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Planet Tables

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Planets: Orbital Properties


Planet distance revolution eccentricity inclination
(A.U.)
(deg)
Mercury 0.387 87.969 d 0.2056
7.005
Venus
0.723 224.701 d 0.0068
3.3947
Earth
1.000 365.256 d 0.0167
0.0000
Mars
1.524 686.98 d 0.0934
1.851
Jupiter 5.203 11.862 y 0.0484
1.305
Saturn 9.537 29.457 y 0.0542
2.484
Uranus 19.191 84.011 y 0.0472
0.770
Neptune 30.069 164.79 y 0.0086
1.769
Pluto
39.482 247.68 y 0.2488
17.142
8
Notes: Distance is the semi-major axis in astronomical units (1 A.U. = 1.496 10 km); rotation and revolution are the sidereal rotation period and
sidereal orbital period, h = hours, d = Earth sidereal days; eccentricity is the orbital eccentricity = 1 (perihelion/semi-major axis); and inclination is the tilt
of the orbit with respect to the Earth's orbit. The planet's "mean orbital elements (J2000)" are used for the inclination, eccentricity, and distance. [Yes,
Pluto is a dwarf planet.]

Planets: Physical Characteristics


Planet

Mass Diameter density oblateness rotation axis tilt mag. field


( ME) (km) (g/cm3) [=(De Dp)/De]
(deg) ( Earth's)
Mercury 0.0553 4879 5.427
0.000
58.785 d ~0
0.0006
Venus 0.815 12,104 5.243
0.000
243.686 d 177.36
0.00
Earth
1.000 12,742 5.515
0.00335
23.9345 h 23.45
1.000
Mars
0.107 6779 3.933
0.00648
24.6229 h 25.19
0.00
Jupiter 317.83 139,822 1.326
0.06487
9.9250 h 3.13
19,519
Saturn 95.159 116,464 0.687
0.09796
10.656 h 26.73
578
Uranus 14.536 50,724 1.270
0.02293
17.24 h 97.77
47.9
Neptune 17.147 49,244 1.638
0.01708
16.11 h 28.32
27.0
Pluto 0.0021 2390 1.750
0.000
6.405 d 122.53
0.00
Notes: Mass is given in Earth masses (1 ME = 5.9736 1024 kg); diameter is the ``volumetric mean diameter'' that takes into account the planet's
oblateness; oblateness measures how much a planet bulges at the equator [= (equatorial polar diameter)/(equatorial diameter)]; rotation is the sidereal
spin period, "d" in rotation is sidereal day of Earth, and axis tilt is the tilt of the planet's rotation axis with respect to its orbital plane; magnetic field (mag.
field) is the total strength (NSSDC gives strength in #gauss Rplanet3, where Rplanet is the radius of the planet and the Earth's magnetic field strength =
0.3076 gauss Rplanet3 = 7.981 1010 gauss.

Planets: Atmospheres
atm.
g
vesc distance albedo temperature press.
Planet (g )
atm. comp.
(K)
(
E (km/s) (A.U.) (%)
Earth's)
100 night,
-15
42% O2, 29% Na, 22% H2, 6% He, 0.5% K (note that it is essentially a vacuum)
Mercury 0.378 4.3 0.387 11.9
590725 day 10
96.5% CO2, 3.5% N2,
Venus 0.905 10.36 0.723
75
737
92
0.015% SO2, 0.007% Ar, 0.002% H2O, 0.002% CO, 0.001% He, 0.001% Ne
Earth

1.000 11.186 1.000

30.6

283 night,
293 day

1.000

78.08% N2, 20.95% O2,


0.934% Ar, 0.038% CO2,
H2O highly variable ( <1%)

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Mars

0.379 5.03

1.524

25.0

184 night,
242 day

0.004
0.009

Jupiter 2.530 59.5

5.203

34.3

165

>>1000

Saturn 1.065 35.5

9.537

34.2

134

>>1000

Uranus 0.905 21.3 19.191 30.0

76

>>1000

Neptune 1.14 23.5 30.069 29.0

72

>>1000

95.32% CO2, 2.7% N2, 1.6% Ar,


0.13% O2, 0.08% CO, 0.021% H2O, 0.01% NO
89.8% H2, 10.2% He,
0.3% CH4, 0.026% NH3. Clouds made of ammonia ice, water ice, ammonium
hydrosulfide
96.3% H2, 3.25% He,
0.45% CH4, 0.0125% NH3, 0.0110% HD, 0.0007% C2H6. Clouds made of
ammonia ice, water ice, ammonium hydrosulfide
82.5% H2, 15.2% He, 2.3% CH4,
0.0148% HD. Clouds made of ammonia ice, water ice, ammonium hydrosulfide,
methane ice
80.0% H2, 19.0% He, 1.5% CH4,
0.0192% HD, 0.0002% C2H6. Clouds made of ammonia ice, water ice, ammonium
hydrosulfide, methane ice

40 to
CH4, N2
~50
3 x 10-6
60
Notes: Surface gravity g is given in Earth gravities (1 gE = 9.798 m/s2); escape velocity is vesc, albedo is the percent of ALL of the Sun's energy hitting the
planet that is reflected (100% would be perfect reflection); temperature and surface gravity for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune are given at a depth
where the atmospheric pressure = 1 Earth atmosphere (1 bar); atmospheric pressure (atm. press.) is at the surface (>>1000 for the jovian planets).
Pluto

0.059 1.2

39.482

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last updated: May 10, 2013
Is this page a copy of Strobel's Astronomy Notes?

Author of original content: Nick Strobel

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