The document provides a brief summary of each planet and Pluto in our solar system. It begins with the Sun and discusses its composition, energy production through nuclear fusion, and effects on the solar system. Each subsequent entry summarizes the key facts about the respective planet - its composition, atmospheric conditions, surface features, and for larger planets, notable moons. The document concludes with an artist's rendering of the distant Pluto.

1. Presents

2. Me v E M J U N P
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Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

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Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

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Sun Mercury Venus Earth * Mars *
Jupiter Saturn * Uranus Neptune Pluto END *

5. SUN
The Sun is a typical star of intermediate size and
luminosity. Sunlight and other radiation are produced by
the conversion of hydrogen into helium in the Sun’s hot,
dense interior (see Nuclear Energy). Although this nuclear
fusion is transforming 600 million metric tons of hydrogen
each second, the Sun is so massive (2 × 1030 kg, or 4.4 ×
1030 lb) that it can continue to shine at its present
brightness for 6 billion years. This stability has allowed life
to develop and survive on Earth. For all the Sun’s
steadiness, it is an extremely active star. On its surface,
dark sunspots bounded by intense magnetic fields come
and go in 11-year cycles and sudden bursts of charged
particles from solar flares can cause auroras and disturb
radio signals on Earth. A continuous stream of protons,
electrons, and ions also leaves the Sun and moves out
through the solar system.
This solar wind shapes the ion tails of comets and leaves
its traces in the lunar soil, samples of which were brought
back from the Moon’s surface by piloted United States
Apollo spacecraft .The Sun’s activity also influences the
heliopause, a region of space that astronomers believe
marks the boundary between the solar system and
interstellar space. The heliopause is a dynamic region that
expands and contracts due to the constantly changing
speed and pressureVenus solar wind. In November 2003 a
Sun Mercury of the Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

6. NASA/Science Source/Photo Researchers, Inc.
Mercury
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Me
Mercury orbits closer to the
Sun than any other planet,
making it dry, hot, and virtually
airless. Although the planet’s
cratered surface resembles
that of the Moon, it is believed
that the interior is actually
similar to Earth’s, consisting
primarily of iron and other
heavy elements. This
composite photograph was
taken in 1974 by Mariner 10,
the first probe to study
Mercury in detail..
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

7. Venus
Venus is the brightest object in our sky,
after the sun and moon. Swirling clouds
of sulfur and sulfuric acid obscure v
Venus’s surface and inhibited study of
the planet from Earth until
technology permitted space vehicles,
outfitted with probes, to visit it. These
probes determined that Venus is the
hottest of the planets, with a surface
temperature of about 460° C (about
860° F). Scientists believe that a
greenhouse effect causes the extreme
temperature, hypothesizing that the
planet’s thick clouds and dense
atmosphere trap energy from the sun
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

8. Earth
An oxygen-rich and protective
atmosphere, moderate temperatures,
abundant water, and a varied chemical E
composition enable Earth to support
life, the only planet known to harbor
life. The planet is composed of rock and
metal, which are present in molten
form beneath its surface. The Apollo 17
spacecraft took this snapshot in 1972 of
the Arabian Peninsula, the African
continent, and Antarctica (most of the
white area near the bottom).
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

9. Mars
The most detailed information available
about Mars has come from unpiloted
spacecraft sent to the planet by the United M
States. From this data, scientists have
determined that the planet’s atmosphere
consists primarily of carbon dioxide, with
small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, water
vapor, and other gases. Because the
atmosphere is extremely thin, daily
temperatures can vary as much as 100 Celsius
degrees (190 Fahrenheit degrees). In general,
surface temperatures are too cold and
surface pressures too low for water to exist in
a liquid state on Mars. The planet resembles a
cold, high-altitude desert.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

10. Jupiter and its
Moons
Jupiter is the largest of the
planets, with a volume more
than 1,300 times greater J
than that of Earth. Jupiter’s
colorful bands are caused by
strong atmospheric currents
and accentuated by a dense
cloud cover. The massive
planet, upper right, is shown
here with its four largest
satellites: Io, upper left,
Ganymede, lower left,
Europa, center, and Callisto,
lower right.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

11. Saturn
Saturn,
distinguished by its
rings, is the second
largest planet in the
solar system. This
processed Hubble
Space Telescope
image shows the
planet’s cloud bands,
storms, and rings as
they would appear
to the human eye.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

12. Uranus U
Uranus’s blue-green color
comes from the methane gas
present in its cold, clear
atmosphere. The dark
shadings at the right edge of
the sphere correspond to the
day-night boundary on the
planet. Beyond this boundary,
Uranus’s northern hemisphere
remains in a four-decade-long
period of darkness because of
the way the planet rotates.
Scientists compiled this view
of Uranus from images
returned from Voyager 2 in
1986, when the probe was 9.1
million km (5.7 million mi)
away from the planet.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

13. Neptune
This image of Neptune, taken N
by the Voyager 2 spacecraft,
shows the planet’s most
prominent features. The
large, dark oval surrounded
by white clouds near the
planet’s equator is the Great
Dark Spot, a storm similar to
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. The
smaller dark oval with a
bright core below and to the
right of the Great Dark Spot
is another storm known as
Dark Spot 2.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

14. Pluto Credits
Pluto is farther from the
Sun than the major planets P
in the solar system,
although it occasionally
moves in closer than
Neptune due to an irregular
orbit. The small, rocky, and
cold world takes 247.7
years to revolve around the
Sun. This artist's rendition
depicts Pluto, foreground;
its moon, Charon,
background; and the distant
Sun, upper right.
Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto END

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