(OSS) The Inner Planets Lesson
The Inner Planets
The four planets closest to the sun are the inner planets. They are sometimes called terrestrial planets from the Latin word terra which means "Earth". Each planet is unique and different but they all share some common characteristics too.
- All have a solid surface
- All are relatively close to the same size
- All have a moon or moons
- Compared to the Outer Planets, the Inner Planets take a short time to revolve around the Sun
- They are fairly close to each other
The Inner Planets
Planet |
Diameter (kilometers) |
Rotation (Earth Days) |
Average Distance From the Sun (kilometers) |
Revolution (Earth Years) |
Number of Moons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mercury |
4.878 |
59 |
58,000,000 |
0.24 |
0 |
Venus |
12.104 |
243 |
108,000,000 |
0.62 |
0 |
Earth |
12.756 |
1 |
150,000,000 |
1 |
1 |
Mars |
6.794 |
1.03 |
228,000,000 |
1.9 |
2 |
Information about the Inner Planets
Video on The Inner Planets
Compare Planet Sizes
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