The 8 Planets and Facts About Them
While in Chicago, one of the biggest attractions is the Adler Planetarium. Because we were planing to leave this day, we decided to hit it. I would say that it’s a good museum, and that it holds good information about our solar system and universe. My only suggestion is that if you are going because it’s on the schedule, then only go if you are really into space. I’m not that interested in space, but because this is my education, I am getting to have first hand experience instead of learning from the text book. I do enjoy going into these museums and learning. By the way, the 30 minute movies that are presented every day are very interesting!
Planet #1: Mercury: The Closest Planet to the Sun.
Murcury has no known moons. And its temperature average is 176* Celsius or 333°F. It has a crust, mantle and liquid core. It’s too small and too hot to keep an atmosphere. There are some particles of helium and hydrogen, delivered by the sun, solar winds, and trace of amount of oxygen. add this one planet day is 55 earth days and the planets year is 88 earth days. It is 36,000,000 miles from the sun! An interesting fact is Dakota, discovered by Messenger one of the first Land Rover to embark on Mercury, was launched in 2004 and arrived in Mercury in March 2011. It discovered the large amount of sulfur and mercury on this strange planet. Scientist did not expect to discover sulfur because current model of Mercury suggest that it was subjected to high heat early. If these models were corect, the sulfer should have burned off due to the high temperatures. This mysteries are probably just the first of many as Messenger continues to explore Mercury.
Planet #2: Venus: Nicknamed “The Morning and Evening Star.”
Venus has no known moons. it is 67,108,000 miles from the sun. It’s recent discoveries: calling data collected by the Venus Xpress, help scientist understand the planets atmosphere‘s, and may contribute to our understanding of the challenges that led to the runaway greenhouse effect on Venus. This could also aid how to understand climate change on earth. Its average temp is 464°C or 867°F. Venus’s atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of earths. It has the clouds of sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid. Droplets obscure Venus’s surface from view. There have been six droids who have explored the veiws of Venus. One planet day is 117 earth days on Venus and its year is 225 earth days. Venus is quite a bit smaller than earth. It has four sections, just like earth, call the crust, mental, liquid, outer core, and solid inner core. Fun fact, Venus is the warmest or hottest planet, that we know of. This is probaly my least favorite planet because I don’t like hot temetures, and 867*F is just a little to hot for me.
Planet #3: Earth: Our World
The planet we live on! It’s average temp is 15°C or 59°F and it has one moon. Our moon is the fifth largest moon in our solar system! Most scientist believe the moon is formed when a mars size object hit the young earth and blasted material into orbit. One plant day is one earth days obviously a planet years one on one earth year. The composition of atmosphere is currently 0.04% traces of gas, 0.93%, argon 20.95% oxygen, and 78.08% nitrogen. Earth has four sections, the crust, the mantle, liquid outer core, and solid inner core whitch is comosed of Magma.
Planet #4: Mars: The Red Planet
Mars has two moons, they are small, and are called Phobos and Deimos. Its temperature ranges from -63°C or -81°F. It has four sections: crust, mantle, liquid outer core, and solid inner core. One orbit planet day on Mars is 24 hours and 40 minutes earth days and one plant year is 1.88 earth years. there have been six missions of robotic explorations to investigate the surface of Mars. Most of them have been sucsesful, and the first rover Ceriosity first launched in 2004 and landed in 2011. It’s perpous was to take pictues of Mars’ servous to see what it was really like. You can find more about that adventrue at this link: Mars Curiosity Rover
Planet #5: Jupiter: The Biggest Planet
Jupiter has 66 moons. It has five sections of atmosphere, outer, mantle, inner mantle, outer core, and inner core. One planet day is 9 hours and 56 minutes, and one Jupiter year is 11.96 earth years. Its temperature average is -161°C and -250°F, Jupiter has launched six robotic explorations, first was in 1989. Its recent discoveries “Galileo carried on at atomic Feerick entry probe that was released towards Jupiters storm atmosphere. The probe collected 58 minutes of data about Jupiters turbulent cloud system before coming to the crushing pressure of the gas giants interior.” Actually, Jupiter is my favorite planet besided Earth. It’s the bigest plantet, not to far from the sun, looks very prety with the blue swerls through telescopes, and it’s not that cold! Only -250*F! I prefer colder temetures to hoter, so this is my favorite planet.
Planet #6: Saturn: The Ring Planet
Saturn has 62 main moons. And it is composed of four sections: the atmosphere, mantle, outer core and inner core. Its temperature ranges from -196°C to -308°F. One Saturn planet day is 10 hours and 39 minutes of earth hours, and on Saturn a year is 29 earth years. Saturn is very unique because it has the outer rings on the outside of the planet. It is the largest planet in solar system other than Jupiter. At certain times in the night, you can actually look through a simple pair of binoculars or telescope, and see Jupiter and its rings. It has four main moons that you can also see through a pair of simple binoculars at some points in the year and some points at night.
Planet #7: Uranus: The Silly Named Planet
Uranus has 27 moons, five major moons, ranging in size from 290 to 980 miles in diameter. It has had one robotic mission in 1986 called voyager two. The temperature of Uranus ranges from -220°C or -364°F one Uranus day is 17 hours and 14 minutes of earth days and one Uranus planet year is 84 earth years, can you imagine that? Uranus is 14.5 times bigger than earth. Uranus is primarily composed of 2% nitrogin, plus trace gases, 15% helium and 83% hydrogen. Fun fact, Uranus is the coldest planet of the 8 main planets!
Planet #8: Neptune: The Final Planet
Neptune has 14 moons. It temperatures ranges from -218°C or -360°F. One Neptune day is 0.68 earth days and one Neptune year is 165 earth years. Neptune is 17.1 times bigger than earth, and is the farthest planet away from the sun approximately 28,800,000,000 miles from the sun. Neptunes atmosphere is primarily composed of hydrogen, which is 80%, 19% helium, and patricias amount of methane. It’s like Uranus‘s atmosphere, Neptunes bluish color comes from this methane gas absorbing red light. Neptune has three main sections: mantle, cour, and rings. Neptune has at least five main rings that have been discovered so far. The one robotic mission that was sent to Neptune was in 1989, which was also voyager two spacecraft. On the mission of 1989 voyager 2 saw a giant storm on Neptune, it was designated as the great spot, a lot like Saturns red spot. It’s funny how our solar system planets can be so far away, but so different at the same time! I think God created our solar system to be simler but also, very diferent.