Fun Facts About God’s Amazing Planets

Tucked inside each edition of AOP’s 2017 Homeschool Catalog is a free two-sided poster, featuring an inspirational Bible verse on one side, as well as a fun illustration of the solar system. Inspired by AOP’s 2017 Homeschool Catalog hitting homes this week, check out some fun facts about each of the eight amazing planets God created in our solar system. Also, be sure to look for your free poster in the mail soon, pick one up at an upcoming homeschool convention, or request your free catalog online today.

MERCURY – The smallest and closest planet to the sun, Mercury has no atmosphere to regulate temperature, leading to vast surface temperatures that range from -173 to 427 Celsius (-280 to 800 Fahrenheit). On rare occasions, Mercury can be the closest planet to Earth depending on where the planets are in their orbits. For example, over 2,000 years ago, Mercury was “only” around 35 million miles away from our own planet.

VENUS – The second brightest object in the night sky behind the moon, Venus was once thought to be Earth’s sister planet due to its proximity and similar size. Later discoveries revealed it was a completely inhospitable world that is hot enough to melt lead and has an atmospheric pressure about 92 times the pressure on Earth at sea level.

EARTH – The jewel of the solar system, Earth is the only planet not named after a Greek or Roman god. Of Earth’s water, only 3% is fresh water, and most of that is contained in frozen ice sheets and glaciers.

MARS – The Red Planet gets its color from rocks and dust rich in iron. When it snows on Mars, it falls as tiny cuboctahedrons (eight triangular faces and six square faces) that probably look like granulated sugar. Mars is home to the solar system’s tallest mountain. At approximately 88,600 feet, Olympus Mons is around 2 1/2 times taller than Mount Everest.

JUPITER – This gas giant is so big that it is 2 1/2 times more massive than all the other planets in the solar system combined. In fact, Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot would fit three Earths alone. The fifth planet from the sun has 53 confirmed moons and another 14 provisional moons, as well as the shortest day among solar system planets at just under 10 hours.

SATURN – The farthest planet that can be seen with the naked eye, Saturn is best known for its extensive ring system composed almost entirely of ice. Like Jupiter, Saturn has 53 confirmed moons, but only has 9 provisional moons. This gas giant is the only planet less dense than water, meaning it could theoretically float in a mega bathtub.

URANUS – This nearly featureless ice giant sits on its side so that its poles reside where most planets have their equator. The cyan planet has 27 confirmed moons, the majority of which are named after characters from William Shakespeare’s plays.

NEPTUNE – As the farthest planet from the sun (sorry, Pluto – you’ve been formally downgraded to a dwarf planet since 2006), Neptune is also the coldest with temperatures that drop to -218 Celsius (-360 Fahrenheit). Combine those temperatures with the fastest sustained winds recorded in the solar system with speeds as high as 1,300 mph and you have a completely new definition of wind chill.

BONUS NOTE – Admittedly, like practically all space charts of the solar system, our free poster leaves out the great vastness of space that’s actually out there. However, we also understand that the walls of your homeschool are only so big. For an accurate and educational lesson on just how big God’s creation is, check out Josh Worth’s project titled “If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel.” Warning: Be prepared to scroll!

Sources:
NASA
Space Facts