Planets of the Solar System

112 flashcards by MentisLibrary

Orbital periods, rotation, distances, diameters, atmospheres and moons of the eight planets, plus dwarf planets, the asteroid and Kuiper belts and orbital terms such as eccentricity, Roche limit and habitable zone, for astronomy students and space enthusiasts.

How many planets are in our solar system?
8 planets
What are the terrestrial planets?
Mercury Venus Earth Mars
What are the gas giants?
Jupiter Saturn
What are the ice giants?
Uranus Neptune
What is Mercury's orbital period?
88 Earth days
What is Mercury's rotation period?
59 Earth days
What is Mercury's distance from Sun?
≈ 0.39 AU or 58 million km
What is Mercury's surface temperature range?
-173°C to 427°C
What is Mercury's diameter?
≈ 4880 km
What is unique about Mercury's core?
Large iron core
What is Venus's orbital period?
225 Earth days
What is Venus's rotation period?
243 Earth days (retrograde)
What is Venus's distance from Sun?
≈ 0.72 AU or 108 million km
What is Venus's surface temperature?
≈ 465°C
What is Venus's atmospheric composition?
96.5% CO₂ 3.5% N₂
What is Venus's diameter?
≈ 12104 km
Why is Venus so hot?
Runaway greenhouse effect
What is retrograde rotation?
Rotation opposite to orbital direction
What is Earth's orbital period?
365.25 days
What is Earth's rotation period?
23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds
What is Earth's distance from Sun?
1 AU ≈ 150 million km
What is Earth's diameter?
≈ 12742 km
What is Earth's atmospheric composition?
78% N₂ 21% O₂ 1% other
What is Earth's average surface temperature?
≈ 15°C
What is Earth's axial tilt?
23.5°
What is unique about Earth?
Only known planet with life
What is Mars's orbital period?
687 Earth days
What is Mars's rotation period?
24 hours 37 minutes
What is Mars's distance from Sun?
≈ 1.52 AU or 228 million km
What is Mars's diameter?
≈ 6779 km