The Planets: The Planets in our Solar System

By JC Reardon

1. MercuryClosest planet to the Sun.Smallest planet in the solar system.Has extreme temperature variations (hot days, freezing nights).No atmosphere, just a thin exosphere.2. VenusSecond 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).3. EarthThird 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.4. MarsFourth 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.5. JupiterFifth 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.6. SaturnSixth 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.7. UranusSeventh 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.8. NeptuneEighth 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.9. Pluto (Dwarf Planet)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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DZXZY25K
• ISBN13: 9798313579429
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"