Solar System Neighbors by Katie Carrell

We live on a planet that is constantly moving. Outside of our Earth there are eight other planets in our solar system, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and I'm going to give you a little information about the planets in the solar system.

At only 36 million miles from the sun, Mercury is the closest planet. It has the shortest year, consisting of eighty-eight Earth days. The day is longer on Mercury too. A day there is comparable to 59 days here on Earth. The diameter at the equator is 3,240 miles. Its gravity is 0.387 of Earth's gravity. Not only are the gravity amounts smaller then ours but so is the mass. The mass of Mercury is 0.055 of Earth's mass. Mercury's most unique feature is that it doesn't have a moon. The temperature can reach up to 800°F during the day and down to 297°F in the morning. Mercury has a rock surface and no atmosphere.

Venus, also known as Earth's twin, is the second planet in the solar system and is about 67 million miles from the sun. One year is about 225 Earth-days and the days there are equal to about 243 Earth-days. The average temperature is approximately 860°F. Venus' equator is 7,500 miles across. The atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide and the surface is rocky. It's gravity is even smaller then Mercury's, it is 0.9 of Earth's gravity.

Earth, our home, is the 3rd planet and where the only life known to mankind is found. The width of our planet is 7,926 miles. We are about 93 million miles from the sun. Our gravity level is 9.8. Most of our planet is covered with water but some of it is also covered with land. Our atmosphere is comprised of 77% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. Our temperatures vary depending on where you are on the planet. At the poles it is 31°F, and at the equator it is an average 86°F.

Mars, the 4th planet, might have had some life of it's own at one point in time. At 141 million miles from the sun it's year is 687 Earth days. Mars has 2 moons of its own. The gravity amount is 0.379. The mean temperature is 67°F. The surface is mostly rocky and the atmosphere is very thin and full of carbon dioxide.

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is 11 times the size of Earth. It is well known for its giant red spot, which is actually a storm. The gravity is 2.54 times greater on Jupiter than on Earth. Jupiter isn't really a solid object. It is comprised mostly of gasses. The main gasses are helium and hydrogen. One year there is 11 years here on Earth. At 482 million miles from the sun, it is -238°F on the crest of the clouds. There are 16 moons; you can see at least 4 when you look at it through a telescope.

With the most amount of moons, 22, Saturn sits 886,200 million miles from the sun, and is the 6th planet. Saturn's most noticeable feature is its rings. Mostly composed of ice and space debris, they can be the best sight to see in the solar system. This planet has a similar structure to Jupiter's, and the main gases are the same. Even though the planet is made up of gas it still has gravity. Saturn has 1.07 times Earth's gravity. The mass is 95.18 times Earth's mass. It takes 29 Earth years for it to make one full rotation around the sun. The temperature on Saturn is unbelievable, at -292°F.

Uranus has an atmosphere of helium and hydrogen. One year there is 83 years here on Earth. There are 15 moons around Uranus. Located approximately 2 billion miles from the sun, the temperature on this planet is -355°F. Uranus is 31,620 miles wide, with 0.8 of Earth's gravity.

Neptune, 2.8 billion miles from the sun, is the eighth planet. The atmosphere is mostly comprised of helium and hydrogen. It has at least 8 moons; no one is sure how many there actually are. The gravity amount is 1.2 times the gravity here on Earth. The temperature is -351°F. To complete a full rotation around the sun it takes about 163.72 Earth-years.

The ninth planet in our solar system is Pluto. Because of its composition, some NASA scientists think that it's not a planet but just a ball of ice. It orbit is elliptical, and travels anywhere from 2.7 billion miles away from the sun to 4.6 billion miles. The mean temperature is as cold as -382°F. Pluto is the smallest planet and has one moon, just like Earth. Scientists believe there is a very thin layer of atmosphere with methane gas. It takes 248 Earth years to travel around the sun completely. It has only 0.01 percent of Earth's gravity.