The orbits of the planets of the solar system are. Sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order and interesting information about the planets

The planets of the solar system

According to the official position of the International Astronomical Union (IAS), the organization that assigns names to astronomical objects, there are only 8 planets.

Pluto was excluded from the category of planets in 2006. since in the Kuiper belt there are objects that are larger / or equal in size to Pluto. Therefore, even if it is taken for a full-fledged celestial body, then it is necessary to add Eris to this category, which has almost the same size with Pluto.

By MAC definition, there are 8 known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

All planets are divided into two categories depending on their physical characteristics: terrestrial groups and gas giants.

Schematic representation of the location of the planets

Terrestrial planets

Mercury

The smallest planet in the solar system has a radius of only 2,440 km. The period of revolution around the Sun, for ease of understanding, equated to the Earth's year, is 88 days, while Mercury manages to complete a revolution around its own axis only one and a half times. Thus, its day lasts approximately 59 Earth days. For a long time it was believed that this planet was all the time turned to the Sun by the same side, since the periods of its visibility from the Earth were repeated with a frequency approximately equal to four Mercury days. This misconception was dispelled with the advent of the ability to use radar research and conduct constant observations using space stations... The orbit of Mercury is one of the most unstable, changing not only the speed of movement and its distance from the Sun, but also the position itself. Anyone interested can observe this effect.

Mercury in color, image from the MESSENGER spacecraft

The proximity to the Sun has caused Mercury to experience the largest temperature fluctuations among the planets of our system. The average daytime temperature is around 350 degrees Celsius and the nighttime temperature is -170 ° C. Sodium, oxygen, helium, potassium, hydrogen and argon were found in the atmosphere. There is a theory that he was previously a satellite of Venus, but so far this remains unproven. He has no satellites of his own.

Venus

The second planet from the Sun, the atmosphere of which is almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide... It is often called the Morning Star and the Evening Star, because it is the first of the stars that becomes visible after sunset, just as before dawn it continues to be visible even when all other stars have disappeared from sight. The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 96%, nitrogen in it is relatively small - almost 4%, and water vapor and oxygen are present in very small quantities.

Venus in the UV spectrum

This atmosphere creates a greenhouse effect, the surface temperature is therefore even higher than that of Mercury and reaches 475 ° C. It is considered the most leisurely, the Venusian day lasts 243 Earth days, which is almost equal to a year on Venus - 225 Earth days. Many call it the sister of the Earth because of its mass and radius, the values ​​of which are very close to those of the Earth. The radius of Venus is 6052 km (0.85% of the Earth). There are no satellites, like Mercury.

The third planet from the Sun and the only one in our system where there is liquid water, without which life on the planet could not have developed. At least life as we know it. The radius of the Earth is 6371 km and, unlike the rest of the celestial bodies of our system, more than 70% of its surface is covered with water. The rest of the space is occupied by continents. Another feature of the Earth is the tectonic plates hidden under the planet's mantle. Moreover, they are able to move, albeit with a very low speed, which over time causes a change in the landscape. The speed of the planet moving along it is 29-30 km / sec.

Our planet from space

One revolution around its axis takes almost 24 hours, and full walkthrough in orbit lasts 365 days, which is much longer in comparison with the nearest neighboring planets. The Earth's day and year are also taken as a standard, but this was done only for the convenience of perception of time intervals on the other planets. The Earth has one natural satellite - the Moon.

Mars

The fourth planet from the Sun, known for its tenuous atmosphere. Since 1960, Mars has been actively explored by scientists from several countries, including the USSR and the United States. Not all exploration programs have been successful, but water found in some areas suggests that primitive life on Mars exists, or has existed in the past.

The brightness of this planet allows you to see it from Earth without any instruments. Moreover, once every 15-17 years, during the Opposition, it becomes the brightest object in the sky, eclipsing even Jupiter and Venus.

The radius is almost half that of the Earth and is 3390 km, but the year is much longer - 687 days. He has 2 satellites - Phobos and Deimos .

An illustrative model of the solar system

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• The sun

  The sun is a star, which is a hot ball of incandescent gases at the center of our solar system. Its influence extends far beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. Without the Sun and its intense energy and heat, there would be no life on Earth. There are billions of stars, like our Sun, scattered across the Milky Way galaxy.

• Mercury

  Scorched by the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's satellite Moon. Like the Moon, Mercury is practically devoid of an atmosphere and cannot smooth out the traces of impact from falling meteorites, therefore, like the Moon, it is covered with craters. The daytime side of Mercury gets very hot on the Sun, while on the night side the temperature drops hundreds of degrees below zero. There is ice in the craters of Mercury, which are located at the poles. Mercury makes one revolution around the Sun every 88 days.

• Venus

  Venus is a world of monstrous heat (even more than on Mercury) and volcanic activity. Similar in structure and size to Earth, Venus is covered in a thick and toxic atmosphere that creates a strong greenhouse effect. This scorched world is hot enough to melt lead. Radar images through the mighty atmosphere have revealed volcanoes and warped mountains. Venus rotates in the opposite direction from the rotation of most planets.

• Earth is an ocean planet. Our home, with its abundance of water and life, makes it unique in our solar system. Other planets, including several moons, also have ice deposits, atmosphere, seasons and even weather, but only on Earth did all these components come together in such a way that life became possible.

• Mars

  Although details of Mars' surface are difficult to see from Earth, telescope observations show that Mars has seasons and white spots at the poles. For decades, people believed that the bright and dark areas on Mars were patches of vegetation and that Mars might be a suitable place for life, and that water exists in the polar caps. When the spacecraft Mariner 4 flew off Mars in 1965, many of the scientists were shocked to see photographs of the gloomy planet covered in craters. Mars turned out to be a dead planet. Later missions, however, revealed that Mars holds many secrets that still remain to be solved.

• Jupiter

  Jupiter is the most massive planet in our solar system, with four large moons and many small moons. Jupiter forms a kind of miniature solar system. To turn into a full-fledged star, Jupiter had to become 80 times more massive.

• Saturn

  Saturn is the farthest of the five planets that were known before the invention of the telescope. Like Jupiter, Saturn is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Its volume is 755 times that of the Earth. Winds in its atmosphere reach speeds of 500 meters per second. These fast winds, combined with the heat rising from the planet's interior, are causing the yellow and golden streaks we see in the atmosphere.

• Uranus

  The first planet found with a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel. The seventh planet is so far from the Sun that one revolution around the Sun takes 84 years.

• Neptune

  Nearly 4.5 billion kilometers from the Sun, distant Neptune orbits. It takes 165 years for one revolution around the Sun. It is invisible to the naked eye due to its great distance from Earth. It is interesting that its unusual elliptical orbit intersects with the orbit of the dwarf planet Pluto, which is why Pluto is inside the orbit of Neptune for about 20 years out of 248 during which it makes one revolution around the Sun.

• Pluto

  Tiny, cold and incredibly distant, Pluto was discovered in 1930 and has long been considered the ninth planet. But after the discoveries of Pluto-like worlds that were even further away, Pluto was transferred to the category of dwarf planets in 2006.

Planets are giants

There are four gas giants located beyond the orbit of Mars: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are found in the outer solar system. They are distinguished by their massiveness and gas composition.

Planets of the solar system, not to scale

Jupiter

The fifth in a row from the Sun and the largest planet in our system. Its radius is 69912 km, it is 19 times larger than the Earth and only 10 times smaller than the Sun. The year on Jupiter is not the longest in the solar system, it lasts 4333 Earth days (less than 12 years). His own day has a duration of about 10 Earth hours. The exact composition of the planet's surface has not yet been determined, but it is known that krypton, argon and xenon are present on Jupiter in much large quantities than the sun.

It is believed that one of the four gas giants is actually a failed star. This theory is supported by the largest number of satellites, of which Jupiter has many - as many as 67. To imagine their behavior in the planet's orbit, a sufficiently accurate and clear model of the solar system is needed. The largest of them are Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa. At the same time, Ganymede is the largest satellite of the planets in the entire solar system, its radius is 2634 km, which is 8% larger than the size of Mercury, the smallest planet in our system. Io differs in that it is one of three satellites with an atmosphere.

Saturn

The second largest planet and the sixth in the solar system. Compared to other planets, the composition is most similar to the Sun chemical elements... The radius of the surface is 57350 km, the year is 10 759 days (almost 30 Earth years). The day here lasts a little longer than on Jupiter - 10.5 Earth hours. By the number of satellites, it is not much behind its neighbor - 62 against 67. The largest satellite of Saturn is Titan, just like Io, which has an atmosphere. Slightly smaller in size, but no less famous from this - Enceladus, Rhea, Dione, Tethys, Iapetus and Mimas. It is these satellites that are the objects for the most frequent observation, and therefore we can say that they are the most studied in comparison with the rest.

For a long time, the rings on Saturn were considered unique phenomenon, inherent only to him. It has only recently been established that rings are present in all gas giants, but in others they are not so clearly visible. Their origin has not yet been established, although there are several hypotheses about how they came about. In addition, quite recently it was discovered that Rhea, one of the satellites of the sixth planet, also possesses a kind of rings.

Our planet Earth is inimitable and unique, in spite of the fact that the planets are also discovered in a number of other stars. Like other planets in the solar system, Earth formed from interstellar dust and gases... Its geological age - 4.5-5 billion years. Since the beginning of the geological stage, the Earth's surface has been divided into continental ledges and ocean trenches... A special granite-metamorphic layer was formed in the earth's crust. When gases were released from the mantle, the primary atmosphere and hydrosphere were formed.

Natural conditions on Earth turned out to be so favorable that with empty billion years since the formation of the planet on it life appeared. The emergence of life is due not only to the characteristics of the Earth as a planet, but also its optimal distance from the Sun ( about 150 million km)... For planets closer to the Sun, the flow of solar heat and light is too great and heats their surfaces above the boiling point of water. Planets farther away from Earth receive too little solar heat and are too cold. For planets whose mass is much less than that of the Earth, the gravitational force is so small that it does not provide the ability to maintain a sufficiently powerful and dense atmosphere.

During the existence of the planet, its nature has changed significantly. Tectonic activity periodically intensified, the dimensions and outlines of land and oceans changed, cosmic bodies fell to the planet's surface, ice sheets appeared and disappeared more than once. However, these changes, although they influenced the development of organic life, did not significantly disturb it.

The uniqueness of the Earth is associated with the presence of a geographic envelope that has arisen as a result of the interaction of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and living organisms.

In the observed part of outer space, another celestial body similar to the Earth has not yet been discovered.

The Earth, like other planets in the solar system, has spherical shape. The ancient Greeks were the first to speak about sphericity ( Pythagoras ). Aristotle observing lunar eclipses, he noted that the shadow cast by the Earth on the Moon always has a rounded shape, which prompted the scientist to think about the sphericity of the Earth. Over time, this idea was substantiated not only by observations, but also by accurate calculations.

At the end 17th century Newton suggested the polar compression of the Earth due to its axial rotation. Measurements of the lengths of meridian segments near the poles and the equator, carried out in the middle XVIII century proved the "oblateness" of the planet at the poles. It was determined that the equatorial radius of the Earth is 21 km longer than its polar radius. Thus, of the geometric bodies, the figure of the Earth most of all resembles ellipsoid of revolution , not a ball.

As evidence of the sphericity of the Earth, they often cite circumnavigation, increase with height of the range of the visible horizon, etc. Strictly speaking, this is only evidence of the Earth's bulge, not its spherical shape.

Scientific evidence of the sphericity are images of the Earth from space, geodetic measurements on the Earth's surface and lunar eclipses.

As a result of the changes carried out in various ways, the main parameters of the Earth were determined:

average radius - 6371 km;

equatorial radius - 6378 km;

polar radius - 6357 km;

circumference of the equator - 40,076 km;

surface area - 510 million km 2;

weight - 5976 ∙ 10 21 kg.

Earth- the third planet from the Sun (after Mercury and Venus) and the fifth in size among other planets of the solar system (Mercury is about 3 times smaller than Earth, and Jupiter is 11 times larger). The Earth's orbit is elliptical. Maximum distance between the Earth and the Sun - 152 million km, minimum - 147 million km

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The endless space that surrounds us is not just a huge airless space and emptiness. Here everything is subject to a single and strict order, everything has its own rules and is subject to the laws of physics. Everything is in constant motion and is constantly interconnected with each other. This is a system in which each celestial body takes its specific place. The center of the Universe is surrounded by galaxies, among which is our Milky Way. Our galaxy, in turn, is formed by stars, around which large and small planets revolve with their natural satellites. Wandering objects - comets and asteroids complement the picture of a universal scale.

Our solar system is also located in this endless cluster of stars - a tiny astrophysical object by cosmic standards, to which our cosmic home - planet Earth belongs. For us earthlings, the size of the solar system is colossal and difficult to perceive. In terms of the scale of the universe, these are tiny numbers - just 180 astronomical units, or 2.693e + 10 km. Here, too, everything is subject to its own laws, has its clearly defined place and sequence.

Brief characteristics and description

The interstellar medium and the stability of the solar system are provided by the location of the sun. Its location is an interstellar cloud that enters the Orion-Cygnus arm, which in turn is part of our galaxy. From a scientific point of view, our Sun is at the periphery, 25 thousand light-years from the center of the Milky Way, if we consider the galaxy in the center plane. In turn, the movement of the solar system around the center of our galaxy is carried out in orbit. The complete revolution of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way is carried out in different ways, within 225-250 million years and is one galactic year. The orbit of the solar system has an inclination of 600 to the galactic plane. Nearby, in the vicinity of our system, other stars and other solar systems with their large and small planets are running around the center of the galaxy.

The solar system is approximately 4.5 billion years old. Like most objects in the Universe, our star was formed as a result of the Big Bang. The origin of the solar system is explained by the action of the same laws that operated and continue to operate today in the field of nuclear physics, thermodynamics and mechanics. First, a star was formed, around which, due to the centripetal and centrifugal processes taking place, the formation of planets began. The sun was formed from a dense accumulation of gases - a molecular cloud, which was the product of a colossal Explosion. As a result of centripetal processes, the molecules of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and other elements were compressed into one solid and dense mass.

The result of grandiose and such large-scale processes was the formation of a protostar, in the structure of which thermonuclear fusion began. This long-term process, which began much earlier, we observe today, looking at our Sun after 4.5 billion years from the moment of its formation. The scale of the processes occurring during the formation of a star can be represented by assessing the density, size and mass of our Sun:

• the density is 1.409 g / cm3;
• the volume of the Sun is practically the same figure - 1.40927x1027 m3;
• the mass of the star is 1.9885x1030kg.

Today our Sun is an ordinary astrophysical object in the Universe, not the smallest star in our galaxy, but far from the largest. The sun dwells in its mature age, being not only the center of the solar system, but also the main factor in the appearance and existence of life on our planet.

The final structure of the solar system falls on the same period, with a difference, plus or minus half a billion years. The mass of the entire system, where the Sun interacts with other celestial bodies of the Solar system, is 1.0014 M☉. In other words, all planets, satellites and asteroids, cosmic dust and particles of gases orbiting the Sun, in comparison with the mass of our star, are a drop in the sea.

In the form in which we have an idea of ​​our star and the planets orbiting the Sun - this is a simplified version. For the first time, a mechanical heliocentric model of the solar system with a clockwork was presented to the scientific community in 1704. It should be borne in mind that the orbits of the planets of the solar system do not all lie in the same plane. They rotate around at a specific angle.

The model of the solar system was created on the basis of a simpler and older mechanism - tellurium, with the help of which the position and movement of the Earth in relation to the Sun was modeled. With the help of tellurium, it was possible to explain the principle of the movement of our planet around the Sun, to calculate the duration of the earth's year.

The simplest model of the solar system is presented in school textbooks, where each of the planets and other celestial bodies occupy a certain place. It should be borne in mind that the orbits of all objects revolving around the Sun are located under different angles to the center plane of the solar system. The planets of the solar system are located at different distances from the sun, revolve at different speeds and revolve in different ways around their own axis.

A map - a diagram of the solar system - is a drawing where all objects are located in one plane. In this case, such an image gives an idea only of the dimensions of celestial bodies and the distances between them. Thanks to this interpretation, it became possible to understand the location of our planet in a number of other planets, assess the scale of celestial bodies and give an idea of ​​the enormous distances that separate us from our celestial neighbors.

Planets and other objects of the solar system

Almost the entire universe is a myriad of stars, among which there are large and small solar systems. The presence of a star with its satellite planets is a common phenomenon in space. The laws of physics are the same everywhere and our solar system is no exception.

If you ask yourself how many planets there were in the solar system and how many there are today, it is quite difficult to answer unequivocally. The exact location of 8 major planets is currently known. In addition, 5 small dwarf planets revolve around the Sun. The existence of the ninth planet on this moment in academia is disputed.

The entire solar system is divided into groups of planets, which are arranged in the following order:

Terrestrial planets:

• Mercury;
• Venus;
• Mars.

Gas planets are giants:

• Jupiter;
• Saturn;
• Uranus;
• Neptune.

All the planets presented in the list differ in structure and have different astrophysical parameters. Which planet is bigger or smaller than others? The sizes of the planets of the solar system are different. The first four objects, similar in structure to the Earth, have a solid stone surface and are endowed with an atmosphere. Mercury, Venus and Earth are the inner planets. Mars completes this group. It is followed by the gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - dense, spherical gas formations.

The process of life of the planets of the solar system does not stop even for a second. Those planets that we see in the sky today are the arrangement of celestial bodies that the planetary system of our star has at the current moment. The state that was at the dawn of the formation of the solar system is strikingly different from what is studied today.

The astrophysical parameters of modern planets are evidenced by the table, which also indicates the distance of the planets of the solar system to the sun.

The existing planets of the solar system are approximately the same age, but there are theories that there were more planets in the beginning. This is evidenced by numerous ancient myths and legends describing the presence of other astrophysical objects and catastrophes that led to the death of the planet. This is confirmed by the structure of our star system, where along with the planets there are objects that are products of violent cosmic cataclysms.

A striking example of such activity is the asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Here, a huge number of objects of extraterrestrial origin are concentrated, mainly represented by asteroids and minor planets. It is these irregularly shaped debris in human culture that are considered the remnants of the protoplanet Phaethon, which died billions of years ago as a result of a large-scale cataclysm.

In fact, it is believed in scientific circles that the asteroid belt was formed as a result of the destruction of a comet. Astronomers have discovered the presence of water on the large asteroid Themis and on the minor planets Ceres and Vesta, which are the largest objects in the asteroid belt. The ice found on the surface of asteroids may indicate the cometary nature of the formation of these cosmic bodies.

Previously, one of the major planets, Pluto, today is not considered a full-fledged planet.

Pluto, which was previously ranked among the large planets of the solar system, is today translated into the size of dwarf celestial bodies orbiting the sun. Pluto, along with Haumea and Makemake, the largest dwarf planets, are in the Kuiper belt.

These dwarf planets in the solar system are located in the Kuiper belt. The region between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud is the most distant from the Sun, however, even there, outer space is not empty. In 2005, the most distant celestial body in our solar system, the dwarf planet Eridu, was discovered there. The process of exploring the most distant regions of our solar system continues. The Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, hypothetically, are the border regions of our star system, the visible border. This cloud of gas is located at a distance of one light-year from the Sun and is the region where comets, the wandering companions of our star, are born.

Characteristics of the planets of the solar system

The terrestrial group of planets is represented by the planets closest to the Sun - Mercury and Venus. These two cosmic bodies of the solar system, despite the similarity in physical structure with our planet, are a hostile environment for us. Mercury is the smallest planet in our star system, closest to the Sun. The heat of our star literally incinerates the surface of the planet, practically destroying the atmosphere on it. The distance from the planet's surface to the Sun is 57,910,000 km. In size, only 5 thousand km in diameter, Mercury is inferior to most of the large satellites dominated by Jupiter and Saturn.

Saturn's moon Titan has a diameter of over 5 thousand km, Jupiter's moon Ganymede has a diameter of 5265 km. Both satellites are second only to Mars in size.

The very first planet rushes around our star at a tremendous speed, making a complete revolution around our star in 88 Earth days. It is almost impossible to notice this small and nimble planet in the starry sky due to the close presence of the solar disk. Among the terrestrial planets, it is on Mercury that the largest daily temperature drops are observed. While the surface of the planet facing the Sun heats up to 700 degrees Celsius, back side the planet is immersed in the universal cold with temperatures up to -200 degrees.

The main difference between Mercury and all the planets of the solar system is its internal structure. Mercury has the largest iron-nickel inner core, which accounts for 83% of the mass of the entire planet. However, even the uncharacteristic quality did not allow Mercury to have its own natural satellites.

Behind Mercury is the closest planet to us - Venus. The distance from Earth to Venus is 38 million km, and it is very similar to our Earth. The planet has almost the same diameter and mass, slightly inferior in these parameters to our planet. However, in all other respects, our neighbor is fundamentally different from our cosmic home. The orbital period of Venus around the Sun is 116 Earth days, and the planet revolves around its own axis extremely slowly. average temperature surface rotating around its axis for 224 Earth days of Venus is 447 degrees Celsius.

Like its predecessor, Venus lacks the physical conditions conducive to the existence of known life forms. The planet is surrounded by a dense atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Both Mercury and Venus are the only planets in the solar system that are devoid of natural satellites.

The Earth is the last of the inner planets of the solar system, located at a distance of about 150 million km from the Sun. Our planet makes one revolution around the Sun in 365 days. Rotates around its own axis in 23.94 hours. The Earth is the first of the celestial bodies located on the path from the Sun to the periphery, which has a natural satellite.

Digression: The astrophysical parameters of our planet are well studied and known. Earth is the largest and densest planet of all the other inner planets in the solar system. It is here that the natural physical conditions at which the existence of water is possible. Our planet has a stable magnetic field holding the atmosphere. Earth is the most well-studied planet. Subsequent study is mainly of not only theoretical interest, but also practical.

The parade of the terrestrial planets is closed by Mars. The subsequent study of this planet is mainly of not only theoretical interest, but also practical, associated with the development of extraterrestrial worlds by man. Astrophysicists are attracted not only by the relative proximity of this planet to the Earth (on average 225 million km), but also by the absence of difficult climatic conditions. The planet is surrounded by an atmosphere, although it is in an extremely rarefied state, has its own magnetic field and temperature drops on the surface of Mars are not as critical as on Mercury and Venus.

Like Earth, Mars has two satellites - Phobos and Deimos, the natural nature of which in recent times questioned. Mars is the last fourth hard planet in the solar system. Following the asteroid belt, which is a kind of inner boundary of the solar system, begins the kingdom of gas giants.

The largest cosmic celestial bodies in our solar system

The second group of planets that make up the system of our star has bright and large representatives. These are the largest objects in our solar system, which are considered outer planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the farthest from our star, and their astrophysical parameters are enormous by earthly standards. These celestial bodies differ in their massiveness and composition, which is mainly of a gaseous nature.

The main beauties of the solar system are Jupiter and Saturn. The total mass of this pair of giants would be quite enough to fit in it the mass of all the known celestial bodies of the solar system. So Jupiter - the largest planet in the solar system - weighs 1876.64328 · 1024 kg, and the mass of Saturn is 561.80376 · 1024 kg. These planets have the most natural satellites. Some of them, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto and Io, are the largest satellites in the solar system and are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets.

The largest planet in the solar system - Jupiter - has a diameter of 140 thousand km. In many respects, Jupiter is more like a failed star - a vivid example of the existence of a small solar system. This is evidenced by the size of the planet and astrophysical parameters - Jupiter is only 10 times smaller than our star. The planet rotates around its own axis quickly enough - only 10 Earth hours. The number of satellites, of which 67 have been identified, is also striking. The behavior of Jupiter and its moons is very similar to the model of the solar system. Such a number of natural satellites in one planet raises a new question, how many planets there were in the solar system at the early stage of its formation. It is assumed that Jupiter, possessing a powerful magnetic field, turned some planets into their natural satellites. Some of them - Titan, Ganymede, Callisto and Io - are the largest satellites of the solar system and are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets.

Slightly inferior in size to Jupiter is its smaller brother, the gas giant Saturn. This planet, like Jupiter, is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, the gases that form the basis of our star. With its size, the diameter of the planet is 57 thousand km, Saturn also resembles a protostar that has stopped in its development. The number of satellites of Saturn is slightly inferior to the number of satellites of Jupiter - 62 against 67. Saturn's moon Titan, as well as Io, the moon of Jupiter, has an atmosphere.

In other words, the largest planets Jupiter and Saturn with their systems of natural satellites strongly resemble small solar systems, with their clearly defined center and system of motion of celestial bodies.

Behind the two gas giants are the cold and dark worlds, the planets Uranus and Neptune. These celestial bodies are located at a distance of 2.8 billion km and 4.49 billion km. from the Sun, respectively. Due to the great distance from our planet, Uranus and Neptune were discovered relatively recently. Unlike the other two gas giants, Uranus and Neptune contain large quantities of frozen gases - hydrogen, ammonia and methane. These two planets are also called ice giants. Uranus is smaller in size than Jupiter and Saturn and ranks third in the solar system. The planet is the cold pole of our star system. On the surface of Uranus, an average temperature of -224 degrees Celsius is recorded. Uranus differs from other celestial bodies revolving around the Sun by a strong tilt of its own axis. The planet seems to be rolling, revolving around our star.

Like Saturn, Uranus is surrounded by a hydrogen-helium atmosphere. Neptune, unlike Uranus, has a different composition. The presence of methane in the atmosphere speaks blue color spectrum of the planet.

Both planets are slowly and majestically moving around our star. Uranus orbits the Sun in 84 Earth years, and Neptune orbits our star twice as long - 164 Earth years.

Finally

Our solar system is a huge mechanism in which every planet, all satellites of the solar system, asteroids and other celestial bodies move along a clearly defined route. The laws of astrophysics operate here, which have not changed for 4.5 billion years. Dwarf planets move along the outer edges of our solar system in the Kuiper belt. Comets are frequent guests of our star system. These space objects with a periodicity of 20-150 years visit the inner regions of the solar system, flying in the visibility zone of our planet.

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The solar system is a group of planets revolving in specific orbits around a bright star - the Sun. This luminary is the main source of heat and light in the solar system.

It is believed that our planetary system was formed as a result of the explosion of one or more stars and this happened about 4.5 billion years ago. In the beginning, the solar system was an accumulation of gas and dust particles, however, over time and under the influence of its own mass, the sun and other planets arose.

The planets of the solar system

In the center of the solar system is the Sun, around which eight planets move in their orbits: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Until 2006, Pluto belongs to this group of planets, it was considered the 9th planet from the Sun, however, due to its considerable distance from the Sun and its small size, it was excluded from this list and named a dwarf planet. Rather, it is one of several dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt.

All the above planets are usually divided into two large groups: the terrestrial group and the gas giants.

The terrestrial group includes such planets as: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. They are distinguished by their small size and rocky surface, and in addition, they are located closer to the Sun.

TO gas giants include: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are characterized by large sizes and the presence of rings, which are ice dust and rocky lumps. These planets consist mainly of gas.

The sun

The sun is the star around which all the planets and satellites in the solar system revolve. It is composed of hydrogen and helium. The sun is 4.5 billion years old, it is only in the middle of its life cycle, gradually increases in size. Now the diameter of the Sun is 1,391,400 km. In the same number of years, this star will expand and reach the Earth's orbit.

The sun is the source of heat and light for our planet. Its activity increases or becomes weaker every 11 years.

Due to the extremely high temperatures on its surface, a detailed study of the Sun is extremely difficult, but attempts to launch a special apparatus as close as possible to the star continue.

Terrestrial group of planets

Mercury

This planet is one of the smallest in the solar system, with a diameter of 4,879 km. In addition, it is closest to the Sun. This proximity predetermined a significant temperature difference. The average temperature on Mercury in the daytime is +350 degrees Celsius, and at night - -170 degrees.

If you focus on the Earth year, then Mercury makes a complete revolution around the Sun in 88 days, and one day there lasts 59 Earth days. It was noticed that this planet can periodically change the speed of its rotation around the Sun, distance from it and its position.

There is no atmosphere on Mercury, in this regard, it is often attacked by asteroids and leave behind a lot of craters on its surface. Sodium, helium, argon, hydrogen, oxygen have been discovered on this planet.

A detailed study of Mercury is very difficult due to its close proximity to the Sun. Sometimes Mercury can be seen from Earth with the naked eye.

According to one of the theories, it is believed that Mercury was previously a satellite of Venus, however, it has not yet been possible to prove this assumption. Mercury does not have its own satellite.

Venus

This planet is the second from the Sun. In terms of its size, it is close to the diameter of the Earth; its diameter is 12,104 km. In all other respects, Venus is significantly different from our planet. A day here lasts 243 earth days, and a year - 255 days. The atmosphere of Venus is 95% carbon dioxide, which creates a greenhouse effect on its surface. This leads to the fact that the average temperature on the planet is 475 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere also includes 5% nitrogen and 0.1% oxygen.

Unlike the Earth, most of whose surface is covered with water, there is no liquid on Venus, and almost the entire surface is occupied by solidified basalt lava. According to one theory, there were oceans on this planet earlier, however, as a result of internal heating, they evaporated, and the vapors were carried away by the solar wind into outer space. Gentle winds blow near the surface of Venus, however, at an altitude of 50 km their speed increases significantly and amounts to 300 meters per second.

There are many craters and hills on Venus that resemble terrestrial continents. The formation of craters is associated with the fact that earlier the planet had a less dense atmosphere.

A distinctive feature of Venus is that, unlike other planets, its movement does not occur from west to east, but from east to west. It can be seen from Earth even without a telescope after sunset or before sunrise. This is due to the ability of its atmosphere to reflect light well.

Venus has no satellite.

Earth

Our planet is located at a distance of 150 million km from the Sun and this allows us to create on its surface a temperature suitable for the existence of water in liquid form, and, therefore, for the emergence of life.

Its surface is 70% covered with water, and it is the only planet on which there is such an amount of liquid. It is believed that many thousands of years ago, the vapor contained in the atmosphere created the temperature on the Earth's surface to form water in liquid form, and solar radiation contributed to photosynthesis and the birth of life on the planet.

A feature of our planet is that there are huge tectonic plates under the earth's crust, which, while moving, collide with each other and lead to a change in the landscape.

The diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km. The earth's day lasts 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds, and a year - 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds. Its atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a small percentage of the rest of the gases. None of the atmospheres of other planets in the solar system has this amount of oxygen.

According to research by scientists, the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years, approximately the same age as its only satellite, the Moon. It is always turned to our planet by only one side. There are many craters, mountains and plains on the lunar surface. It reflects sunlight very weakly, so it can be seen from Earth in a pale moonlight.

Mars

This planet is the fourth in a row from the Sun and is at a distance of 1.5 times greater than the Earth. The diameter of Mars is smaller than that of the Earth and is 6,779 km. The average air temperature on the planet ranges from -155 degrees to +20 degrees in the equator. The magnetic field on Mars is much weaker than that of the Earth, and the atmosphere is rather rarefied, which allows solar radiation to influence the surface unhindered. In this regard, if there is life on Mars, it is not on the surface.

When surveyed with the help of rovers, it was found that there are many mountains on Mars, as well as dry river beds and glaciers. The planet's surface is covered with red sand. Iron oxide gives this color to Mars.

One of the most frequent events on the planet is dust storms, which are voluminous and destructive. It was not possible to detect geological activity on Mars, however, it is reliably known that significant geological events previously took place on the planet.

The atmosphere of Mars is 96% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen and 1.6% argon. Oxygen and water vapor are found in minimal quantities.

A day on Mars is similar in duration to that on Earth and is 24 hours 37 minutes 23 seconds. A year on the planet lasts twice as long as the earth - 687 days.

The planet has two moons Phobos and Deimos. They have small size and an irregular shape reminiscent of asteroids.

Sometimes Mars is also visible from Earth with the naked eye.

Gas giants

Jupiter

This planet is the largest in the solar system and has a diameter of 139,822 km, which is 19 times the size of Earth. A day on Jupiter lasts 10 hours, and a year is approximately 12 Earth years. Jupiter is mainly composed of xenon, argon and krypton. If it were 60 times larger, it could become a star due to a spontaneous thermonuclear reaction.

The average temperature on the planet is -150 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium. There is no oxygen and water on its surface. There is speculation that there is ice in Jupiter's atmosphere.

Jupiter has a huge number of satellites - 67. The largest of them are Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Ganymede is one of the largest moons in the solar system. Its diameter is 2,634 km, which roughly corresponds to the size of Mercury. In addition, a thick layer of ice is visible on its surface, under which there may be water. Callisto is considered the oldest of the moons, since it is its surface that has the largest number of craters.

Saturn

This planet is the second largest in the solar system. Its diameter is 116,464 km. It is most similar in composition to the Sun. A year on this planet lasts quite a long time, almost 30 Earth years, and a day - 10.5 hours. The average surface temperature is -180 degrees.

Its atmosphere is composed mostly of hydrogen and a small amount of helium. In her upper layers thunderstorms and auroras are frequent.

Saturn is unique in that it has 65 moons and multiple rings. The rings are made up of small ice particles and rocky formations. Ice dust perfectly reflects light, so Saturn's rings are very visible through a telescope. However, it is not the only planet to have a tiara, it is just less noticeable on other planets.

Uranus

Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system and the seventh from the Sun. It has a diameter of 50,724 km. It is also called the "ice planet" as the temperature on its surface is -224 degrees. A day on Uranus lasts 17 hours, and a year lasts 84 Earth years. Moreover, summer lasts as long as winter - 42 years. Such a natural phenomenon is due to the fact that the axis of that planet is located at an angle of 90 degrees to the orbit, and it turns out that Uranus, as it were, "lies on its side."

Uranus has 27 satellites. The most famous of them are: Oberon, Titania, Ariel, Miranda, Umbriel.

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. In composition and size, it is similar to its neighbor Uranus. The diameter of this planet is 49,244 km. A day on Neptune lasts 16 hours, and a year is equal to 164 Earth years. Neptune belongs to the ice giants and long time it was believed that no weather phenomena occurred on its icy surface. However, it has recently been found that Neptune has violent eddies and wind speeds that are the highest of the planets in the solar system. It reaches 700 km / h.

Neptune has 14 moons, the most famous of which is Triton. It is known to have its own atmosphere.

Neptune also has rings. This planet has 6 of them.

Interesting facts about the planets of the solar system

Compared to Jupiter, Mercury appears to be a point in the sky. These are actually the proportions in the solar system:

Venus is often called the Morning and Evening Star, since it is the first of the stars visible in the sky at the beginning of sunset and the last one to disappear from view at dawn.

An interesting fact about Mars is the fact that methane was found on it. Due to the rarefied atmosphere, it constantly evaporates, which means that there is constant source this gas. Such a source can be living organisms inside the planet.

There is no change of seasons on Jupiter. The biggest mystery is the so-called "Great Red Spot". Its origin on the surface of the planet is still not fully understood. Scientists suggest that it was formed by a huge hurricane that has been rotating at a very high speed for several centuries.

An interesting fact is that Uranus, like many planets of the solar system, has its own ring system. Due to the fact that the particles that make up their composition poorly reflect light, the rings could not be detected immediately after the discovery of the planet.

Neptune has a deep blue color, so it was named after the ancient Roman god - the master of the seas. Due to its distant location, this planet was one of the last to be discovered. At the same time, its location was calculated mathematically, and after a while they could see it, and it was in the calculated place.

Light from the Sun to the surface of our planet reaches in 8 minutes.

The solar system, despite its long and careful study, is fraught with many more mysteries and secrets that have yet to be revealed. One of the most fascinating hypotheses is the assumption of the presence of life on other planets, the search for which is actively continuing.

Our planet is a huge ellipsoid composed of rocks, metals and covered with water and soil. Earth is one of the nine planets that revolve around the sun; in terms of the size of the planets, it ranks fifth. The sun, together with the planets revolving around it, forms. Our galaxy Milky Way, its diameter is about 100 thousand light years (this is how long the light will go to the last point of this space).

The planets of the solar system describe ellipses around the sun, while also rotating around their own axes. The four planets closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are called internal, the rest (Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) - external. Recently, scientists have found many planets in the solar system that are equal in size or slightly smaller than Pluto, so in astronomy today they talk about only eight planets that make up the solar system, but we will adhere to the standard theory.

The Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun at a speed of 107,200 km / h (29.8 km / s). In addition, it rotates around its axis of an imaginary rod passing through the northernmost and southernmost points of the Earth. The earth's axis is inclined to the plane of the ecliptic at an angle of 66.5 °. Scientists calculated that if the Earth stopped, it would instantly burn out from the energy of its own speed. The ends of the axis are called the North and South Poles.

The Earth describes its path around the Sun in one year (365.25 days). Every fourth year contains 366 days (extra days accumulate over 4 years), it is called a leap year. Due to the tilt of the earth's axis, the northern hemisphere is tilted most toward the sun in June, and the southern hemisphere in December. In the hemisphere that is currently tilted the most towards the Sun, it is now summer. This means that it is winter in the other hemisphere and it is now least illuminated by the sun's rays.

The imaginary lines running north and south of the equator, called the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, show where the sun's rays strike the Earth's surface vertically at noon. In the northern hemisphere this happens in June (Tropic of Cancer), and in the southern hemisphere in December (Tropic of Capricorn).

The solar system consists of nine planets orbiting the sun, their satellites, many minor planets, comets and interplanetary dust.

Earth movement

The Earth makes 11 different movements, but of these, the daily movement around the axis and the annual revolution around the Sun have an important geographical significance.

In this case, the following definitions are introduced: aphelion is the most distant point in orbit from the Sun (152 million km). The earth passes through it on July 5th. Perihelion is the closest point in orbit from the Sun (147 million km). The earth passes through it on January 3rd. total length orbits - 940 million km.

The movement of the Earth around the axis goes from west to east, a full revolution is completed in 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. This time is taken as a day. Daily movement has 4 consequences:

• Compression at the poles and the spherical shape of the Earth;
• Change of day and night, seasons;
• The Coriolis force (named after the French scientist G. Coriolis) is the deviation of horizontally moving bodies in the Northern Hemisphere to the left, in the Southern Hemisphere to the right, this affects the direction of movement of air masses, sea currents, etc .;
• Tidal phenomena.

The Earth's orbit has several important points corresponding to the days of the equinox and solstices. June 22 is the day of the summer solstice, when in the Northern Hemisphere it is the longest, and in the Southern
is the shortest day of the year. On and within the Arctic Circle this day is a polar day, and within and within the Arctic Circle is a polar night. December 22 - the day of the winter solstice, in the northern hemisphere - the shortest, in the southern - the longest day of the year. Within the Arctic Circle - polar night. Antarctic Circle - polar day. March 21 and September 23 are the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, since the sun's rays fall vertically on the equator, on the whole Earth (except for the poles) day is equal to night.

The tropics are parallels with latitudes of 23.5 °, in which the Sun is at its zenith only once a year. Between the North and South Tropics, the Sun is at its zenith twice a year, and outside of them the Sun is never at its zenith.

The polar circles (Northern and Southern) are parallels in the Northern and Southern hemispheres with latitudes of 66.5 °, at which the polar day and night last exactly one day.

The polar day and night reach their maximum duration (six months) at the poles.

Time Zones. In order to manage time differences resulting from the rotation of the Earth on its axis, Earth conventionally divided into 24 time zones. Without them, no one would be able to answer the question: "What time is it in other parts of the world?" The boundaries of these belts approximately coincide with the lines of longitude. In each time zone, people set clocks according to their own local time, depending on the point on Earth. The spacing between the belts is 15 °. In 1884, Greenwich Mean Time was introduced, which is counted from the meridian passing through the Greenwich Observatory and having a longitude of 0 °.

Lines 180 ° East and West longitude coincide. This common line is called the International Date Line. The time at points on the Earth west of this line is 12 hours ahead of the time at points east of this line (symmetrically about the date line). The times in these neighboring zones are the same, but traveling east you find yourself in yesterday, traveling west - tomorrow.

Earth parameters

• Equatorial radius - 6378 km
• Polar radius - 6357 km
• Compression of the earth ellipsoid - 1: 298
• Average radius - 6371 km
• Equator circumference - 40,076 km
• The length of the meridian is 40,008 km
• Surface - 510 million km2
• Volume - 1.083 trillion. km3
• Weight - 5.98 10 ^ 24 kg
• Free fall acceleration - 9.81 m / s ^ 2 (Paris) Distance from the Earth to the Moon - 384 000 km Distance from the Earth to the Sun - 150 million km.

Solar system