(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

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

Planet Size Comparison. The sun is 1.4 million km.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION