Planets

Planets

	Mean distance from Sun/AU	Orbital period
*Mercury*	0.38	88 day
57,900,000 km terrestrial Planet, i.e. rocky body composed mainly of silicate rocks. the smallest planet in the Solar System, and the closest to the Sun, with highest eccentricity and the smallest axial tilt among all the planets it resembles the Moon for its heavily cratered surface with some smooth highland plains and multi-ringed impact basins Caloris Basin is the largest known crater on Mercury very dense due to its large iron core
*Venus*	0.72	225 day
108,000,000 km terrestrial Planet, i.e. rocky body composed mainly of silicate rocks. often referred to as Earth's "sister planet," because of similar size, gravity, and bulk composition very dense atmosphere (92 times that of the Earth) rich in carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide with an apparent magnitude of −4.6 is the brightest object after the Moon there's evidence of active volcanism very small magnetic field because of to lack of internal dynamo, i.e. there's no convection in Venus's core
*Earth*	1.00	365.25 day
150,000,000 km rocky body composed mainly of silicate rocks. the only place in the visible Univere that is known to carry life,i.e. water and atmosphere of the four solar terrestrial planets Earth is the largest in size and mass with the highest density, the highest surface gravity, the strongest magnetic field, and fastest rotation. It also is the only terrestrial planet with active plate tectonics.
*Mars*	1.5	687 day
228,000,000 km terrestrial Planet, i.e. rocky body composed mainly of silicate rocks. often referred to as the 'red planet' due to iron oxide on its surface that gives it a red appearance the surface is characterised by polar ice caps, deep canyons, extinct volcanoes and seasonal dust storms it has the highest known mountain in the Solar System, Olympus Mons (Mount Olympus), a shield volcano at 26 km in height in size and mass with the highest density, the highest surface gravity, the strongest magnetic field, and fastest rotation. large quantities of water in the ice caps were first detected by Mars Express and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, then sampled by Phoenix Mars Lander
*Jupiter*	5.2	11.9 years
779,000,000 km a gas giant thought to have a dense core with a mixture of elements, surrounded by a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen and an outer layer predominantly of molecular hydrogen giving rise to the characteristic red/yellow bands the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus, with an apparent magnitude of −2.8 its rapid rotation causes the slight but noticeable bulge around the equator powerful magnetosphere a faint planetary ring system the Great Red Spot, the main surface features, is a giant storm that has been known to be present since at least the 17th century. at least 63 moons, including the four large Galilean moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - that were first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. thought of having a dense core with a mixture of elements robotic spacecrafts Pioneer (Pioneer 10 in 1972 and Pioneer 11 in 1973) and Voyager carried out flyby missions, followed by the Galileo orbiter (launched on October 18, 1989). Jupiter was again visited by Pluto-bound probe New Horizons spacecraft in late February 2007 (the probe increased its speed and directed itself to Pluto by using Jupiter's gravity, reducing its journey by a few years)
*Saturn*	9.5	29.5 years
1,430,000,000 km a gas giant with a prominent ring system consisting of countless small particles, ranging in size from micrometres to metres, made almost entirely of water ice, with some contamination from dust and other chemicals. the interior consists of a small core of rock and ice, surrounded by a thick layer of metallic hydrogen and a gaseous outer layer of helium and trace elements there are 61 known moons orbiting the planet and of "moonlets" within the rings. Titan is Saturn's largest moon, the 2nd largest in the Solar System after Jupiter's Ganymede it has low density, rapid rotation, and fluid state Major satellites: Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan and Iapetus the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft has been exploring Saturn's orbit since July 1, 2004
*Uranus*	19.1	84 years
2,880,000,000 km "ice giant" with the atmosphere being composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and high proportion of "ices" such as water, ammonia and methane, along with traces of hydrocarbons. It is the coldest planet in the Solar System where the minimum temperature reaches 49 K (−224 °C). ring system, a magnetosphere, and numerous moons its axis of rotation is tilted sideways, nearly into the plane of its revolution about the Sun although John Flamsteed had observed the planet mistaking it for 34 Tauri, it was Sir William Herschel who discovered its planetary nature on 13 March 1781 Major satellites: Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan and Iapetus the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft has been exploring Saturn's orbit since July 1, 2004
*Neptune*	30.0	165 years
4,500,000,000 km) "ice giant" with the atmosphere being composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and high proportions of "ices" such as water, ammonia and methane, along with traces of hydrocarbons and possibly nitrogen its blue appearance is partly due to methane the atmosphere shows active and visible weather patterns the Great Dark Spot is a notable characteristic of the southern hemisphere and it's caused by a hole of methane causing winds that can blowing up to 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) an hour, the fastest in the Solar System both Le Verrier and Adams were given credit for the discovery of Neptune. Galileo Galilei had first observed it on December 28, 1612 then again on January 27, 1613 but mistook it for a fixed star
*Dwarf planets*
Ceres - 415,000,000 km Pluto - 5,906,000,000 km Haumea - 6,450,000,000 km Makemake - 6,850,000,000 km Eris 10,100,000,000 km

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