The Planets

1. The Planets

2. Gustav Holst He was born on September 21, 1874 in Cheltenham, England, and died in London in 1934. Holst was a self-taught composer. Holst began writing The Planets around 1912 Gustav Holst was well-acquainted with astrology and mythology, as well as the Greek idea of the Music of the Spheres, and he drew heavily on this knowledge in his composition of the Planets Suite. It was first performed in the autumn of 1918. The Planets brought Holst fame and fortune, and today it is his best known (in fact, almost his only known) work. Holst himself hated its popularity. He thought it was least typical of his style of composition and did not want to be associated with that one work alone.

3. Mars (The Bringer of War) Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the seventh largest. Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet. Mars has been known since prehistoric times. Mars has been known since prehistoric times. In 2004 the Mars Expedition Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed on Mars sending back geologic data and many pictures.

4. Venus (The Bringer of Peace) Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the sixth largest. Venus is the goddess of love and beauty. The planet is so named probably because it is the brightest of the planets known to the ancients. Venus has been known since prehistoric times. It is the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon. The first spacecraft to visit Venus was Mariner 2 in 1962.

5. Mercury (The Winged Messenger) Mercury is the closest to the sun and the eighth largest planet In Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery. Mercury has been known since at least the time of the Sumerians (3rd millennium BC). Mercury has been visited by only one spacecraft, Mariner 10. It flew by three times in 1974 and 1975.

6. Jupiter (The Bringer of Jollity) Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest. Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined (318 times Earth). Jupiter was the King of the Gods. It has been known since prehistoric times as a bright �wandering star�. Jupiter was first visited by Pioneer 10 in 1973.

7. Saturn (The Bringer of Old Age) Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest. In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. Saturn has been known since prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to observe it with a telescope in 1610. Saturn was first visited by Pioneer 11 in 1979 and later by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Cassini arrived on July 1, 2004 and will orbit Saturn for at least four years.

8. Uranus (The Magician) Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third largest (by diameter). Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens, the earliest supreme god. Uranus, the first planet discovered in modern times, was discovered by William Herschel while systematically searching the sky with his telescope on March 13, 1781. Uranus has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2 on Jan 24 1986

9. Neptune (The Mystic) Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the fourth largest (by diameter). In Roman mythology Neptune was the god of the Sea. Neptune was first observed on 1846 Sept 23. Neptune has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2 on Aug 25 1989. Much of we know about Neptune comes from this single encounter.

10. What�s missing?