Currently, there are eight planets in the Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun; however, it is also the planet with the smallest mass and radius among the eight planets of the Solar System.
Its surface temperature can reach up to 427 degrees Celsius, so its gravitational force is not strong enough to maintain a stable atmosphere for long periods. Consequently, the atmosphere of this planet is very thin. This thin atmosphere is limited to the outer space around Mercury and primarily consists of a small amount of hydrogen and helium.
Hydrogen and helium are essentially harmless to the human body; inhaling a small amount has little effect, but inhaling too much can cause suffocation.
The atmosphere of Venus is 92 times that of Earth’s
Venus does not have its own moon, but it has a dense atmosphere that is about 92 times the mass of Earth’s atmosphere.
The main component of Venus’s atmosphere is carbon dioxide (approximately 96.5%), and it also contains a small amount of nitrogen (around 3.5%) and trace amounts of sulfur dioxide, argon, water vapor, carbon monoxide, helium, neon, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and other gases.
Among these, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide are toxic to the human body. The concentration of carbon monoxide on this planet is 17 ppm, which is still within safe limits; however, the concentration of sulfur dioxide (around 150 ppm) has reached a level that can make humans feel uncomfortable.
After taking a short breath of air on this planet, you must immediately move to a place with fresh air or breathe oxygen to avoid harm to the human body.
If you take a deep breath, it can cause lesions and pulmonary edema leading to death by suffocation.
The third planet in the Solar System is Earth, so we do not need to discuss this further.
Air pressure on the surface of Mars is about 0.6% of Earth’s atmosphere.
The air pressure on the surface of Mars is about 0.6% of that of Earth’s atmosphere, with its main components being carbon dioxide (95.32%), nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%), oxygen (0.13%), carbon monoxide (0.07%), water vapor (0.03%), etc.
Among these, the harmful carbon monoxide concentration has reached 0.07%, or 700 ppm. At this concentration, continuous inhalation for 45 minutes can cause poisoning. However, just one inhalation can require timely medical treatment to prevent significant loss of life and health.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and is a gas giant that primarily consists of 88-92% hydrogen and 8-12% helium, along with trace amounts of methane (about 0.3%) and ammonia (0.026%).
Saturn, also a gas giant similar to Jupiter, has a relatively high hydrogen content, with an ammonia content of about 0.0125%.
The ammonia content in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn is not at lethal levels, so inhaling it may cause discomfort due to its pungent smell, but prolonged exposure could lead to rhinitis, pharyngitis, pulmonary edema, and other diseases.
Among the natural satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, the moons with atmospheres include: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Enceladus, and Titan.
Io has a thin atmosphere.
Io has a thin atmosphere, with its atmospheric pressure being about one trillionth that of Earth, and its main components are sulfur dioxide, sodium chloride, sulfur monoxide, and a small amount of oxygen.
Among these, sulfur dioxide makes up over 30%; inhaling at this concentration for an extended period can cause lesions, pulmonary edema, and even death from suffocation…
The atmosphere of Europa is also very thin, primarily consisting of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane. Inhaling a breath of this air is harmless to the human body.
Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System, has a radius larger than that of Mercury and has a thin neutral atmosphere primarily composed of oxygen, making inhalation of this gas harmless to the human body.
The atmosphere of Callisto is dominated by carbon dioxide. The main components of Enceladus’s atmosphere are water vapor (91%), nitrogen (4%), carbon dioxide (3.2%), and methane (1.7%).
Titan, the largest natural satellite of Saturn and the second-largest moon in the Solar System, is the only moon in the Solar System with a thick atmosphere, and its surface atmospheric pressure is about 1.5 times that of Earth.
About 98% of Titan’s atmosphere is nitrogen, making it one of the nitrogen-rich celestial bodies in the Solar System. In addition to nitrogen, it also contains various hydrocarbons, such as methane. It is speculated that inhaling a breath here will not significantly affect the human body.
The position of the planets in the Solar System.
The atmospheres of the two giant ice planets, Uranus and Neptune, have very similar compositions, primarily consisting of hydrogen, helium, methane, and a small amount of heavy hydrogen compounds.
Looking only at the composition, inhaling a breath of air on these two planets would not cause too much harm to the human body, but you may suffer from frostbite (the atmospheric temperature of Uranus is about -224 degrees Celsius), or burns (the atmospheric temperature of Neptune can reach up to 500 degrees Celsius).
Among the natural satellites of Uranus and Neptune, only Triton has been confirmed to have an atmosphere. Triton is the largest natural satellite of Neptune, but its atmosphere is very thin, only 1.4 to 1.9 pascals, with nitrogen as the main component and a very small amount of methane and carbon monoxide near the surface. Inhaling a breath of air here will not have much impact on the human body.
