Physical Characteristics of the Planets and Their Major Satellites

D = silicates, carbonaceous material or methane

C = Carbonaceous material

S = silicates

R = retrograde orbit

* =  moon

# = asteroid

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Planetary Body Semi-Major
Axis (AU for planets, 1000 km for satellites
Orbital
Period (Days or Years)
Rotation
Period
(Days)
Density
(gm/cm3)
Diameter
(km)
Surface Composition Atmosphere Compositions
Mercury
0.387 87.97 58.65 5.44 4800 basaltic Na (thin)
Venus
0.723 224.7 243.0R 5.25 12104 basaltic CO2
Earth
1.000 365.26 1.00 5.52 12756 basaltic& H2O N2 + O2
*Moon
384 27.3 27.3 3.34 3476 basaltic none
Mars
1.524 686.98 1.03 3.93 6787 basaltic CO2
Asteroids
#Vesta
#Ceres
#Pallas

2.362
2.768
2.773

3.63y
4.61y
4.62y

0.22
0.38
0.33

2.9
?
?

520
932
533

basaltic
DCS
DS

None
None
None
Jupiter
5.230 11.86y 0.41 1.3 143800   H2 and He
*Io
422 1.77 1.77 3.50 3640 S compounds SO2 (thin)
*Europa
671 3.55 3.55 3.03 3130 water ice None
*Ganymede
1071 7.15 7.15 1.93 5280 water ice D None
*Callisto
1884 16.69 16.69 1.79 4840 water ice D None
Planetary
Body
Semi-Major
Axis (AU for planets, 1000 km for satellites
Orbital
Period (Days or Years)
Rotation
Period
(Days)
Density
(gm/cm3)
Diameter
(km)
Surface Composition Atmosphere Compositions
Saturn
9.54 29.46y 0.43 0.69 120660   H2 &He
*Mimas
186 0.94 0.94 1.12 392 water ice None
*Enceladus
238 1.37 1.37 1.00 500 water ice None
*Tethys
295 1.89 1.89 1.00 1060 water ice None
*Dione
377 2.74 2.74 1.49 1120 water ice None
*Rhea
527 4.52 4.52 1.24 1530 water ice None
*Titan
1222 15.94 15.9 1.88 5150 water ice C N2
*Hyperion
1484 21.3 ? ? 250 water ice None
*Iapetus
3562 79.33 79.33 1.03 1436 water ice DCS None
*Phoebe
12930 550.4R 0.4 ? 220 water ice DC? None
Planetary
Body
Semi-Major
Axis (AU for planets, 1000 km for satellites
Orbital
Period (Days or Years)
Rotation
Period
(Days)
Density
(gm/cm3)
Diameter
(km)
Surface Composition Atmosphere Compositions
Uranus
19.18 84.01y 0.72 1.28 51120   H2 and He
*Miranda
130 1.41 1.41 1.35 470 water ice None
*Ariel
191 2.52 2.52 1.66 1150 water ice None
*Umbriel
266 4.14 4.14 1.51 1170 water ice None
*Titania
438 8.70 8.70 1.68 1580 water ice None
*Oberon
586 13.46 13.46 1.58 1520 water ice None
Neptune
30.37 164.79y 0.73 1.64 49560   H2 and He
*Triton
355 5.88R 5.88 2.01 2700 N2 and CH4 ice N2 and CH4
*Proteus
118 1.12 1.12 ? 400 D H2O ice None
*Nereid
5562 359.9 ? ? 340 D H2O ice None
Pluto
39.44 247.7 6.4 2.06 2284 nitrogen ice N2
*Charon
17 6.39 6.4 2.06 1192 H2O ice None
Planetary
Body
Semi-Major
Axis (AU for planets, 1000 km for satellites
Orbital
Period (Days or Years)
Rotation
Period
(Days)
Density
(gm/cm3)
Diameter
(km)
Surface Composition Atmosphere Compositions