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Features and Characteristics of Planets

Planets can have many different characteristics. Several things can affect the features and landscape of planets, including their composition. Below lists the different causes and effects of the difference in attributes between planets.

1. Surfaces
  • Rocky Planets - Planets have a crust and have a solid surface
    • Cause- Formed as molten rock then cooled and hardened
      • Examples - Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury

  • Gas Giants - Planets are made of gaseous and liquid materials
    • Cause- Hydrogen and helium clumped together to form a planet
      • Examples - Jupiter and Saturn

  • Ice Giants - Planets composed of elements heavier than helium and hydrogen
    • Cause- Ices gathered together around a protoplanet
      • Examples - Neptune and Uranus
2. Moons
  • Number of Moons
    • Planet # of Moons Examples
    Mercury 0 -
    Venus 0 -
    Earth 1 The Moon (How Original)
    Mars 2 Phobos, Deimos
    Jupiter 67 Io, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa
    Saturn 62 Titan
    Uranus 27 Titania, Oberon, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel
    Neptune 14 Triton
3. Rings and Ring Systems
  • Composition
    • Ices
    • Rocks

  • Visibility
    • Saturn - Thousands of bright rings
    • Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus - A few dark rings
4. Atmospheric Storms
  • Only Occur on Gas Giants/Ice Giants
  • Speeds
    • Jupiter - 335-380 mph
    • Saturn - 1,100 mph
    • Uranus - 560 mph
    • Neptune - 1,300 mph