Planets In Our Solar System
By Irfan Sir GK Master Classes
Inner Planets (Terrestrial Planets)
1. Mercury
👉Closest planet to the Sun.
👉Smallest planet in the solar system.
👉Has no atmosphere, resulting in extreme temperature
variations.
👉A day (rotation) lasts 59 Earth days; a year (orbit) takes
88 Earth days.
2. Venus
Known as Earth’s twin due to similar size and structure.
👉Hottest planet, with surface temperatures over 450°C
due to a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere.
👉Rotates clockwise (retrograde rotation).
👉A day is longer than a year (243 Earth days vs. 225
👉Also known as Morning and Evening Star.
Earth days).
3. Earth
The only planet known to support life.
Has one moon.
71% of its surface is covered by water.
Atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen (78%) and
oxygen (21%).
Also called Blue planet.
4. Mars
Known as the Red Planet due to iron oxide (rust) on its
surface.
Home to the largest volcano in the solar system,
Olympus Mons.
Has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Evidence of past water exists in dried-up river beds and
polar ice caps.
Outer Planets (Gas Giants and Ice Giants)
5. Jupiter
Largest planet in the solar system.
Known for its Great Red Spot, a massive storm.
Has at least 95 known moons, including Ganymede, the
largest moon in the solar system.
Composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.
6. Saturn
Famous for its bright and extensive ring system.
Second-largest planet.
Has at least 146 moons, including Titan, which has a
dense atmosphere.
Also composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
7. Uranus
Rotates on its side (axis tilted at 98 degrees).
Known as an Ice Giant due to its icy composition.
Atmosphere contains methane, giving it a blue-green
color.
Has at least 27 moons and faint rings.
8. Neptune
Farthest planet from the Sun.
Known for its deep blue color and fastest winds in the
solar system (over 2,000 km/h).
Has at least 14 moons, including Triton, which orbits in the
opposite direction of Neptune’s rotation.
A year takes 165 Earth years.
Solar System Overview
1. Sun: The central star of the solar system that provides
light and heat.
2. Planet: A celestial body orbiting a star, clearing its orbit
of other debris, and having sufficient gravity to form a
nearly round shape.
3. Dwarf Planet: A celestial body similar to a planet but
lacking the ability to clear its orbital path (e.g., Pluto,
Ceres, Eris).
4. Satellite (Moon): A natural body that orbits a planet
(e.g., Earth's Moon, Jupiter's Ganymede).
5. Asteroid: A small rocky body primarily found in the
Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
6. Comet: A body of ice, rock, and dust that develops a
glowing tail when approaching the Sun.
7. Meteoroid: A small rocky or metallic body traveling
through space.
8. Meteor: A meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere,
producing a streak of light.
9. Meteorite: A meteoroid that survives its passage
through the atmosphere and lands on Earth's surface.
Regions of the Solar System
10. Asteroid Belt: The region between Mars and Jupiter
containing most asteroids.
11. Kuiper Belt: A region beyond Neptune containing icy
bodies and dwarf planets like Pluto.
12. Oort Cloud: A spherical shell of icy objects
surrounding the solar system, the source of long-period
comets.
13. Heliosphere: The bubble-like region of space
dominated by the solar wind, extending beyond the orbit of
Pluto.
14. Heliopause: The boundary where the solar wind is
stopped by the interstellar medium.
Planetary Phenomena
15. Axis Tilt: The angle at which a planet's rotational axis
is tilted, affecting seasons (Earth’s tilt is 23.5°).
16. Orbital Period: The time a planet takes to complete
one orbit around the Sun (e.g., Earth’s year is 365 days).
17. Rotation Period: The time a planet takes to spin once
on its axis (e.g., Earth’s day is 24 hours).
18. Retrograde Motion: Apparent backward movement of
a planet as seen from Earth due to orbital differences.
19. Gravity Assist: A technique used by spacecraft to
gain speed by passing near a planet.
Planetary Composition and Structure
20. Terrestrial Planets: Rocky planets with solid surfaces
(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars).
21. Gas Giants: Large planets with thick atmospheres of
hydrogen and helium (Jupiter, Saturn).
22. Ice Giants: Planets with icy compositions and
atmospheres (Uranus, Neptune).
23. Magnetosphere: A magnetic field surrounding a
planet that protects it from solar winds.
Important Terms Related to Celestial Observation
24. Ecliptic Plane: The imaginary plane in which most of
the solar system’s planets orbit the Sun.
25. Perihelion: The point in a planet's orbit closest to the
Sun.
26. Aphelion: The point in a planet's orbit farthest from
the Sun.
27. Conjunction: When two celestial bodies appear close
together in the sky.
28. Opposition: When a planet is on the opposite side of
Earth from the Sun, making it fully visible.
Solar System Events
29. Solar Eclipse: Occurs when the Moon passes
between Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight.
30. Lunar Eclipse: Occurs when Earth passes between
the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.
31. Equinox: When day and night are approximately
equal in length (occurs in March and September).
32. Solstice: The longest and shortest days of the year
(occurs in June and December).
By Irfan Sir GK Master Classes
MCQs on the Solar System
1. Which planet is known as the "Red Planet"?
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Mars
d) Jupiter
Answer: c) Mars
2. What is the largest planet in the solar system?
a) Saturn
b) Jupiter
c) Uranus
d) Neptune
Answer: b) Jupiter
3. Which planet is closest to the Sun?
a) Earth
b) Mercury
c) Venus
d) Mars
Answer: b) Mercury
4. Which celestial body is known as the "Morning Star"?
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Saturn
d) Mars
Answer: b) Venus
5. Which planet has the most moons?
a) Jupiter
b) Saturn
c) Uranus
d) Neptune
Answer: b) Saturn
6. What is the name of the largest moon of Saturn?
a) Europa
b) Ganymede
c) Titan
d) Callisto
Answer: c) Titan
7. Which planet rotates on its side with a tilt of about 98
degrees?
a) Neptune
b) Uranus
c) Jupiter
d) Venus
Answer: b) Uranus
8. What is the smallest planet in the solar system?
a) Venus
b) Mars
c) Mercury
d) Pluto
Answer: c) Mercury
9. Which planet is known for its extensive ring system?
a) Uranus
b) Saturn
c) Jupiter
d) Neptune
Answer: b) Saturn
10. Which planet is the densest in the solar system?
a) Earth
b) Venus
c) Jupiter
d) Neptune
Answer: a) Earth
11. Which planet is farthest from the Sun?
a) Uranus
b) Neptune
c) Saturn
d) Pluto
Answer: b) Neptune
12. Which of the following planets has no moons?
a) Earth
b) Venus
c) Neptune
d) Jupiter
Answer: b) Venus
13. What is the name of the first artificial satellite launched
into space?
a) Apollo 11
b) Voyager 1
c) Sputnik 1
d) Hubble
Answer: c) Sputnik 1
14. What is the primary component of Jupiter’s
atmosphere?
a) Hydrogen
b) Oxygen
c) Methane
d) Carbon dioxide
Answer: a) Hydrogen
15. Which planet has the shortest day (rotation period)?
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Jupiter
d) Mars
Answer: c) Jupiter
16. What is the term for the boundary of the solar system?
a) Oort Cloud
b) Asteroid Belt
c) Heliopause
d) Kuiper Belt
Answer: c) Heliopause
17. Which planet has the Great Red Spot?
a) Jupiter
b) Saturn
c) Neptune
d) Uranus
Answer: a) Jupiter
18. What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
a) Venus
b) Mercury
c) Mars
d) Jupiter
Answer: a) Venus
19. What are comets primarily made of?
a) Rock
b) Metal
c) Ice and dust
d) Gas
Answer: c) Ice and dust
20. Which planet is known as the "Blue Planet"?
a) Uranus
b) Neptune
c) Earth
d) Venus
Answer: c) Earth
By Irfan Sir GK Master Classes
