Facts About Solar System Planets

Mercury

• Distance from Sun: 36 million miles
• Diameter: 3,032 miles
• Average Temperature: 333° F
• Surface: Silicate rock
• Revolution: 88 days
• Day: 175.94 days
• Number of moons: 0
• Neat Fact: Closest planet to the Sun.

Venus

• Distance from Sun: 67 million miles
• Diameter: 7,521 miles
• Average Temperature: 867° F
• Surface: Silicate rock
• Revolution: 224.7 days
• Day: 116.75 days
• Number of moons: 0
• Neat Fact: Rotates in the opposite direction from the other planets.

Earth

• Distance from Sun: 93 million miles
• Diameter: 7,926 miles
• Average Temperature: 59° F
• Surface: Water, basalt, and granite rock
• Revolution: 365.25 days
• Day: 24 hours
• Number of moons: 1
• Neat Fact: Travels around the Sun at a speed of >66,000 miles per hour.

Mars

• Distance from Sun: 142 million miles
• Diameter: 4,213 miles
• Average Temperature: -81° F
• Surface: iron-rich basaltic rich
• Revolution: 687 days
• Day: 24 hours 39 minutes 35 seconds
• Number of moons: 2
• Neat Fact: The largest volcano in the Solar System is on Mars. It is called Olympus Mons.

Jupiter

• Distance from Sun: 484 million miles
• Diameter: 88,732 miles
• Average Temperature: -162º F
• Surface: Liquid hydrogen
• Revolution: 11.9 years
• Day: 9 hours 55 minutes 30 seconds
• Number of moons: 63
• Neat Fact: The four largest moons were found by Galileo in 1601; the others were discovered in 2003.

Saturn

• Distance from Sun: 887 million miles
• Diameter: 74,975 miles
• Average Temperature: -218º F
• Surface: Liquid hydrogen
• Revolution: 29.5 years
• Day: 10 hours 39 minutes 23 seconds
• Number of moons: 47
• Neat Fact: Galileo discovered the rings around Saturn with a simple early telescope.

Uranus

• Distance from Sun: 1.8 billion miles
• Diameter: 31,763 miles
• Average Temperature: -323º F
• Surface: Liquid hydrogen and helium
• Revolution: 84 years
• Day: 17 hours 14 minutes 23 seconds
• Number of moons: 27
• Neat Fact: Its north pole stays dark for 42 years at a time.

Neptune

• Distance from Sun: 2.8 billion miles
• Diameter: 30,603 miles
• Average Temperature: -330º F
• Surface: Liquid hydrogen and helium
• Revolution: 164.8 years
• Day: 16 days 6 hours 37 minutes
• Number of moons: 13
• Neat Fact: Neptune can have winds up to 2400 miles per second.

Pluto

• Distance from Sun: 3.6 billion miles
• Diameter: 1,485 miles
• Average Temperature: -369º F
• Surface: Rock and frozen gases
• Revolution: 247.7 years
• Day: 6 days 9 hours 17 minutes
• Number of moons: 3
• Neat Fact: Some scientists do not consider Pluto to be an actual planet.

More Planet Facts

• Largest Planet: Jupiter
• Smallest Planet: Pluto
• Fasting Orbiting Planet: Mercury
• Slowest Orbiting Planet: Pluto
• Hottest Planet: Venus
• Coldest Planet: Pluto
• Shortest Day: Jupiter
• Longest Day: Mercury