Solar System Day 2: The Inner Planets

Mx. Stwalley
5th grade science class
 • There are four inner planets
• Mercury
• Venus
Introduction: • Earth
• Mars
• They are called the Rocky Planets because you can stand on their rocky
surfaces
Mercury
• Mercury is the first and smallest
planet in our solar system
• During the day, Mercury is 430 deg
C and -170 deg C during the night
• This is because its small
atmosphere cannot retain heat
• It is named Mercury after the
Roman Messenger God
• It has no moons
• Rotation: 58.65 Earth Days
• Revolution: 87.97 Earth Days
Venus • Venus is the second planet from the
sun and the hottest planet in the solar
system
• It’s the hottest because has the thickest
atmosphere of the inner planets
• All but three craters are named after
women
• It is about the size of Earth
• It has no moons
• Rotation: 243 Earth Days
• Revolution: 225 Earth Days
Earth • Earth is the third planet from the sun and
the largest inner planet
• Earth is the only planet that we know of
that hosts life
• Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen, and 1% of other elements
• 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in
water
• We experience seasons because of the tilt
of the Earth’s axis
• We have 1 moon
• Rotation: 24 hours
• Revolution: 365.24 days
Mars
• Mars is the fourth planet from the sun
• Mars has frozen water on its north and
south poles
• Mars is the only planet inhabited
entirely by robots
• Mars’s atmosphere is almost none
existent
• It has two moons
• Rotation: 24 hr 37 min
• Revolution: 687 Earth days
Sources
Stott, C. (2017). Eyewitness planets. New York: DK Publishing.
Stuart, C. (2019). Discover our solar system. Lewes, East Sussex: Button
Books.