What are the differences and similarities between inner and outer planets?
- 1. Similarities between Inner Planets and Outer Planets – The eight planets that are divided into the inner planets and the outer planets carry out the process of revolution, or rotate around the Sun. – Inner and outer planets also undergo a rotation process or move on their axis. ...
- 2. Difference Between Inner Planets and Outer Planets
Why are the inner and outer planets so different?
This is because the outer planets are in a gaseous state while the inner planets are solid and more compact. Consequently, the density of the inner planets is greater than that of the outer planets. Despite the density differences, the mass is smaller for the inner planets than the outer planets.
How are the inner planets similar to the outer planets?
What are three similarities among the inner planets?
- Terrestrial Planet Formation. Astronomers theorize that the very early solar system formed as a ring of materials surrounding the sun. …
- Size Range. …
- Rocky Surface. …
- Iron Core.
What do inner planet and outer planets have in common?
Inner planets have a lot of iron cores and igneous rocks while the outer planets have a lot of gasses like helium and hydrogen. Inner planets are made of elements with greater density compared to outer planets. This is what keeps the elements closer together and makes the planet more solid than liquid or gas.
Are the outer planets bigger than the inner planets?
The outer planets are so much larger than the inner planets that they make up 99 percent of the mass of the celestial bodies that orbit the Sun. Why are the terrestrial planets smaller? While terrestrial planets accreted from planetesimals made of rocks and metals, they ended up too small to capture significant amounts of the abundant hydrogen and helium gas in the solar nebula .

What are the similarities and differences between inner and outer planets?
The four inner planets have shorter orbits, slower spin, no rings, and they are made of rock and metal. The four outer planets have longer orbits and spins, a composition of gases and liquids, numerous moons, and rings. The outer planets are made of hydrogen and helium, so they are called gas giants.
How are the inner planets similar from the outer planets?
All of the inner planets are solid, dense, rocky planets. The inner planets either do not have moons or have just one (Earth) or two (Mars). None of the inner planets have rings. Compared to the outer planets, the inner planets have shorter orbits around the Sun, but all the inner planets spin more slowly.
What is similar about all of the outer planets?
Lesson Summary. The four outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are all gas giants made primarily of hydrogen and helium. They have thick gaseous outer layers and liquid interiors. All of the outer planets have numerous moons, as well as planetary rings made of dust and other particles.
What are three similarities among the inner planets?
Three Major Characteristics of the Inner PlanetsTerrestrial Planet Formation. Astronomers theorize that the very early solar system formed as a ring of materials surrounding the sun. ... Size Range. ... Rocky Surface. ... Iron Core.
What are the similarities of the planets in the solar system?
The planets in our solar system have similar interiors composed of a core and a mantle. Terrestrial planets also have a crust or a solid outer shell. The core of terrestrial planets consists mainly of iron, wrapped in a silicate mantle.
What is the biggest difference between the inner and outer planets?
The inner planets are closer to the Sun and are smaller and rockier. The outer planets are further away, larger and made up mostly of gas.
Do inner planets have rings?
The large, gaseous outer planets all have ring systems, whereas the small, rocky inner planets do not.
Do inner planets have moons?
Of the terrestrial (rocky) planets of the inner solar system, neither Mercury nor Venus have any moons at all, Earth has one and Mars has its two small moons. In the outer solar system, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and the ice giants Uranus and Neptune have dozens of moons.
Why are the inner and outer planets so different?
The temperature of the early solar system explains why the inner planets are rocky and the outer ones are gaseous. As the gases coalesced to form a protosun, the temperature in the solar system rose. In the inner solar system temperatures were as high as 2000 K, while in the outer solar system it was as cool as 50 K.
What separates the inner planets from the outer planets?
The asteroid beltThe asteroid belt separates the inner and outer planets.
What do the four terrestrial planets have in common?
The planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are called terrestrial because they have a compact, rocky surface like Earth's terra firma. The terrestrial planets are the four innermost planets in the solar system.
What are some facts about the inner planets?
The inner planets are closer to the Sun than the outer planets. However, they have slower orbiting speeds, so it takes them longer to finish one orbit around the Sun. These planets have a maximum of two moons, and Mercury and Venus have none. None of the inner planets have rings around them.
What are Outer Planets?
As opposed to the inner planets, the outer planets are further away from the Sun, thus making them much colder.
What is the belt between the outer and inner planets?
At 2.3-3.3AU from the Sun, there’s the so-called Asteroid Belt , which separates inner from outer planets. While inner planets are rocky, relatively small and relatively warm, mostly with an atmosphere and without moons or planets, the outer planets are completely opposite – they’re very large and massive, either gaseous or icy, mostly composed of hydrogen and helium, and all of them have rings and moons. This distinction is important as it tells something about how the Solar System was formed and how it evolved over time.
How many inner planets are there?
What are Inner Planets? In our Solar System, which consists of eight planets total, there are four inner and four outer planets, with the asteroid belt between them. The inner, or Earth-like planets, include Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, and are not to be confused with inferior planets, which are those closer to the Sun than Earth ...
Why do planets look like balls?
They all look like balls, but are in fact slightly “squeezed” due to the fact that they also rotate around their axes, and thus are ellipsoidal.
Which planets rotate in the same direction?
They all have their axis of rotation and rotate in the same direction, except for Venus and Uranus
Which planets are far away from the Sun?
The outer planets include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They should be distinguished from superior planets, which are those that are further away from the Sun than the Earth, and which have Mars in addition. They aren’t rocky, but either gaseous or icy, and much more massive than all the inner planets combined.
Which planet is more massive than the Earth?
In fact, the outer planets are 99% of all the mass that orbits around the Sun, and only Jupiter and Neptune are almost 400 times more massive than the Earth.
How are inner planets different from outer planets?
The surface of Inner planets compared to Outer planets are rocky, Inner planets are denser, all the Inner planets are in the asteroid belt. “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us -- there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.”-Carl Sagan.There is nothing more than what there is. The surface of the Inner planets is very different from those of the Outer planets because, Earth compared to Uranus is completely different due to Uranus being mostly made out of gas. The Inner planets are also much denser than Outer planets. For example, Venus ' average density is 5.24g/cm3 as opposed to Neptune which is 1.33g/cm3. Lastly,
What are the four planets in our solar system?
known planets in our solar system which consist of four inner and four outer planets; the four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are known as the terrestrial planets because not only are they the closest to the sun, but they are also "Earth-like," meaning that they are similar to Earth's composition and structure ("What is a Terrestrial Planet?"). While these three planets bare close similarities, the planet that closely resembles Earth is Venus. Known as the "Sister Planets," or the
What changed after reading The Only Alien on the Planet?
After reading, The Only Alien on the Planet, my views have changed on people. I have realized that some friends, like Caulder and Ginny, in the book would be willing to do anything to help Smitty in his situation. They didn't give up on him even if he never talked to them, because they knew Smitty was acting like that for a reason. Another view of mine that has changed is on how people act to one another. It has taught me that just because a person acts a certain way to you, like Smitty not talking
How many planets are there in the universe?
The Four Terrestrial Planets A planet consists of a solid body that revolves around a star and shines by reflected light. The sun is the only star known to have planets, although certain other stars have companions that may be planets. The sun, nine known major planets, in order of increasing distance from the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The planets are divided into two groups according to their size and structure. In our solar system, the terrestrial
How do the Sun and Earth interact?
The interactions between the Earth, Moon, and Sun manage the ocean’s currents and tides, climate, weather, and seasons. The Sun, a star, is hot ball of glowing gases at the center of our solar system (nasa.gov/sun). It’s heat and energy sustain the life we have on Earth. Without it, we would not be able to survive. The Sun warms the entire planet, reaching the Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere. The heat and
Where did the word "planet" come from?
The term planet is originated from the ancient Greek word planetes which translates to wanderer. This is a fitting characterisation as the planets in our Solar System and others “wander” or orbit around central point - a star. A planet is a celestial body which moves in an elliptical orbit around a star. Our Solar System which is located in the outer arms of the spiral galaxy, the Milky Way, has a unique and diverse composition. The Solar System consists of our star, the Sun, eight planets, and the
What are the four layers of Earth's crust?
Earthquakes, also referred to as temblors, are one of the world’s most powerful occurrences. The Earth has four layers: the crust, mantle, inner and outer core. Earthquakes occur in the crust and upper mantle (Refer to Figure 1). The mantle is made up of semi-molten rock called magma. The upper mantle rock is hard. The crust is the outer layer of the earth. Together, the crust and upper mantle make up the lithosphere. The lithosphere is 20-50 km thick and is cracked. The asthenosphere sits below
What are the inner planets called?
The inner planets are often referred to as “terrestrial” or “rocky” planets. The outer planets, meaning those planets outside the asteroid belt, are called “gas giants.” The terrestrial planets are small (astronomically speaking). Earth is the largest one, with a diameter of about 8000 miles. They all have solid surfaces and are made of mostly the same sort of stuff: lots of heavy metals and rocks. All the terrestrial planets have a dense, iron core. All except Mercury possess a significant atmosphere.
What are the outer planets?
The outer planets (sometimes called Jovian planets or gas giants) are huge planets swaddled in gas. They all have rings and all of plenty of moons each. Despite their size, only two of them are visible without telescopes: Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus and Neptune were the first planets discovered since antiquity, and showed astronomers the solar system was bigger than previously thought.
Why are the inner planets called terrestrial planets?
The four inner planets are called terrestrial planets because their surfaces are solid (and, as the name implies, somewhat similar to Earth — although the term can be misleading because each of the four has vastly different environments). They’re made up mostly of heavy metals such as iron and nickel, and have either no moons or few moons.
What are the two groups of planets?
In our Solar System, astronomers often divide the planets into two groups — the inner planets and the outer planets. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and are smaller and rockier. The outer planets are further away, larger and made up mostly of gas.
How many planets are there in the solar system?
There are several similarities and differences for the 8 total planets in our solar system of Sol. The terrestrial planets are all composed of solid materials such as rock or silicate, contain metals throughout their crusts, and all possess a solid surface.
Which planets are closest to the Sun?
The inner planets (in order of distance from the sun, closest to furthest) are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. After an asteroid belt comes the outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The interesting thing is, in some other planetary systems discovered, the gas giants are actually quite close to the sun.
Which planets have atmospheric systems?
All the planets have atmospheric systems, like the Great Red spot on Jupiter or Venus’ sulfuric acid laced lightni
What are the similarities common characteristics of inner planets?
The inner planets (Mercury Venus Earth Mars) formed by accretion from heavy elements like iron nickel and silica. Thus they tend to have solid core mantel and crust to them. Relative to the gas giants they also tend to be smallish in size.
What 3 characteristics do the four inner planets have in common?
What are the 3 characteristics of inner planets? The Inner Planets All are solid dense and rocky. None of the inner planets has rings. Compared to the outer planets the inner planets are small.
What are 3 facts about inner planets?
Mercury is the closest inner planet to the Sun followed by Venus Earth and Mars. The inner planets have no rings circling them and zero to a few moons. Earth has one moon and Mars has two. Mercury and Venus do not have any moons.
What are the similarities and difference of the 3 planets?
Answer: their similarities are: they are planets having individual paths to orbit and they are revolving around the sun. Differences: venus is closer to the sun earth is after the venus and mars is after the earth. But one thing is that the earth is more beautiful than venus and mars.
What are the similarities between planets?
The terrestrial planets are all composed of solid materials such as rock or silicate contain metals throughout their crusts and all possess a solid surface. Another similarity is that all travel around the sun in a oval or elliptic orbit and at various eccentricities.
How are inner planets and outer planets similar?
The Inner and Outer planets have many things in common. They both orbit around a star. In this case the star they orbit is the Sun. … They are the same however because they all orbit the sun have a core are round and have gravity.
What all planets have in common?
Patrick H. Besides all of them being planets all follow an elliptical orbit all are spherical and all are made of iron and nickel to some degree.

What Are Inner Planets?
What Are Outer Planets?
- As opposed to the inner planets, the outer planets are further away from the Sun, thus making them much colder. Separated by the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, they’re on the other side of it than the inner planets. The outer planets include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They should be distinguished from superior planets, which are ...
Similarities Between Inner and Outer Planets
- It’s obvious from the differences I’ve covered above that there aren’t many similarities between these two types of planets. There are some, however, and they’re listed below: 1. They’re all planets orbiting around the Sun This might seem like a trivial statement, but, with new extrasolar planets discovered each day, it’s becoming an increasingly important distinction. 1. They all hav…
Summary
- At 2.3-3.3AU from the Sun, there’s the so-called Asteroid Belt, which separates inner from outer planets. While inner planets are rocky, relatively small and relatively warm, mostly with an atmosphere and without moons or planets, the outer planets are completely opposite – they’re very large and massive, either gaseous or icy, mostly composed of hydrogen and helium, and all …