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Planet Fast Facts

Basic Data on the Solar System

© Kelly Whitt

Mar 13, 2007
Planets, DK
Get quick info on each of the planets or click the links to gain more in-depth knowledge.

The planets are listed in order from closest to the Sun heading outward. The diameter is listed in kilometers, number of moons and rings are indicated, temperature is listed in degrees Fahrenheit, days and years are in relation to Earth's time scale, mass is listed as compared to Earth if Earth's mass equalled 1, and AU stands for Astronomical Units, or the distance from the Sun, with Earth being 1 AU from the Sun. Click on the links for more in-depth information.

Mercury

  • 4878 km diameter
  • 0 moons
  • 0 rings
  • -279 F to 800 F
  • 88 Earth days = 1 Mercury year
  • 59 Earth days = 1 Mercury day
  • .06 mass
  • .3 AU from the Sun

Venus

  • 12,104 km diameter
  • 0 moons
  • 0 rings
  • 900 F
  • 225 Earth days = 1 Venus year
  • 243 Earth days = 1 Venus day
  • .82 mass
  • .7 AU from the Sun

Earth

  • 12,756 km diameter
  • 1 moon
  • 0 rings
  • 56 F
  • 365 days = 1 Earth year
  • 24 hours = 1 Earth day
  • 1 mass
  • 1 AU from the Sun

Mars

  • 6795 km diameter
  • 2 moons
  • 0 rings
  • -200 to 70 F
  • 687 Earth days = 1 Mars year
  • 24.5 Earth hours = 1 Mars day
  • .1 mass
  • 1.67 AU from the Sun

Jupiter

  • 142,985 km diameter
  • 63 moons
  • 3 rings
  • -150 F
  • 12 Earth years = 1 Jupiter year
  • 10 Earth hours = 1 Jupiter day
  • 318 mass
  • 5 AU from the Sun

Saturn

  • 120,537 km diameter
  • 33 moons
  • 4 main and thousands of smaller rings
  • -300 F
  • 30 Earth years = 1 Saturn year
  • 10.5 Earth hours = 1 Saturn day
  • 95 mass
  • 9 AU from the Sun

Uranus

  • 51,119 km diameter
  • 21 known moons
  • 11 rings
  • -350 F
  • 84 Earth years = 1 Uranus year
  • 15 Earth hours = 1 Uranus day
  • 14.5 mass
  • 19 AU from the Sun

Neptune

  • 50,538 km diameter
  • 13 known moons
  • 4 rings
  • -260 F
  • 165 Earth years = 1 Neptune year
  • 18 Earth hours = 1 Neptune day
  • 17 mass
  • 30 AU from the Sun

Pluto (now considered a dwarf planet)

  • 2320 km diameter
  • 3 moons
  • 0 rings
  • -370 F
  • 249 Earth years = 1 Pluto year
  • 6.5 Earth days = 1 Pluto day
  • .003 mass
  • 49 AU from the Sun

The copyright of the article Planet Fast Facts in Solar System Astronomy is owned by Kelly Whitt. Permission to republish Planet Fast Facts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.




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Comments
Apr 30, 2008 8:35 PM
Guest :
What ABOUT ERIS AND CERUS?
May 1, 2008 6:19 AM
Kelly Whitt :
Eris, like Pluto, is considered a dwarf planet. For more on Eris, see this article: http://solar-system-astronomy.suite101.com/article.cfm/dwarf_planet_larger_ than_pluto
Other dwarf planets lie out in the realm of Eris and Pluto, such as Sedna and Quaoar.

Ceres is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt and is also sometimes called a dwarf planet.
May 11, 2008 4:10 PM
Guest :
does Jupiter have 63 moons or 16???
May 11, 2008 5:14 PM
Kelly Whitt :
It has 63 currently known. Old literature and sites that are not updated still report 16.
May 14, 2008 6:23 PM
Guest :
umm.... why are the gas planets and rock planets separated by the asteroid belt? is it something nature did or humans? oh... and if you were in space, would time go faster or slower? and why?
5 Comments
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