The Planets

1. Mercury

• Closest planet to the Sun.
• Smallest planet in the solar system.
• Has extreme temperature variations (hot days, freezing nights).
• No atmosphere, just a thin exosphere.

• Second planet from the Sun.
• Similar in size to Earth but extremely hot due to a thick CO₂ atmosphere.
• Surface covered with volcanoes and toxic clouds of sulfuric acid.
• Rotates in the opposite direction (retrograde rotation).

• Third planet from the Sun and the only one known to support life.
• 71% of its surface is covered with water.
• Has a protective atmosphere that sustains life and regulates temperature.
• One moon: The Moon.

• Fourth planet from the Sun, also known as the Red Planet due to iron oxide (rust) on its surface.
• Has the largest volcano in the solar system (Olympus Mons).
• Thin atmosphere, mostly carbon dioxide.
• Evidence of past water, making it a target for future exploration.

• Fifth planet and the largest in the solar system.
• A gas giant mostly made of hydrogen and helium.
• Famous for its Great Red Spot, a massive storm.
• Has at least 95 moons, including Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system.

• Sixth planet, known for its stunning ring system made of ice and rock.
• Another gas giant, slightly less dense than Jupiter.
• Has at least 146 moons, including Titan, which has a thick atmosphere and liquid methane lakes.

• Seventh planet, an ice giant with a pale blue-green color due to methane in its atmosphere.
• Rotates on its side (tilted about 98 degrees).
• Coldest planet in the solar system.
• Has 27 known moons.

• Eighth and farthest planet from the Sun.
• Deep blue color, also due to methane.
• Known for strong winds and violent storms (e.g., the Great Dark Spot).
• Has 14 moons, including Triton, which orbits in the opposite direction of Neptune's rotation.

• Formerly the ninth planet, now classified as a dwarf planet.
• Has an elliptical orbit that sometimes brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune.
• Has five moons, the largest being Charon.
• Made of rock and ice with a thin atmosphere.