The Planets
Answer Text: Planets are large spherical celestial/heavenly bodies in space.There are 9 planets in our solar system. Characteristics • Spherical in shape • Don’t have their own light but reflect it from the sun. • Revolve around the sun in anticlockwise direction. • Have their own force of gravity • Only one is known to support life.The following are the planets arranged in order from the one nearest to the sun. Mercury • Nearest from the sun • Its 58m km from the sun Has no satellites • Takes approximately 88 earth days to revolve around the sun Venus• 2nd planet from the sun• It’s 108m km from the sun • One of the brightest planets • Can be seen clearly with naked eyes • Takes approximately 225 earth days to revolve around the sun • Slightly smaller than the earth • Has no satellites • Together with the earth they are called twin planets due to having many similaritiesEarth • The 3rd planet from the sun • The earth and the heavenly bodies make the universe • The only planet that supports life • The home of man • Approximately 149m km from the sun • Takes 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun • Has one satellite, the moonMars • Also called The Red Planet because when it’s observed through a telescope it appears reddish. • The 4th from the sun • Slightly smaller than the earth •Approximately 228m km from the sun • Takes 687 earth days to revolve around the sun• Between Mass and Jupiter there are small celestial bodies called planetoids. Has no satellite. Jupiter • 5th planet from the sun • Approximately 778m km from the sun • Largest in the universe • Rotates on its own axis at very fast speed • Has flattened poles due to its fast speed of rotation• Has very thick layers of ice on its surface • takes 12 earth years to revolve around the sun • Has 16 satellites Saturn • 6th planet from the sun • Second largest planet • Approximately 1427m km from the sun • Takes 29 ½ earth years to revolve around the sun• Has a ring around it •Has 18 satellites Uranus • 7th planet from the sun • About 4 times bigger than the earth • Approximately 2870m km from the sun • Also rotates very fast • Also has flattened poles due to fast speed of rotation• It appears greenish foe being surrounded by methane gas • Has 8 satellites • Takes 84 earth years to revolve around the sun Neptune • One of the farthest from the sun • 8th planet from the sun • Approximately 4497m km from the sun • Has 8 satellites• Takes 165 earth years to revolve around the sun • Very similar in size, colour and character with Uranus Pluto • 9th planet from the earth • Farthest from the sun • The smallest • 1/6 the size of the earth • Approximately 5900m km from the sun• Takes 248 earth years to revolve around the sun • Has one satellite • Very little is known about it Other Celestial Bodies
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