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Space Education Corner

The Solar System

Sun

Length of Day (One Rotation)
25.38 Earth days
Surface Temperature
Average 5,500°C
Mass
1.989 X 1030 kg
332,900 times the mass of Earth
Density
1.409 g/cm3
0.255 times that of Earth
Volumn
1.412 X 1018 km3
1,300,000 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
2.74X102 m/s2
28 times that of Earth

Profile of the Sun

Size: The radius of the Equator is 696,000 km (109 times that of Earth)
Length of Year: 250 million years
Temperature: Surface Temperature around 5,500°C, Core Temperature around 15,000,000°C

Zones of the Sun

The Sun is the star at the centre of our Solar System and it is responsible for 99.8% of the mass of the solar system. The structure of the Sun can be divided into several layers, from the core zone, the solar radiative zone and the convection zone. Above the convection zone is the atmosphere which consists of the photosphere region and the corona.

Age of the Sun

The Sun was formed around 4.6 billion years ago and is currently in the middle of its main-sequence evolution, it is expected to enter its Red Giant phase after 4 to 5 billion years and turn to be a white dwarf eventually.

Mercury

NameSake
Mercurius, Messenger of the Roman Gods
Length of Day
58.646 (Earth Day)
Length of Year
87.969 (Earth Day)
Surface Temperature
Minimum -173°C, Maximum 427°C
Moon
0
Average distance from the Sun
5.7909175 X 107km/ 0.387 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
3.3022 X 1023 kg
0.055 times the mass of Earth
Density
5.427 g/cm3
0.984 times that of Earth
Volume
6.08272 X 1010 km3
0.054 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
3.7m/s2
0.38 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Very thin atmosphere
* 1. (AU) Astronomical Unit = 149,597,870 km



Structure of Mercury

1Crust - 100–200 km thick
2Mantle - 600 km thick
3Core - 1,800 km radius

Venus

NameSake
Venus, Roman Goddess of Love
Length of Day
-243 (Earth Day) (Retrograde)
Length of Year
224.7 (Earth Day)
Surface Temperature
Average 462°C
Moon
0
Average distance from the Sun
1.0820893 X 108km/ 0.723 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
4.8685 X 1024 kg
0.815 times the mass of Earth
Density
5.24 g/cm3
0.95 times that of Earth
Volume
9.284 X 1011 km3
0.88 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
8.87m/s2
0.91 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide (96%)
Nitrogen (3%)
Others (1%)



Structure of Venus

1Atmosphere
2Mantle
3Core
4Crust

Earth

Length of Day
23.934 (Hours)
Length of Year
365.24 (Earth Day)
Surface Temperature
Minimum -88°C, Maximum 58°C
Moon
1
Average distance from the Sun
1.4959789 X 108km/ 1 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
5.9737 X 1024 kg
Density
5.515 g/cm3
Volume
1.0832 X 1012 km3
Equatorial Surface Gravity
9.766m/s2
Atmosphere
Nitrogen (78.084%)
Oxygen (20.946%)
Carbon Dioxide (0.03%)
Others (0.94%



Structure of Earth

1Crust - 8 to 40km
2Mantle - 2,900 km
3Outer Core - 2,250km
4Inner Core - 1,300km

Mars

NameSake
Mars, Roman God of War
Length of Day
1.026 (Earth Day)
Length of Year
686.93 (Earth Day)
Surface Temperature
Minimum -87°C, Maximum -5°C
Moons
2 (Phobos, Deimos)
Average distance from the Sun
2.2793664 X 108km/ 1.524 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
6.4185 X 1023 kg
0.10744 times the mass of Earth
Density
3.94 g/cm3
0.714 times that of Earth
Volume
1.6314 X 1011 km3
0.15 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
3.693m/s2
0.38 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide (95.32%)
Nitrogen (2.7%)
Argon (1.6%)
Others (0.38%)



Structure of Mars

1Crust
2Mantle
3Core

Jupiter

NameSake
Jupiter, the King of Roman Gods
Length of Day
9 Hours 56 Minutes
Length of Year
4330.6 (Earth Day)
Surface Temperature
Average -148°C
Moons
63
Average distance from the Sun
7.7841202 X 108km/ 5.20336 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
1.8987 X 1027 kg
317.82 times the mass of Earth
Density
1.33 g/cm3
0.241 times that of Earth
Volume
1.4255 X 1015 km3
1316 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
20.87m/s2
2.14 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Hydrogen (89.8%)
Helium (10.2%)



Structure of Jupiter

1Liquid Hydrogen
2Liquid Metallic Hydrogen
3Liquid mixture of water, methane and ammonia
4Rocky Core

Saturn

NameSake
Saturnus, Roman God of Agriculture
Length of Day
0.44401 (Earth Day)
Length of Year
29.4 (Earth Years)
Surface Temperature
Average -178°C
Moons
61
Average distance from the Sun
1.4267254 X 109km/ 9.53707 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
5.6851 X 1026 kg
95.16 times the mass of Earth
Density
0.7 g/cm3
0.127 times that of Earth
Volume
8.2713 X 1014 km3
763.6 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
10.4 m/s2
0.91 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Hydrogen (96.3%)
Helium (3.25%)
Others (0.45%)



Structure of Saturn

1Atmosphere
2Liquid Hydrogen and Helium
3Liquid mixture of water, methane and ammonia
4Rocky Core

Uranus

NameSake
Uranus, Sky God in Greek Mythology
Length of Day
-0.7196 (Earth Day) (Retrograde)
Length of Year
84.02 (Earth Years)
Surface Temperature
Average -216°C
Moons
27
Average distance
from the Sun
2.8709722 X 109km/ 19.191 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
8.6849 X 1025 kg
14.371 times the mass of Earth
Density
1.30 g/cm3
0.236 times that of Earth
Volume
6.8330 X 1013 km3
63.1 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
8.43m/s2
0.86 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Hydrogen (83%)
Helium (15%)
Methane (2%)



Structure of Uranus

1Hydrogen/ Helium
2Mantle
3Rocky Core

Neptune

NameSake
Neptune, Roman God of the Sea
Length of Day
0.67125 (Earth Day)
Length of Year
164.79 (Earth Years)
Surface Temperature
Average -214°C
Moons
13
Average distance from the Sun
4.4982529 X 109km/ 30.069 A.U.
(Astronomical Unit)
Earth is 1 A.U. from the Sun
Mass
1.0244 X 1026 kg
17.147 times the mass of Earth
Density
1.76 g/cm3
0.317 times that of Earth
Volume
6.2526 X 1013 km3
57.7 times that of Earth
Equatorial Surface Gravity
10.71 m/s2
1.1 times that of Earth
Atmosphere
Hydrogen (85%)
Helium (13%)
Methane (2%)



Structure of Neptune

1Gaseous Hydrogen/ Helium/ Methane
2Mantle
3Rocky Core