The Solar System

Group Members

Kallicia Barclay
J’den Clayton
Ajaani Hall
Saige Johnson
Madison Minott
Nathan Smith

Subject: Geography
Form: 1-8
Teacher: Miss Dunn
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Table of Content
Overview on Solar System……………………………….……………………………..…. 3

All about Planet Mercury…………………………………………………………….……4

Information on Planet Venus……….………………………………………………….….5

Details on Planet Earth………...……………………………………………………...…...6

Discover Planet Mars………………………………………………………………………7

Findings on Planet Jupiter……………………………………………………………….8-9

Background information on Planet Saturn……………………………………………..10

A look at Planet Uranus…………………………………………………………………..11

All about Planet Neptune…………………………………………………………………12-13

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Introduction about the

Solar System
Our solar system is centered on the sun. Around the sun, nine planets
travel along routes known as orbits. The nine planets are Mercury,
Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

Apart from the planets, the solar system includes moons, asteroids,
comets, and meteoroids. Moons move around planets. Comets, asteroids,
and meteoroids all circle the sun. The only star in our solar system that
emits its own light is the sun. All other celestial bodies in our solar
system reflect the sun's light.

Astronomers have used telescopes on Earth and in orbit around the

planet to study our solar system. This project seeks to explain the history
of the planet’s names, how they were discovered, color and
distinguishing features, distance from the sun and lastly if the planets
have any moons giving the amount present.
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MERCURY History of Planets name

Ian (2021) states that ‘in ancient times
the Romans believed that gods and
goddesses were rulers of the Earth.
Mercury was the name of their
messenger of their gods. This roman
mercury was described as having his
helmet and shoes and he could travel
quickly from place to place, and the
planet mercury moves quickly around the
sun therefore that is how it got its
name’.
How was it discovered?
It is not clear exactly when the planet was first discovered but it was observed first
through telescopes in the seventeenth century by astronomers Galileo Galilei and
Thomas Harriot.

Color and Distinguishing feature

The color for mercury is dark grey, which have a crater large and small. Its surface
(being the textures of gray) has occasional lighter patch that the recent discovery
made show that it consists of trenches in addition to the crater that planetary
geologist has given name ‘the spider’.

Distance from the Sun

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Its distance is approximately 47.262
million kilometers. Additionally, from this distance, it takes sunlight 3.2 minutes to
travel from the sun to mercury.

Moon being present of planet

There is no moon on mercury
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Venus
History of Planets name

Barnett (2022) posits that ‘Venus is the

brightest object in the sky after the
Moon, and the Sun. It was given the
name of the Roman goddess of beauty
and love; the ancient Greek’s named it
Aphrodite’.

How was it discovered?

Galileo Galilei was the first to discover Venus in October 1610. This was seen
through the telescope however prior to that venus looks just like bright stars. With
the telescope being invented Galileo could now see the shape of venus appeared to
change as the planet moved around the sun.

Color and Distinguishing feature

 Venus is entirely covered with a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and sulphuric
acid clouds which give it a light yellowish appearance. Beneath the cloud tops of
venus, much visibility will not be present. The reason is the clouds are thick that
most of the light from the sun is blocked before it reaches the surface. A dim
landscape might be seen at twilight.
Distance from the Sun
With venus being the second planet from the sun, its distance is approximately
107.84 million kilometers.

Moon being present of planet

There is no moon on venus
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Earth
History of Planets name
All planets, except for Earth, were
named after Greek and Roman gods
and goddesses. The name Earth is an
English/German name which simply
means the ground. It comes from the
Old English words 'eor(th)e' and
'ertha'. In German it is 'erde'. The
name Earth is at least 1000 years old.
How was it discovered?
‘The discovery that Earth is a planet among others was established in the
seventeenth century. This discovery came through by the combined forces of
philosophers, mathematicians and astronomers. A philosopher Plato deduced that
the Earth is round but this theory had been proven years later’ Rimmer (2021).

Color and Distinguishing feature

Earth would appear bright and bluish in color. In four dimensional. It possesses
white cloud patterns and tropical storms can be seen. The polar regions would
appear white because of ice, the oceans a dark blue- black, the deserts a tawny
beige, and forests and jungles a vibrant green.
 
Distance from the Sun
With Earth being the third planet away from the sun and the fifth largest planet in
the solar system earth is approximately 149.32 million kilometers

Moon being present of planet

Earth only has one moon, which is referred to as ‘moon’
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Mars
History of Planets name

Ian (2021) states that ‘Mars was

named after the Roman god of war due
to its red appearance. In different
cultures, Mars represents masculinity,
youth and its symbol is used as the
symbol for the male gender’.

How was it discovered?

Due to its brightness and closeness to earth, mars have been documented for at
least 4000 years thus it is impossible to credit someone with its discovery.
However, the first person to observe mars with a telescope was Galileo Galilei in
1610

Color and Distinguishing feature

Due to the effects of the iron oxide prevalent on Mar’s surface, it has a reddish
appearance distinctive among the astronomical bodies visible to the naked eye.
Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features
reminiscent of both the impact craters of Earth’s Moon, and the valleys, deserts
and polar ice caps of Earth
 
Distance from the Sun
With mars being the fourth planet away from the sun it is approximately 22.9
million kilometers away from the sun.

Moon being present of planet

Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos
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Jupiter
History of Planets name
Since many cultures observed
Jupiter, they all gave it different
names but the Roman name
remained used in the majority of
cultures. Jupiter is named after
the principal Roman god, the
equivalent of the Greek god Zeus.

How was it discovered?

Since Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the sky, Jupiter was observed since
ancient times and thus no one can be credited for its discovery. However, the first
telescopic observations were conducted by Galileo Galilei in 1609 and in 1610
Galileo also discovered the major moons of Jupiter, but of course not the smaller
ones.

Color and Distinguishing feature

Choi, (2022) A distinct feature is its great red spot (a persistent high-pressure
region in the atmosphere that produces an anticyclonic storm, the largest in the
solar system. It has been observed since 1830, and it is active for hundreds of
years. It is reportedly also shrinking. Jupiter is surrounded by a plasma torus,
produced by its strong magnetic field. It is a field of extremely charged particles
making it difficult for a spacecraft to approach the planet, yet some zones are a bit
safer.
 
Distance from the Sun
With Jupiter being the largest planet, and the largest and oldest planet it is
approximately 741.22 million kilometers away from the sun.
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Moon being present of planet

Jupiter has 80 moons.
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Saturn History of Planets name

Saturn also called the ringed

planet was named after the
Roman god of harvest and time,
the equivalent of the Greek god
of time, Cronos.

How was it discovered?

Saturn was known to humanity due to its brightness and closeness to Earth. It is
not possible to give credit for the discovery of Saturn, however the first telescopic
observation was made by Galileo in 1610. Due to the simple telescope available at
the time, Galileo failed to observe the rings of Saturn. The discovery of rings was
made by Christiaan Huygens in 1659.

Color and Distinguishing feature

Lee (2010) states that ‘the rings of Saturn are the most distinguishing feature of
Saturn. They cannot be seen with the naked eye, but three rings can be seen by
basic telescopes, however high-tech telescopes can view eight (8) rings.
Approximately thirty (30) rings were observed when the spacecraft Cassini orbited
Saturn. The rings are countless as they make up millions of small rocks creating an
illusion of ring systems’.
 
Distance from the Sun
Saturn is 1.4723 billion kilometers away from the sun. It is 9.5 times farther away
from the sun than earth. Light takes one (1) hour and twenty-nine (29) minutes to
travel from Saturn and then arrive at earth

Moon being present of planet

Saturn has 83 moons.
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Uranus History of Planets name

It was given the name Uranus,

after the Greek god of the sky
Ouranos.
It is the only planet whose name
is derived directly from a figure
of Greek mythology.

How was it discovered?

‘Since ancient times it was to recognized due to its dimness and slow orbit.
However, on March 13, 1781 Sir William Herschel announced its discovery being
the first planet discovered with the help of a telescope. John Flamsteed observed
for about fourteen times by Charles Le Monnier between 1750 and 1769’ Lee
(2010).

Color and Distinguishing feature

Uranus has a blue green color but seems featureless, without the cloud bands or
storms associated with the other giant planets, it does have complex, layered cloud
structure with water thought to make up the lowest clouds and methane the
uppermost layer of clouds. Uranus has thirteen known rings around it. The
innermost rings are narrow and dark, and its outermost rings are brightly colored.
Distance from the Sun
Uranus is 2 billion miles away from the sun.

Moon being present of planet

Uranus has twenty-seven (27) known moons and they are named after characters
from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
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Neptune History of Planets name

According to Ian (2021) ‘Neptune
is the first planet to be
discovered by the use of
mathematical calculations and
predictions. Using predictions
made by Urbain Le Verrier,
Johann Galle discovered the
planet in 1846. The planet is
named after the Roman god of
the sea, as suggested by Le
Verrier’.
How was it discovered?
On the night of September 23-24, 1846, astronomers discovered Neptune, which is
the eighth planet to orbit the sun. based on calculation of its predicted position due
to observed worries in the orbit of the planet Uranus. The discovery was made
using a giant telescope since Neptune was too faint to be visible to the naked eye;
owing to its great distance from the Sun.

Color and Distinguishing feature

Neptune has a blue color and which is one of two ice giants in the outer solar
system. The reason Neptune is blue is due to the presence of a specific gas named
methane. Scientists think there might be an ocean of super-hot water under
Neptune's cold clouds. It does not boil away because incredibly high pressure
keeps it locked inside. Neptune has at least five main rings and four prominent ring
arcs that we know of so far. Starting near the planet and moving outward, the main
rings are named Galle, Leverrier, Lassell, Arago, and Adams. The rings are
thought to be relatively young and short-lived.

Distance from the Sun

Neptune is 4.4739 billion kilometers away from the sun
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Moon being present of planet

Neptune has 14 known moons. Neptune's largest moon Triton was discovered on
October 10, 1846, by William Lassell, just 17 days after Johann Gottfried Galle
discovered the planet. 
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References

Barnett, A. (2022, February 10). Venus. NASA Science Solar System Exploration. Retrieved
October 15, 2022, from
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus/overview/#:~:text=Venus%20was%20the
%20first%20planet,the%20planet's%20surface%20with%20radar.

Choi, C. Q. (2022, July 21). Jupiter: A guide to the largest planet in the solar system.
Space.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-
planet-solar-system.html

Ian, B. (2021, January 4). Earth facts: Surface, atmosphere, satellites, history & definition. The
Nine Planets. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://nineplanets.org/earth/

Lee, M. (2010, January 1). Saturn (enhanced colors). Science On a Sphere. Retrieved October
15, 2022, from https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/saturn-enhanced-colors/

Rimmer, A. (2021, October 21). What colors are the planets in our solar system? and why are
they so. Astronomy.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from
https://astronomy.com/news/2021/10/colors-of-the-solar-system
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