The Solar System

The Solar System is made up of The Sun and 8 planets (Pluto was a few years age degraded to a Dwarf planet).
The 9 planets can be divided into 2 groups: The inner Solar System - the 4 innermost planets - and the outer Solar System - the 5 outer planets. The 2 groups are separated by the Asteroid Belt.

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Find the planets

Use the applet to find the whereabouts of the planets at the selected place and time. Activate the display by pressing one of the 3 radio-buttons at the bottom. (Observe the quaters of the Globe on the "Sky"-vindow).
The planets can also be found by the "Sky Map" under the Stars-menu point.


The Planets - basic data

The basic data for the planets.

Planets not shown to scale >> Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
Mean Distance from the Sun (AU) 0.3871 0.7233 1 1.524 5.203 9.539 >19.19 30.06 39.48
Sidereal period of orbit (years) 0.24 0.62 1 1.88 11.86 29.46 84.01 164.79 248.54
Mean Orbital Velocity (km/sec) 47.89 35.04 29.79 24.14 13.06 9.64 6.81 5.43 4.74
Orbital  Eccentricity 0.206 0.007 0.017 0.093 0.048 0.056 0.046 0.010 0.248
Inclination to ecliptic (degrees) 7.00 3.40 0 1.85 1.30 2.49 0.77 1.77 17.15
Equatorial Radius (km) 2439 6052 6378 3397 71490 60268 25559 25269 1160
Polar Radius (km) same same 6357 3380 66854 54360 24973 24340 same
Mass of planet (Earth=1) 0.06 0.82 1 0.11 317.89 95.18 14.53 17.14 0.002
Mean density (grams/centimeter³) 5.43 5.25 5.52 3.95 1.33 0.69 1.29 1.64 2.03
Body rotation period (hours) 1408 5832 23.93 24.62 9.92 10.66 17.24 16.11 153.3
Tilt of equator to orbit (degrees) 2 177.3 23.45 25.19 3.12 26.73 97.86 29.6 122.46
Number of observed satellites 0 0 1 2 >28 30 24 8 1


Planetary Satellites (Moons) and their Physical Data



The planets and basic details about their satelites / moons.

Mercury
Mercury		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from MercuryOrbital Period (days)
no satellites
 
Venus
Venus		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from VenusOrbital Period (days)
no satellites
 
Earth
Earth		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from EarthOrbital Period (days)
Moon-3,476 km384,400 km27.3
 
Mars
Mars		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from MarsOrbital Period (days)
Phobos A. Hall, 187721 km9,380 km.32
Deimos A. Hall, 187712 km23,460 km 1.26
 
Jupiter
Jupiter		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from JupiterOrbital Period (days)
MetisSynnott(V1), 197940 km127,960 km.29
AdrasteaJewitt, Danielson, 197925 km128,980 km.30
AmaltheaBarnard, 1892170 km181,300 km .50
ThebeSynnott(V1), 1979100 km221,900 km.68
IoGalileo, 16103,630 km421,600 km1.77
EuropaGalileo, 16103,140 km670,900 km3.55
GanymedeGalileo, 16105,260 km1,070,000 km7.16
CallistoGalileo, 16104,800 km1,883,000 km16.69
LedaKowal, 197415 km11,094,000 km238.72
HimaliaPerrine, 1904185 km11,480,000 km250.57
LysitheaNicholson, 193835 km11,720,000 km259.22
ElaraPerrine, 190575 km11,737,000 km259.70
AnankeNicholson, 195130 km21,200,000 km631.00
CarmeNicholson, 193849 km22,600,000 km692.00
PasophaeMelotte, 190850 km23,500,000 km735.00
SinopeNicholson, 191435 km23,700,000 km758.00
S/1999 J11999*(?)10-15 km24,000,000 km~730.00
As many as 17 more satellites of Jupiter have been found and scientists continue to search for more.
* International Team: T. Gehrels, A. Gleason, J. Larsen, B. Marsden, R. McMillan, J. Montani, J. Scotti, T. Spahr, G. Williams
 
Saturn
Saturn		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from SaturnOrbital Period (days)
PanShowalter, 199020 km134,000 km.58
AtlasTerrile, 198030 km137,640 km.60
PrometheusCollins, 1980100 km139,350 km.61
PandoraCollins, 198090 km 141,700 km.63
EpimetheusWalker, 1966120 km151,420 km.69
JanusDolfus, 1966190 km151,420 km.70
MimasHerschel, 1789390 km185,520 km .94
EnceladusHerschel, 1789500 km238,020 km1.37
TethysCassini, 16841,060 km294,660 km1.89
TelestoSmith, 198025 km294,660 km1.89
CalypsoSmith, 198025 km294,660 km1.89
DioneCassini, 16841,120 km377,400 km2.74
HeleneLaques/Lecacheux, 198030 km377,400 km2.74
RheaCassini, 16821,530 km527,040 km4.52
TitanHuygens, 16555,150 km1,221,850 km15.95
HyperionBond, 1971255 km1,481,000 km21.28
IapetusCassini, 16711,460 km3,561,300 km79.33
PhoebePickering, 1898220 km12,952,000 km550.48
S/2000S12000*10-50 km15,000,000 km?
S/2000S22000*10-50 km15,000,000 km?
S/2000S32000*10-50 km15,000,000 km ?
S/2000S42000*10-50 km15,000,000 km?
As many as 8 more satellites of Saturn have been found and scientists continue to search for more.
* International Team: Burns, Gladman, Holman, Kavelaars, Marsden, Nicholson, Petit, Scholl.
 
Uranus
Uranus		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from UranusOrbital Period (days)
CordeliaVoyager2, 198625 km49,750 km.34
OpheliaVoyager2, 198625 km53,760 km.38
BiancaVoyager2, 198645 km59,160 km.44
CressidaVoyager2, 198665 km61,770 km.46
DesdemonaVoyager2, 198660 km62,660 km.47
JulietVoyager2, 198685 km64,360 km.49
PortiaVoyager2, 1986110 km66,100 km.51
RosalindVoyager2, 198660 km69,930 km.56
BelindaVoyager2, 198668 km75,260 km.62
PuckVoyager2, 1986155 km86,010 km.76
MirandaKuiper, 1948485 km129,780 km1.41
ArielLassell, 18511,160 km191,240 km2.52
UmbrielLassell, 18511,190 km265,970 km4.14
TitaniaHerschel, 17871,610 km435,840 km8.71
OberonHerschel, 17871,550 km582,600 km13.46
1997U1
Caliban		Gladman etc., 1997approx. 80 km7,164,647 km579.4
1999U1Gladman etc., 199920 km10,000,000 kmn/a
1997U2
Sycorax		Gladman etc., 1997approx. 160 km12,174,687 km1284
1999U2Gladman etc., 199920 km25,000,000 kmn/a
1999U3Gladman etc., 199920 km10-25,000,000 kmn/a
2001U1Holman etc., 2001n/an/an/a
2003U1Showalter and Lissauer, 200316 km97,700 km.92
2003U2Showalter and Lissauer, 200312 km74,800 km.62
1986U10Voyager2, 1986
Karkoschka, 19999		40 km75,000 km.62
 
Neptune
Neptune		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from NeptuneOrbital Period (days)
NaiadVoyager2, 198960 km48,000 km.30
ThalassaVoyager2, 198980 km50,000 km.31
DespinaVoyager2, 1989150 km52,500 km.33
GalateaVoyager2, 1989160 km62,000 km.43
LarissaVoyager2, 1989190 km73,600 km.55
ProteusVoyager2, 1989420 km117,600 km1.12
TritonLassell, 18462,700 km354,800 km5.88
NereidKuiper, 1949340 km5,513,400 km365.21
 
Pluto
Pluto		Satellite nameDiscovererDiameterDistance from PlutoOrbital Period (days)
CharonJ. Christy, 19781,270 km19,640 km6.39