Solar System Trading Cards Complete Set - NASA

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationBEYONDOUR SOLAR SYSTEMexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/beyondwww.nasa.gov

On the front: An artist’s concept illustrating the spiralstructure of the Milky Way.The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy about 100,000 light-years across.Our Sun lies far from its center.Beyond Our Solar SystemOur Sun is one of over 100 billion stars inthe Milky Way, and our galaxy is just one ofcountless billions in the universe, each havingmillions – or billions – of stars of their own.BEYONDOUR SOLAR SYSTEMexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/beyond

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationASTEROIDSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroidswww.nasa.gov

On the front:Asteroid 243 Ida from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft.EarthSunASTEROID BELTJupiterMarsMost asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt between Marsand Jupiter. There are also many asteroids with orbits that passthrough the space near Earth.Asteroids are giant hunks of rock andmetal that orbit the Sun. Like comets, theyare remnants from the formation of oursolar system more than 4 billion years ago.ASTEROIDSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationCOMETSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/cometswww.nasa.gov

On the front: Comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenkobased on two images by ESA’s Rosetta mission.JupiterSunEarthCOMETThis example of a comet’s orbit (for Comet 67P) shows how itsactivity increases as it nears the Sun.Comets are icy balls of dust and frozengases that orbit the Sun. When a comet’sorbit brings it close to the Sun, it heats upand spews dust and gases, creating a giant,fuzzy head, called a coma, and a long tail.COMETSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/comets

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationEARTHexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/earthwww.nasa.gov

On the front: A view of Earth made using datacollected by NASA’s Terra satellite.EARTHSunJupiterEarth is one of the four inner, rocky planets of our solar system. Itis close enough to the Sun that, with some help from our atmosphere, the planet is warm enough to have liquid water on its surface.Earth — our home planet — is the thirdplanet from the Sun, and the only placewe know of so far that’s inhabited by livingthings. It is the only world in oursolar system with liquidEarthwater on the surface.JupiterEARTHEarth is 0.09x (or 9%)the size of Jupiter and0.009x (or 1%) thesize of the Sunexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/earth

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationEARTH’SMOONexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/moonwww.nasa.gov

On the front: Photo from the Apollo 12 mission,showing an astronaut with the Surveyor 3 spacecraft.EarthEARTH’S MOONThe Moon is farther away than people often think, at a distance of239,000 miles (385,000 kilometers).Earth’s Moon was likely formed after aMars-sized body collided with Earth severalbillion years ago. Earth’s only natural satellite is simply called “the Moon” becausepeople didn’t know other moonsexisted until Galileo GalileiEarth’s Moondiscovered four moonsEarthorbiting Jupiter in 1610.Earth’s Moon is 0.27x(or 27%) the size of EarthEARTH’S MOONexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/moon

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationJUPITERexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/jupiterwww.nasa.gov

On the front: Image from NASA’s Juno spacecraftshowing a Jovian cloudscape. Image processing byGerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran.EarthSunJUPITERJupiter orbits the Sun at a distance five times farther than Earthdoes. It’s one of four giant planets in the outer solar system.Jupiter is the largest planet in the solarsystem – more than twice as massive asall the other planets combined. Despiteits huge size, the planet is made almostentirely of the lightest elements,hydrogen and helium.EarthJupiterJUPITERJupiter is 11.1xlarger than Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/jupiter

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationMARSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/marswww.nasa.gov

On the front: A view from NASA’s Curiosity Marsrover showing the rover’s tracks on the Martian surface.EarthSunMARSMars orbits a bit farther away from the Sun than Earth does —on average its distance is about 1.5 times Earth’s distance fromthe Sun.Mars is a cold desert world with a thin atmosphere. NASA missions have found lotsof evidence that Mars was much wetterand warmer, with a thickeratmosphere, billions ofMarsEarthyears ago.MARSMars is 0.53x (or 53%)the size of Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/mars

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationMERCURYexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/mercurywww.nasa.gov

On the front: An enhanced-color map of Mercury’ssurface from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft.EarthSunMERCURYAlthough Mercury is extremely close to our Sun, there are othersolar systems with multiple planets orbiting even closer to theirstars.Mercury is the smallest of our solarsystem’s major planets (only slightly largerthan Earth’s Moon), and the closest to theSun. Mercury is also the fastestplanet, zipping around theMercurySun every 88 Earth days. EarthMERCURYMercury is 0.38x(or 38%) the sizeof Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/mercury

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNEPTUNEexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/neptunewww.nasa.gov

On the front: A view of Neptune from NASA’sVoyager 2 spacecraft in 1989.EarthSunNEPTUNENeptune orbits the Sun about 30 times farther out than Earth.In 2011, Neptune completed its first 165-year orbit since itsdiscovery in 1846.Neptune is the most distant of the eightmajor planets orbiting our Sun. It is dark,cold and whipped by supersonic winds.Like Uranus, Neptune gets itsbluish color from methaneEarthNeptunegas in its atmosphere.NEPTUNENeptune is 3.9xlarger than Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/neptune

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationPLUTOexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/plutowww.nasa.gov

On the front: An enhanced-color view of Pluto fromNASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.SunEarthNeptunePLUTOPluto’s orbit is tilted compared tothe other planets. Decades after its discovery,astronomers came to understand it’s not a lone oddball, but oneof many icy worlds that orbit beyond Neptune.Pluto is a complex world with mountains,valleys, plains and glaciers. Long considered our solar system’s ninth major planet,after the discovery of similar worlds in thespace beyond Neptune, Pluto wasreclassified as a dwarf planet.PlutoPLUTOEarthPluto is 0.19x (or 19%)the size of Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/pluto

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSATURNexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/saturnwww.nasa.gov

On the front: The final full-planet mosaic of Saturncaptured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft in 2017.EarthSunSATURNSaturn orbits about twice as far from the Sun as Jupiter, andabout 10 times farther out than Earth. It takes about 30 Earthyears to make each orbit around the Sun.Saturn is the second largest planet inour solar system. Adorned with a dazzlingsystem of icy rings, Saturn is the farthestplanet from Earth that was discovered bythe unaided human eye, andhas been known sinceEarthancient times.SaturnSATURNSaturn is 9.4xlarger than Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/saturn

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOURSOLAR SYSTEMexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-systemwww.nasa.gov

On the front: Artist’s rendering of the eight majorplanets of our solar system lined up as if they weretransiting across the Sun.MercuryNeptuneVenusEarthMars Jupiter SaturnAsteroid BeltUranusKuiper BeltHalley’s CometPlutoThe OURSOLAR SYSTEMexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationTHE SUNexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/sunwww.nasa.gov

On the front: The Sun emits a solar flare, as seen byNASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory in 2015.EarthSUNThe Sun formed from a swirling disk of gas and dust, billions ofyears ago. The planets and their orbits are remnants of that disk,formed from the leftover material that went into making the Sun.The Sun is the star at the heart of our solarsystem. Its gravity holds the solar systemtogether, keeping everything in its orbit.Almost all (99.8%) of the mass in thesolar system is containedSunwithin the Sun.EarthTHE SUNThe Sun is 109xlarger than Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/sun

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationURANUSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/uranuswww.nasa.gov

On the front: An infrared view of Uranus and its ringsfrom the Keck Telescope (with support from NASA).EarthSunURANUSUranus orbits about twice as far from the Sun as Saturn, andabout 20 times farther out than Earth. It takes 84 Earth yearsto complete a single orbit.Uranus is a giant planet surrounded byfaint rings and more than two dozen smallmoons. Rotating at a nearly 90-degreeangle from the plane of itsorbit, its unique tilt makesUranus appear to spinEarthUranuson its side.URANUSUranus is 4xlarger than Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/uranus

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationVENUSexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/venuswww.nasa.gov

On the front: A computer-generated, 3D view ofVenus, using radar data from NASA’s Magellan mission.EarthSunVENUSVenus orbits closer to the Sun than Earth, which would tend tomake it warmer there anyway, but the planet’s dense carbondioxide atmosphere is the main factor in creating its extreme heat.Venus is our closest planetary neighbor. Itsthick atmosphere traps heat in a runawaygreenhouse effect, making it the hottestplanet in our solar system. Glimpses belowthe clouds reveal volcanoesand deformed mountains.VenusEarthVENUSVenus is 0.95x (or 95%)the size of Earthexplore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/venus

NeptuneMercury Venus rthEaturnMars Jupiter SaAsteroid BeltKuiper BeltNational Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationUranusHalley’s CometPlutoOURSOLAR SYSTEMTRADING CARD SETwww.nasa.gov

Mercury Venus rthEaturnMars Jupiter Sa1-5/16”Asteroid BeltKuiper Belt1”National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationUranusHalley’s CometPluto1/2”3-5/8”OUR1-5/16”SOLAR SYSTEMTRADING CARD SETwww.nasa.gov3/16”3/4”

The Sun is the star at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything in its orbit. Almost all (99.8%) of the mass in the solar system is contained within the Sun. explore at solarsystem.nasa.gov/sun THE