremely strong magnetic field. It is slightly flattened at its
poles and it bulges out a bit at the equator.
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SATURN
Saturn is the sixth planet
from the sun in our solar system. It is the second-largest planet
in our solar system (Jupiter is the largest). It has beautiful
rings that are made mostly of ice chunks (and some rock) that
range in size from the size of a fingernail to the size of a car.
Saturn is made mostly of hydrogen and helium gas.
Saturn is visible without using a telescope, but a low-power
telescope is needed to see its rings.
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URANUS
Uranus is the seventh planet
from the sun in our solar system. This huge, icy planet is covered
with clouds and is encircled by a belt of 11 rings and 22 known
moons. Uranus' blue color is caused by the methane (CH4)
in its atmosphere; this molecule absorbs red light.
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NEPTUNE
Neptune is the eighth
planet from the sun in our solar system. This giant, frigid planet
has a hazy atmosphere and strong winds. This gas giant is orbited
by eight moons and narrow, faint rings arranged in clumps.
Neptune's blue color is caused by the methane (CH4)
in its atmosphere; this molecule absorbs red light.
Neptune cannot be seen using the eyes
alone. Neptune was the first planet whose existence was predicted
mathematically (the planet Uranus's orbit was perturbed by an
unknown object which turned our to be another gas giant, Neptune).
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