Solar System: Comparing Planets to Earth: Days and Years

Our solar system consists of eight planets, each with unique characteristics and vastly different orbital and rotational periods compared to Earth. Below is a comparison of each planet’s day (rotation period) and year (orbital period) with Earth’s, highlighting the differences.

Mercury

• Day (Rotation Period): 58.6 Earth days
• Year (Orbital Period): 88 Earth days
• Difference:
  • One day on Mercury is about 58.6 times longer than a day on Earth.
  • One year on Mercury is about 0.24 times the length of an Earth year.

Venus

• Day (Rotation Period): 243 Earth days (retrograde rotation)
• Year (Orbital Period): 225 Earth days
• Difference:
  • One day on Venus is about 243 times longer than a day on Earth, and it rotates in the opposite direction.
  • One year on Venus is about 0.62 times the length of an Earth year.

Earth

• Day (Rotation Period): 24 hours
• Year (Orbital Period): 365.25 days

Mars

• Day (Rotation Period): 24.6 hours (1.03 Earth days)
• Year (Orbital Period): 687 Earth days
• Difference:
  • One day on Mars is very close to one Earth day, just 1.03 times longer.
  • One year on Mars is about 1.88 times the length of an Earth year.

Jupiter

• Day (Rotation Period): 9.9 hours
• Year (Orbital Period): 11.86 Earth years
• Difference:
  • One day on Jupiter is only about 0.41 times as long as an Earth day.
  • One year on Jupiter is about 11.86 times the length of an Earth year.

Saturn

• Day (Rotation Period): 10.7 hours
• Year (Orbital Period): 29.46 Earth years
• Difference:
  • One day on Saturn is about 0.45 times as long as an Earth day.
  • One year on Saturn is about 29.46 times the length of an Earth year.

Uranus

• Day (Rotation Period): 17.2 hours
• Year (Orbital Period): 84 Earth years
• Difference:
  • One day on Uranus is about 0.72 times as long as an Earth day.
  • One year on Uranus is about 84 times the length of an Earth year.

Neptune

• Day (Rotation Period): 16.1 hours
• Year (Orbital Period): 164.8 Earth years
• Difference:
  • One day on Neptune is about 0.67 times as long as an Earth day.
  • One year on Neptune is about 164.8 times the length of an Earth year.