MERCURY

1. Overview: 

   1. Tell me two of the “Need-to-Know” facts about this planet. Scroll down the page of this planet  if you have trouble finding them.

      1. Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system – only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. 

      2. Mercury is the planet that orbits the closest to the Sun.

2. In Depth: 

   1. Is this planet hot, cold, or in-between? both extremely hot and cold

   2. What is it’s temperature range? Please answer in Celsius.

 -180°C-430°C

3. What is the radius of this planet? Please give your answer in kilometers.

2,440 kilometers

4. Write down two words to describe the surface of this planet.

   1. Cratered

   2. Greyish-brown

5. Write down two words to describe the atmosphere of this planet.

   1. Thin

   2. Toxic

3. By the Numbers:

   1. How big is this planet compared to Earth?

2.6x smaller than Earth

4. Exploration:

   1. Write down two significant events in the history of astronomy regarding this planet.

      1. The Mariner 10 spacecraft conducted the first flyby of Mercury in 1974.

      2. The MESSENGER mission orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015, providing extensive data about the planet.

Venus

5. Overview: 

   1. Tell me three of the “Need-to-Know” facts about this planet. Scroll down the page of this planet  if you have trouble finding them.

      1. Venus is often called "Earth’s twin" because they’re similar in size and structure, but Venus has extreme surface heat and a dense, toxic atmosphere. If the Sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth and Venus would each be about the size of a nickel.

      2. Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun, orbiting at a distance of about 67 million miles (108 million kilometers)

      3. Venus rotates very slowly on its axis – one day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days. The planet orbits the Sun faster than Earth, however, so one year on Venus takes only about 225 Earth days, making a Venusian day longer than its year!

6. In Depth: 

   1. Is this planet hot, cold, or in-between? Hot

   2. What is it’s temperature range? Please answer in Celsius.

462°C

3. What is the radius of this planet? Please give your answer in kilometers.

6,052 kilometers

4. Write down two words to describe the surface of this planet.

   1. Volcanic

   2. Rocky

5. Write down two words to describe the atmosphere of this planet.

   1. Thick

   2. Sulfuric acid clouds

7. By the Numbers:

   1. How big is this planet compared to Earth?

Similar in size, about 95% of Earth's radius

8. Exploration:

   1. Write down two significant events in the history of astronomy regarding this planet.

      1. Venera 7 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Venus and transmit data back to Earth in 1970.

      2. The Magellan spacecraft mapped 98% of the surface of Venus using radar in the early 1990s.

EARTH

9. Overview: 

   1. Tell me two of the “Need-to-Know” facts about this planet. Scroll down the page of this planet  if you have trouble finding them.

      1. Earth is the only known planet to support life.

      2. About 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water.

10. In Depth: 

    1. Is this planet hot, cold, or in-between? In-between

    2. What is it’s temperature range? Please answer in Celsius.

-88°C to 58°C

3. What is the radius of this planet? Please give your answer in kilometers.

 6,371 kilometers

4. Write down two words to describe the surface of this planet.

   1. Diverse 

   2. Oceanic

5. Write down two words to describe the atmosphere of this planet.

   1. Oxygen-rich

   2. Nitrogen-rich

11. By the Numbers:

    1. How big is this planet compared to Jupiter?

About 1/11th the size of Jupiter

12. Exploration:

    1. Write down two significant events in the history of astronomy regarding this planet.

       1. The Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969.

       2. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990, allowing for extensive astronomical observations from Earth.

MARS

13. Overview: 

    1. Tell me two of the “Need-to-Know” facts about this planet. Scroll down the page of this planet  if you have trouble finding them.

       1. Mars is known as the "Red Planet" due to its reddish appearance from iron oxide (rust) on its surface.

       2. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, and has signs of ancient river valleys.

14. In Depth: 

    1. Is this planet hot, cold, or in-between? Cold

    2. What is it’s temperature range? Please answer in Celsius.

-125°C to 20°C

3. What is the radius of this planet? Please give your answer in kilometers.

3,389.5 kilometers

4. How big is this planet compared to Earth?

About 53% the size of Earth

5. Write down two words to describe the surface of this planet.

   1. Rocky

   2. Dusty

6. Write down two words to describe the atmosphere of this planet.

   1. Thin

   2. Carbon dioxide-rich

15. By the Numbers:

    1. How big is this planet compared to Earth?

About 53% the size of Earth

16. Exploration:

    1. Write down two significant events in the history of astronomy regarding this planet.

       1. The Viking 1 mission successfully landed on Mars in 1976, providing the first images of the Martian surface.

       2. The Mars Rover Curiosity landed in 2012 and continues to explore and analyze the Martian environment.