<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>The Planets - general information</TITLE></HEAD>
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<pre><CENTER><H3>The Planets - general information</H3></CENTER>  
<h4><u>Earth</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 1.00 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 29.8<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 18.5<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: -<BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 23 hr, 37 min<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 23.45 degrees<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 1.00 <BR>
Average surface temperature: +22 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 5.5<BR>
Diameter (miles): 7,326<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 12,756<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 1.00<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 1.00<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 6.95<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 11.18<BR>
Number of known moons: 1<BR>
Number of known rings: 0<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 92,960,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 149,600,000<BR>


<h4><u>Jupiter</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 11.86 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 13.1<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec):8.1<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 1.30 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 9 hr, 55 min<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 3 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 5.20 <BR>
Average surface temperature: -123 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 1.3<BR>
Diameter (miles): 88,700<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 142,700<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 11.2<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 318<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 37.06<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 59.64<BR>
Number of known moons: 16<BR>
Number of known rings: 1<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 483,700,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 778,400,000<BR>


<h4><u>Mars</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 1.88 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 24.1<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 15.0<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 1.85 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 24 hr, 37 min<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 24 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 1.52 <BR>
Average surface temperature: -23 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 3.9<BR>
Diameter (miles): 4,212<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 6,778<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 0.53<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 0.11<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 3.12<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 5.02<BR>
Number of known moons: 2<BR>
Number of known rings: 0<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 141,680,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 228,000,000<BR>


<h4><u>Mercury</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 0.24 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 47.9<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 29.8<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 7.00 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 58days,15hr,36min<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 0 degrees (?)<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 0.39 <BR>
Average surface temperature: +350 degrees C to-170 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 5.4<BR>
Diameter (miles): 3,032<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 4,878<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 0.38<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 0.06<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 2.64<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 4.25<BR>
Number of known moons: 0<BR>
Number of known rings: 0<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 35,980,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 57,900,000<BR>


<h4><u>Neptune</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 164.8 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 5.4<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 3.4<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 1.77 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 18 hr<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 29 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 30.1 <BR>
Average surface temperature: -228 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 1.8<BR>
Diameter (miles): 27,700<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 44,600<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 3.9<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 17<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 14.61<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 23.52<BR>
Number of known moons: 2<BR>
Number of known rings: 1<BR>
Date of discovery: 1846<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 2,794,190,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 4,496,600,000<BR>


<h4><u>Pluto</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 248 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 4.7<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 2.9<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 17.2 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 6 days, 9 hr<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 50 degrees  (?)<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 39.5<BR>
Average surface temperature: -230 degrees C (?)<BR>
Density relative to water: 1.1<BR>
Diameter (miles): 1,860<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 3,000<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 0.25<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 0.002<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 0.6<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 1.0<BR>
Number of known moons: 1<BR>
Number of known rings: 0<BR>
Date of discovery: 1930<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 3,706,780,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 5,965,200,000<BR>


<h4><u>Saturn</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 29.46 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 9.6<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 6.0<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 2.49 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 10 hr, 40 min<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 27 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 9.54<BR>
Average surface temperature: -180 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 0.7<BR>
Diameter (miles): 75,100<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 121,000<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 9.4<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 95<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 22.0<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 35.41<BR>
Number of known moons: 17<BR>
Number of known rings: Ring System<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 886,740,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 1,427,000,000<BR>


<h4><u>Uranus</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 84.0 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 6.8<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 4.2<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 0.77 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 16 hr<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 27 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 19.2<BR>
Average surface temperature: -218 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 1.7<BR>
Diameter (miles): 32,600<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 52,400<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 4.1<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 15<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 13.3<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 23.41<BR>
Number of known moons: 15<BR>
Number of known rings: 10<BR>
Date of discovery: 1781<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 1,783,170,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 2,869,600,000<BR>


<h4><u>Venus</u></h4>

Time taken to orbit the sun: 0.62 yrs<BR>
Average orbital velocity (km/sec): 35.0<BR>
Average orbital velocity (miles/sec): 21.7<BR>
Angle between planet's orbit and Earth's: 3.39 degrees <BR>
Time taken to rotate on axis: 243 days<BR>
Tilt of axis to perpendicular of orbital plane: 178 degrees <BR>
Average distance from the Sun (Astronomical Units): 0.72<BR>
Average surface temperature: +475 degrees C<BR>
Density relative to water: 5.3<BR>
Diameter (miles): 7,520<BR>
Diameter (kilometers): 12,104<BR>
Diameter relative to Earth's: 0.95<BR>
Mass relative to Earth: 0.82<BR>
Escape velocity (miles/sec): 6.43<BR>
Escape velocity (km/sec): 10.36<BR>
Number of known moons: 0<BR>
Number of known rings: 0<BR>
Date of discovery: Visible to the naked eye<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (miles): 67,240,000<BR>
Average distance from the Sun (km): 108,200,000<BR>
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