The Planets of the Solar System

In this report I will discuss the solar system in which we live in and the surrounding planets that accompany Earth in the solar system. Mercury was named by the Romans after the fleet-footed messenger of the gods because it seemed to move more quickly than any other planet. It is the closest planet to the Sun and second smallest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is 40% smaller than Earth and 40% larger than the …

…each other as they travel through space. Unlike most planets, but similar to Uranis, Pluto rotates with its poles almost in its orbital plane. Pluto's rotational axis is tipped 122 degrees. When Pluto was first discovered, its relatively bright south polar region was the view seen from the Earth. Pluto appeared to grow dim as our viewpoint gradually shifted from nearly pole-on in 1954 to nearly equator-on in 1973. Pluto's equator is now the view seen from Earth.