ICSE Class 8 Answered

Mercury:

1. It is nearest to the Sun.
2. Its surface has thousands of craters.
3. It has no atmosphere.
4. It experiences extreme temperatures.

Venus:

1. It is known as the ‘Earth’s Twin’ because it is of the same size as the Earth.
2. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon.
3. It is bright because cloud cover reflects the light of the Sun from its surface.
4. It is also known as the morning or evening star because it is seen in the sky before sunrise and after sunset.

Earth:

1. Earth is the fifth-largest planet and third nearest to the Sun.
2. Its shape is geoid—spherical at the equator and flattened at the poles.
3. Earth is the only planet in the Solar System which can sustain life.

Mars:

1. Mars is a red planet because of its reddish appearance.
2. It has volcanoes, mountains, dried-up river beds, canyons, deserts and polar ice caps which are similar to those on the Earth.

Jupiter:

1. It is the largest planet in the Solar System.
2. It appears yellow.
3. It has a great red spot on its surface; the spot is three times the size of the Earth.
4. It has rings around it.