The Nine Planets

Mercury is really hot and dry because it is the planet closest to the sun. Mercury takes the shortest amount of time to circle around the sun out of all the planets.Mercury's temperature is so hot, you could make bread on the surface. Mercury is gray, and covered with craters. Some craters are bigger then a state or A provence!

VENUS

Venus is located closer to Earth than any other planet. Venus is also almost the same size as Earth. But Venus has no oxygen in its air, or water on its surface, like Earth does. Venus is wrapped in a layer of clouds. The clouds have a lot of sulfur in them. The surface makes Venus look yellow when we see the planet in the sky. The clouds keep the sun's heat from escaping. The trapped heat makes Venus so hot, you could melt lead on the planet's surface!!

EARTH

Earth is the only planet in our solar system to have animals and plants living on it. That's because Earth is the only planet that has water. Living things need water to survive. Earth has one moon and the people living in earth have been on it.

MARS

Mars has the nickname the Red Planet, that's because the sand on Mars is made of red iron oxide. Scientists are sure now that there in no life on Mars. The air surrounding Mars is too thin to allow water to flow on the planet. Without water, there can be no life on Mars. Mars has two moons they called Phobos and Deimos.

JUPITER

Jupiter is made almost entirely of gases. Jupiter is best known for its Great Red Spot. The Great Red Spot is a swirl of gases that is three times the size of Earth! Jupiter is covered by a layer of clouds that is many miles deep. The clouds are made of chemicals that make them appear white, red, and brownish-red. Thin, faint rings of ice and dust circle around Jupiter.

SATURN

Saturn is famous for the beautiful rings that surround it. Its rings are made of ice, rock, and dirt. The rings circle around the planet. Saturn is made of gas, just like jupiter is. Saturn's gases are lighter than water. That means if you put Saturn into a tub of water, it would float!! Saturn is surrounded by more than 17 moons!

URANUS

Uranus is a gas planet just like Jupiter and Saturn. It is circled by rings. Uranus is surrounded by gray moons. Some scientists think there is graphite on these moons. Graphite is what the pencils are made of.

Neptune

Neptune is the last planet in our solar system that is made of gases. It is surrounded by chunky rings. Neptune is so far away from the sun, it takes 165 Earth years it to circle all the way around the sun!

PLUTO

Pluto was the last planet to be discovered in our solor system. Some scientists think that Pluto started out as one of Neptune's moons, and then moved away from Neptune. Pluto's moon, Charon, is almost as big as itself.