Planet Tables

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Planets: Orbital Properties

Planet distance revolution eccentricity inclination

(A.U.)

(deg)
Mercury 0.387 87.97 d 0.2056 7.0
Venus 0.723 224.70 d 0.0068 3.4
Earth 1.000 365.26 d 0.0167 0.00
Mars 1.524 686.98 d 0.0934 1.85
Jupiter 5.203 11.86 y 0.04845 1.305
Saturn 9.539 29.46 y 0.05565 2.489
Uranus 19.182 84.01 y 0.0472 0.773
Neptune 30.06 164.79 y 0.00858 1.773
Pluto 39.53 247.68 y 0.2482 17.15
Notes: Distance is the semi-major axis in astronomical units (1 A.U. = 1.496× 108 km); rotation and revolution are the sidereal rotation period and sidereal orbital period, h = hours, d = 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.

Planets: Physical Characteristics

Planet Mass Diameter density oblateness rotation axis tilt mag. field

(× ME) (km) (g/cm3) [=(De – Dp)/De]
(deg) ($\times$Earth's)
Mercury 0.0553 4880 5.43 0.000 58.81 d 0.1 0.006
Venus 0.815 12,104 5.20 0.000 243.69 d 177.3 0.00
Earth 1.000 12,742 5.52 0.0034 23.9345 h 23.45 1.000
Mars 0.107 6780 3.93 0.0065 24.623 h 25.19 0.00
Jupiter 317.83 139,822 1.33 0.0649 9.925 h 3.12 19,519
Saturn 95.162 116,464 0.687 0.098 10.50 h 26.73 578
Uranus 14.536 50,724 1.32 0.023 17.24 h 97.86 47.9
Neptune 17.147 49,248 1.64 0.017 16.11 h 29.56 27.0
Pluto 0.0021 2274 2.05 0.0 6.405 d 122.46 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)]; 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

Planet g
(×gE)		 vesc
(km/s)		 distance
(A.U.)		 albedo
(%)		 temperature
(K)		 atm. press.
(× Earth's)		 atm. comp.
Mercury 0.378 4.3 0.387 5.6 100 night,
590–725 day 		10-15 98% He, 2% H2
Venus 0.907 10.36 0.723 72 737 91 96.5% CO2, 3.5% N2,
0.015% SO2
Earth 1.000 11.186 1.000 38.5 283–293 day 1.000 78.084% N2,
20.946% O2,
0.934% Ar, 0.035% CO2,
H2O highly variable ( <1%)
Mars 0.377 5.03 1.524 16 184–242 day 0.007–0.009 95.32% CO2,
2.7% N2, 1.6% Ar,
0.13% O2, 0.08% CO,
0.021% H2O, 0.01% NO
Jupiter 2.364 59.5 5.203 70 165 >>100 89% H2, 11% He,
0.2% CH4, 0.02% NH3
Saturn 0.916 35.5 9.539 75 134 >>100 89% H2, 11% He,
0.3% CH4, 0.02% NH3
Uranus 0.889 21.3 19.182 90 76 >>100 89% H2, 11% He
Neptune 1.125 23.5 30.06 82 72 >>100 89% H2, 11% He
Pluto 0.0675 1.1 39.53 14.5 50 0.003 CH4, N2
Notes: Surface gravity g is given in Earth gravities (1 gE = 9.803 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; atmospheric pressure (atm. press.) is at the surface (>>100 for the jovian planets).

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last update: 02 August 1999

Nick Strobel -- Email: strobel@lightspeed.net

(661) 395-4526
Bakersfield College
Physical Science Dept.
1801 Panorama Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93305-1219