The Planets Appendix
3A
Intrinsic and Rotational Properties
Equatorial
Radius
|
Mars B Earth’s |
Mean Density (g/cm3) |
Oblateness
|
Surface Gravity (Earth = 1) |
Sidereal Rotation Period |
Inclination of Equator to Orbit |
Apparent Magnitude During 2001 |
||
Name
|
km
|
B Earth’s
|
|||||||
|
Mercury |
2,439.7 |
0.3824 |
0.0553 |
5.43 |
0 |
0.378 |
58.646d |
0.0° |
-2.2
to 5.3 |
|
Venus |
6,051.8 |
0.9489 |
0.8150 |
5.24 |
0 |
0.894 |
243.02dR |
177.3° |
-4.6
to –3.9 |
|
Earth |
6,378.14 |
1 |
1 |
5.515 |
0.0034 |
1 |
23h56m04.1s |
23.45° |
— |
|
Mars |
3,397 |
0.5326 |
0.1074 |
3.94 |
0.006 |
0.379 |
24h37m22.662s |
25.19° |
-2.2
to +1.4 |
|
Jupiter |
71,492 |
11.194 |
317.896 |
1.33 |
0.065 |
2.54 |
9h50m
to > 9h55m |
3.12° |
-2.7
to –1.9 |
|
Saturn |
60,268 |
9.41 |
95.185 |
0.70 |
0.098 |
1.07 |
10h39.9m |
26.73° |
+0.2
to +0.2 |
|
Uranus |
25,559 |
4.0 |
14.537 |
1.30 |
0.022 |
0.8 |
17h14mR |
97.86° |
+5.7
to +5.9 |
|
Neptune |
24,764 |
3.9 |
17.151 |
1.76 |
0.017 |
1.2 |
16h7m |
29.56° |
+7.8
to +8.0 |
|
Pluto |
1,195 |
0.2 |
0.0025 |
2.1 |
0 |
0.01 |
6d9h17mR |
120° |
+13.8
to +13.9 |
R
signifies retrograde rotation.
The
masses and radii for Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the values recommended
by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. The radii are from The Astronomical Almanac 2001.
Surface
gravities were calculated from these values.
The length of the martian day is from G. de Vaucouleurs (1979). Most densities, oblatenesses, inclinations,
and magnitudes are from The
Astronomical
Almanac 2001. Neptune data from Science, December
15, 1989 and August 9, 1991. Values for
the masses of the giant planets are based on Voyager data for the mass of the
Sun
divided
by the mass of the planet. (E. Myles
Standish, Jr., Astronomical Journal 105, 2000, 1992); Jupiter:
1047.3486; Saturn: 3497.898; Uranus: 22902.94; Neptune: 19412.24.
Appendix
3B
Orbital Properties
|
Semi major Axis |
Sidereal Period |
Synodic Period (Days) |
Eccentricity |
Inclination |
|||
|
Name |
A.U. |
106 km |
Years |
Days |
|||
|
Mercury |
0.387 099 |
57.909 |
0.240 84 |
87.96 |
115.9 |
0.205
63 |
7.004 87° |
|
Venus |
0.723 332 |
108.209 |
0.615 18 |
224.68 |
583.9 |
0.006
77 |
3.394 71° |
|
Earth |
1 |
149.598 |
0.999 98 |
365.25 |
— |
0.016
71 |
0.000 05° |
|
Mars |
1.523 662 |
227.939 |
1.880 7 |
686.95 |
779.9 |
0.093
41 |
1.850 61° |
|
Jupiter |
5.203 363 |
778.298 |
11.857 |
4,337 |
398.9 |
0.048
39 |
1.305 30° |
|
Saturn |
9.537 070 |
1429.394 |
29.424 |
10,760 |
378.1 |
0.054
15 |
2.484 46° |
|
Uranus |
19.191
264 |
2875.039 |
83.75 |
30,700 |
369.7 |
0.047
168 |
0.769 86° |
|
Neptune |
30.068
963 |
4504.450 |
163.72 |
60,200 |
367.5 |
0.008
59 |
0.769 17° |
|
Pluto |
39.481
687 |
5915.799 |
248.02 |
90,780 |
366.7 |
0.248
81 |
17.141
75° |
Mean
elements of planetary orbits for 2000, referred to the mean ecliptic and
equinox of J2000 (E. M. Standish, X. X. Newhall,
J.
G. Williams, and D. K. Yeomans,, Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical
Almanac, P. K. Seidelmann, ed., 1992).
Periods are
calculated
from them.