Name: __________________________

Date: _________________

Pd: ________

M e m b e r s o f t h e I n n e r P l a n e t s o ___________________________

o ___________________________

o ___________________________

o ___________________________

The Terrestrial Planets Notes

Mercury BASIC CHARACTERISTICS:

o Mass = 3.302x1023 kg (______________________) o Radius = 2,440 km (_______________________) o Albedo (_________________) = ________ (Earth = 0.39) o Averange _____________________ = __________________ o _________________________________________________________

KEY CONCEPTS:

1) Mercury has a __________________________________________ (_____________________________________________________) o Time between one noon and the next is ______________ o Sun is above the horizon for _________________ at a time

2) Mercury has ____________________________________ because

it is too hot o Daytime temperatures reach as high as ______________ o Night-time temperatures drop as low as ______________

3) Like the Moon, Mercury has ________________________ AND

____________________ o Mercury has _________, or cliffs, as much as 3 km high,

500 km long o They are probably the result of ________________________

4) Mercury has an _____________________________________

VENUS BASIC CHARACTERISTICS:

o Mass = 4.868 x1024 kg (______________________) o Radius = 6,052 km (_______________________) o Albedo (Reflectivity) = ________ (Earth = 0.39) o Averange distance from the Sun = __________________ o Travel time from Earth ______________________________

KEY CONCEPTS:

1) Venus has ________________________________ (backwards!) o Orbital Period (Revolution) = _______________________ o Rotation period = _______________________ o On Venus, the time from noon to noon = ______________

2) The surface of Venus is hidden from us by _________________

_________________________________

3) The surface of Venus shows ______________________________ _________________________________ o More than _____________________________________

4) The atmosphere of Venus is ________ because of a

____________________________________ o Venusian Atmosphere

• ____________ Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • ____________ Nitrogen (N2) • ____________ Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • ________________________

o CO2 is a _____________________ (________________ in the

atmosphere) o Surface temperature = _________________________ Even

______________ than Mercury!

o Temperatures ________________________________________ thanks to the _________________________________

MARS BASIC CHARACTERISTICS:

o Mass = 6.418 x1023 kg (______________________) o Radius = 3,377 km (_______________________) o Albedo = ________ (Earth = 0.39) o Average distance from the Sun = __________________ o Travel time from Earth ______________________________

KEY CONCEPTS:

1) Mars has ________________________________________________ o Orbital Period (____________________)= ______________ o Rotation Period = _______________________ o _____________________ of Mars is ____________ by _______ o Martian _________________ to Earth seasons (only longer)

2) Mars has a ______________________________________________ with little water vapor and few clouds o Scientists believe it was _____________________________

due to it’s ___________________________________________ o Low density atmosphere implies:

1) ______________________________ 2) ______________________________

3) Mars has _________________________ and a ________________ ______________ but ______________________________________ o ____________________________________________________ o About ___________________________ or Poland (~600km) o Last eruption was about 300 million years ago

4) Mars has two small irregular moons, ____________________ and ______________________.

5) Robotic __________________________________________________

o Mars Exploration Rovers________________________________ - 2004 o Mars Pathfinder ____________________________ - 1997 o Mars Science Laboratory _______________________ - 2012

* Both the _______________________________________________________________