|
|
|
 |
| Obviously a planets temperature has a lot to do with its proximity and orbit to the sun, but we also have to consider its rotation on its axis and the atmosphere it possesses. |
| MERCURY is the planet closest to the sun and with that being said it also orbits the sun fastest. If you were on Mercury the sun would be three times larger than you see it on Earth and one day would average 58.65 Earth Days. It also has the most extreme range of temperature in our solar system from -168 degrees Celsius to 427 degrees Celsius. During Mercury's daytime the temperature is its hottest and as the long day comes to an end the temperature drops drastically due to its thin atmosphere that allows for the heat to dissipate. Another thing to remember about Mercury is that it has no seasons. A change in season is caused by the tilt of the axis relative to the planet's orbit. Mercury's axis is directly perpendicular to its motion (not tilted); therefore, it has no seasons. |
| With the sun being scorching hot, we would perhaps speculate that Mercury is the hottest planet in our solar system because it is closet to the sun, but in fact, Venus, the second planet from the sun is the hottest planet in our solar system. VENUS has no day and night variations. The temperatures, just like on Earth are colder on the mountain tops and warmer on the lowlands; however, these temperatures are much more dramatic. Venus' heat is globally trapped under its carbon-dioxide atmosphere. This “green-house effect” is one of the reasons it has a cold day at 447 degrees Celsius and a warm day of 477 degrees Celsius. Venus rotates extremely slow. It takes 243 Earth days to rotate on its axis and 225 Earth days to orbit the sun. This means a day on Venus is longer than its year! Venus is also unique in its rotation. Unlike all the other planets in our solar system it is the only planet to rotate clockwise with the sun rising on the West and setting on the East. This may suggest that it was hit by something big and powerful enough to disrupt its rotation. |
| EARTH, the only planet known to support life, is the third planet from the sun. Our planet is at a 23.45 degree tilt on its axis which gives us our four seasons in the year. We have temperatures ranging from -88 degrees Celsius to 58 degrees Celsius. The “green-house effect” traps heat in our atmosphere; however, unlike Venus our atmosphere allows for some infrared radiation to escape into space; some is reflected back to the planet. |
| MARS the planet suspected to have life is the fourth planet from the sun. It has an axis tilt of 25.19 degrees which allows for two seasons; winter and summer. The temperatures range from-133 degrees Celsius in the winter to 27 degrees Celsius during the summer. The average temperature is -55 degrees Celsius. Mars orbits the sun in a more oval shape. Its orbital period is 687 Earth days twice Earth's orbital period. |
| JUPITER, our solar systems largest planet, is the fifth from the sun. Its average distance from the sun is more than five times Earth's distance. It orbits in a slightly elliptical shape. One orbit is completed every 4,333 Earth days, that is almost 12 Earth years. Jupiter has a slight tilt and rotates faster than any other planet. It takes 9 hours 56 minutes to rotate once compared to Earth's 24 hours. The temperature at the top of Jupiter's clouds is about -145 degrees C. Measurements made by ground instruments and spacecraft show that Jupiter's temperature increases with depth below the clouds. The temperature reaches 21 degrees C. Jupiter loses a lot of heat produced, it is believed that so much heat was made when Jupiter was formed that the planet still radiates about twice as much heat into space as it receives from sunlight. |
| SATURN is almost twice as far from the sun as Jupiter at nearly 900 million miles. This second largest planet in our solar system is sixth from the sun. Saturn orbits with an average speed of 9.69 km/s, it takes 10,759 Earth days (29.5 years) to finish one lap around the Sun. Saturn revolves on its axis pretty quickly, not faster than Jupiter's, but quite close. It takes Saturn 10 hours and 45 minutes to complete its rotation. Saturn does have a tilt in its axis, and as discussed previously, this allows for seasonal change. Each season lasts about 7 1/2 Earth years, because Saturn takes about 29 times as long to go around the sun as Earth does. Saturn's temperature is always much colder than Earth's, because Saturn is so far from the sun. The temperature at the top of Saturn's clouds averages -175 degrees Celsius. The temperatures below Saturn's clouds are much higher than those at the top of the clouds. The planet gives off about 2 1/2 times as much heat as it receives from the sun. Many astronomers believe that much of Saturn's internal heat comes from energy generated by the sinking of helium slowly through the liquid hydrogen in the planet's interior. |
| URANAUS, the seventh planet from the Sun, is so distant it that takes 84 Earth years to complete its orbit. Uranus' rotation axis is nearly horizontal as thought Uranus has been knocked on its side, when compared to other planets in our solar system. This offset may cause debate over which Uranus's poles are north and south, but it is agreed that Uranus does experience seasons. Seasons on Uranus last over 20 years; however, the temperatures between seasons do not differ much, because of its far distance from the sun. Near cloud tops temperatures are at -216 degrees Celsius. |
| NEPTUNE, being eighth from the sun, is nearly last in our solar system, and because of its far distance from the sun it takes 165 Earth years to complete its orbit. Its distance also makes it the coldest planet in the solar system. Its temperatures average -318 degrees Celsius. Like other gas planets, Neptune has an internal heat source; however, it radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the Sun. Neptune has a tilted axis, therefore, seasons exist. These seasons last for 40 years, but this doesn't matter much since it is freezing all year round. Neptune has a day that is about 16 hours long. |
| We end our solar system tour with the ninth planet, PLUTO. This planet is so far from the sun that its distance and size have some astronomers questioning whether or not it is even a planet. Its long distance from the sun takes the planet 249 years to orbit. Pluto is of course a very cold planet at -238°C to -228 degrees Celsius. It takes this tiny planet 6 days to complete a rotation, it is unknown if Pluto has seasons or not. In fact, this is the only planet that a space probe has not yet visited. Only time will tell if whether or not scientists will launch one at all. |
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, all known planets in our solar system from the closest to the Sun out. We have covered their temperatures, orbit and rotations giving us a tiny glimpse into what it would be like on each of the planets. |
REFERENCES
|
| https://astronomy.nmsu.edu https://www.enchantedlearning.com https://members.aol.com https://www.astronomy.com https://www.astronomycafe.net https://en.wikipedia.org https://www.nasa.gov/ https://www.crh.noaa.gov .https://solarsystem.nasa.gov https://www.nineplanets.org https://www.stargazer.htmlplanet.com |