Which planet 2 is to the sun. Wonders of the Cosmos: Interesting Facts about the Planets of the Solar System. Giants made of gases and hot metals

On March 13, 1781, the English astronomer William Herschel discovered the seventh planet in the solar system - Uranus. And on March 13, 1930, the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ninth planet of the solar system - Pluto. By the beginning of the 21st century, it was believed that the solar system includes nine planets. However, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided to strip Pluto of this status.

Already known 60 natural satellites Saturn, most of which have been detected by spacecraft. Most of the satellites are composed of rocks and ice. The largest satellite, Titan, discovered in 1655 by Christian Huygens, is larger than the planet Mercury. Titan's diameter is about 5200 km. Titan orbits Saturn every 16 days. Titan is the only satellite with a very dense atmosphere, 1.5 times that of Earth, and composed mainly of 90% nitrogen, with a moderate methane content.

The International Astronomical Union officially recognized Pluto as a planet in May 1930. At that time, it was assumed that its mass is comparable to the mass of the Earth, but later it was found that the mass of Pluto is almost 500 times less than that of the Earth, even less than the mass of the Moon. Pluto's mass is 1.2 by 10 to 22 degrees kg (0.22 Earth masses). Pluto's average distance from the Sun is 39.44 AU. (5.9 by 10 to the 12th degree km), the radius is about 1.65 thousand km. The period of revolution around the Sun is 248.6 years, the period of rotation around its axis is 6.4 days. Pluto's composition is believed to include rock and ice; the planet has a thin atmosphere composed of nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Pluto has three moons: Charon, Hydra and Nikta.

Late XX and early XXI For centuries, many objects have been discovered in the outer part of the solar system. It became apparent that Pluto is only one of the largest known Kuiper belt objects to date. Moreover, at least one of the objects in the belt - Eris - is a larger body than Pluto and 27% heavier than it. In this regard, the idea arose not to consider Pluto more as a planet. On August 24, 2006, at the XXVI General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), it was decided to henceforth call Pluto not a "planet", but a "dwarf planet".

At the conference, a new definition of a planet was developed, according to which planets are considered to be bodies revolving around a star (and not being a star themselves), having a hydrostatically equilibrium shape and "clearing" the area in the region of their orbit from other, smaller objects. Dwarf planets will be considered objects orbiting a star, having a hydrostatically equilibrium shape, but not "clearing" the nearby space and not being satellites. Planets and dwarf planets are two different classes of objects in the solar system. All other objects orbiting the sun and not being satellites will be called small bodies of the solar system.

Thus, since 2006, there have been eight planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Five dwarf planets are officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, Eris.

On June 11, 2008, the IAU announced the introduction of the concept of "plutoid". Plutoids are decided to call celestial bodies revolving around the Sun in an orbit whose radius is greater than the radius of the orbit of Neptune, the mass of which is sufficient for gravitational forces to give them an almost spherical shape, and which do not clear the space around their orbit (that is, many small objects revolve around them ).

Since for such distant objects as plutoids, it is still difficult to determine the shape and thus the relation to the class of dwarf planets, scientists have recommended temporarily referring to plutoids all objects whose absolute asteroid magnitude (brightness from a distance of one astronomical unit) is brighter than +1. If later it turns out that the object classified as a plutoid is not a dwarf planet, it will be deprived of this status, although the assigned name will be retained. The dwarf planets Pluto and Eris were classified as plutoids. In July 2008, Makemake was included in this category. Haumea was added to the list on 17 September 2008.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Universe (space)- this is the whole world around us, boundless in time and space and infinitely varied in the forms that eternally moving matter takes. The infinity of the universe can be partly imagined on a clear night with billions of different sizes of glowing twinkling dots in the sky representing distant worlds. Rays of light at a speed of 300,000 km / s from the most distant parts of the Universe reach the Earth in about 10 billion years.

According to scientists, the universe was formed as a result of the "Big Bang" 17 billion years ago.

It consists of clusters of stars, planets, cosmic dust and other cosmic bodies. These bodies form systems: planets with satellites (eg. Solar system), galaxies, metagalaxies (a cluster of galaxies).

Galaxy(late Greek. galaktikos- milky, milky, from Greek gala- milk) is an extensive stellar system that consists of many stars, star clusters and associations, gas and dust nebulae, as well as individual atoms and particles scattered in interstellar space.

There are many galaxies of various sizes and shapes in the Universe.

All stars visible from Earth are part of the Milky Way Galaxy. It got its name due to the fact that most of the stars can be seen on a clear night in the form of the Milky Way - a whitish blurred stripe.

All in all, the Milky Way Galaxy contains about 100 billion stars.

Our galaxy is in constant rotation. The speed of its movement in the Universe is 1.5 million km / h. If you look at our galaxy from the side of its north pole, then rotation occurs clockwise. The sun and the stars closest to it make a complete revolution around the center of the galaxy over 200 million years. This period is considered to be galactic year.

Similar in size and shape to the Milky Way galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, or the Andromeda Nebula, is about 2 million light-years from our galaxy. Light year- the distance traveled by light in a year, approximately equal to 10 13 km (the speed of light is 300,000 km / s).

The concept of the celestial sphere is used to illustrate the study of the motion and location of stars, planets and other celestial bodies.

Fig. 1. The main lines of the celestial sphere

Celestial sphere Is an imaginary sphere of arbitrarily large radius, in the center of which there is an observer. The stars, the sun, the moon, and the planets are projected onto the celestial sphere.

The most important lines on the celestial sphere are: plumb line, zenith, nadir, celestial equator, ecliptic, celestial meridian, etc. (Fig. 1).

Plumb line- a straight line passing through the center of the celestial sphere and coinciding with the direction of the plumb line at the observation point. For an observer on the surface of the Earth, the plumb line passes through the center of the Earth and the observation point.

The plumb line intersects with the surface of the celestial sphere at two points - zenith, over the observer's head, and nadire - diametrically opposite point.

The large circle of the celestial sphere, the plane of which is perpendicular to the plumb line, is called mathematical horizon. It divides the surface of the celestial sphere into two halves: visible to the observer, with a top at the zenith, and invisible, with a top at nadir.

The diameter around which the celestial sphere rotates is axis of the world. It intersects with the surface of the celestial sphere at two points - north pole of the world and south pole of the world. The North Pole is the one from which the rotation of the celestial sphere occurs clockwise, if you look at the sphere from the outside.

The great circle of the celestial sphere, the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the world, is called celestial equator. It divides the surface of the celestial sphere into two hemispheres: northern, with a summit at the north pole of the world, and southern, with a summit at the south pole of the world.

The great circle of the celestial sphere, the plane of which passes through the plumb line and the axis of the world, is the celestial meridian. It divides the surface of the celestial sphere into two hemispheres - eastern and western.

The line of intersection of the plane of the celestial meridian and the plane of the mathematical horizon - midday line.

Ecliptic(from the Greek. ekieipsis- eclipse) - a large circle of the celestial sphere, along which the apparent annual movement of the Sun, more precisely, its center, takes place.

The plane of the ecliptic is inclined to the plane of the celestial equator at an angle of 23 ° 26 "21".

To make it easier to remember the location of the stars in the sky, people in ancient times came up with the idea of ​​combining the brightest of them into constellations.

Currently, 88 constellations are known that bear the names of mythical characters (Hercules, Pegasus, etc.), signs of the zodiac (Taurus, Pisces, Cancer, etc.), objects (Libra, Lyra, etc.) (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Summer-autumn constellations

The origin of galaxies. The solar system and its individual planets still remain an unsolved mystery of nature. There are several hypotheses. It is currently believed that our galaxy was formed from a gas cloud composed of hydrogen. At the initial stage of the evolution of the galaxy, the first stars were formed from the interstellar gas-dust medium, and 4.6 billion years ago, the solar system.

The composition of the solar system

The set of celestial bodies moving around the Sun as a central body forms The solar system. It is located almost on the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy. The solar system participates in rotation around the center of the galaxy. The speed of this movement is about 220 km / s. This movement takes place in the direction of the constellation Cygnus.

The composition of the solar system can be represented in the form of a simplified diagram shown in Fig. 3.

Over 99.9% of the mass of matter in the Solar System falls on the Sun and only 0.1% - on all its other elements.

I. Kant's hypothesis (1775) - P. Laplace (1796)

D. Jeans hypothesis (early XX century)

The hypothesis of academician O.P.Schmidt (40s of the XX century)

Hypotesis a kalemic V.G. Fesenkov (30s of the XX century)

The planets were formed from gas-dusty matter (in the form of an incandescent nebula). Cooling is accompanied by compression and an increase in the rotation speed of some axis. Rings appeared at the nebula's equator. The substance of the rings collected in incandescent bodies and gradually cooled down.

A larger star once passed by the Sun, the ss attraction tore out a stream of incandescent matter (prominence) from the Sun. Condensations formed, from which then - planets

A gas-dust cloud revolving around the Sun should have taken on a solid form as a result of the collision of particles and their movement. The particles are combined into condensations. The attraction of smaller particles by condensations should have facilitated the growth of the surrounding matter. The orbits of the clusters were to become almost circular and lie almost in the same plane. The condensations were the embryos of the planets, absorbing almost all of the matter from the intervals between their orbits.

The Sun itself arose from the rotating cloud, and the planets - from secondary condensations in this cloud. Further, the Sun has greatly decreased and cooled to its present state.

Fig. 3. The composition of the solar systems

The sun

The sun Is a star, a giant red-hot ball. Its diameter is 109 times the diameter of the Earth, its mass is 330,000 times the mass of the Earth, but the average density is low - only 1.4 times the density of water. The sun is about 26,000 light years from the center of our galaxy and revolves around it, making one revolution in about 225-250 million years. The orbital speed of the Sun is 217 km / s - thus, it travels one light year in 1400 Earth years.

Fig. 4. The chemical composition of the Sun

The pressure on the Sun is 200 billion times higher than that of the Earth's surface. The density of the solar matter and pressure rapidly build up in depth; the increase in pressure is explained by the weight of all overlying layers. The temperature on the surface of the Sun is 6000 K, and inside is 13 500 000 K. The characteristic lifetime of a star like the Sun is 10 billion years.

Table 1. General information about the Sun

The chemical composition of the Sun is about the same as that of most other stars: about 75% is hydrogen, 25% is helium and less than 1% is all others. chemical elements(carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) (Fig. 4).

The central part of the Sun with a radius of about 150,000 km is called the solar core. This is the zone of nuclear reactions. The density of matter here is about 150 times the density of water. The temperature exceeds 10 million K (on the Kelvin scale, in terms of degrees Celsius 1 ° C = K - 273.1) (Fig. 5).

Above the core, at distances of about 0.2-0.7 of the Sun's radius from its center, there is zone of transfer of radiant energy. Energy transfer here is carried out by absorption and emission of photons by separate layers of particles (see Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. The structure of the Sun

Photon(from the Greek. phos- shine), elementary particle able to exist only by moving at the speed of light.

Closer to the surface of the Sun, vortex mixing of the plasma occurs, and the transfer of energy to the surface occurs

mainly by the movements of the substance itself. This method of transferring energy is called convection, and the layer of the Sun, where it occurs, - convective zone. The thickness of this layer is approximately 200,000 km.

Above the convective zone is the solar atmosphere, which constantly fluctuates. Both vertical and horizontal waves with lengths of several thousand kilometers propagate here. Oscillations occur with a period of about five minutes.

The inner layer of the Sun's atmosphere is called photosphere. It consists of light-colored bubbles. it granules. Their size is small - 1000-2000 km, and the distance between them is 300-600 km. The Sun can simultaneously observe about a million granules, each of which exists for several minutes. The granules are surrounded by dark spaces. If the substance rises in the granules, then around them it falls. Granules create a general background against which one can observe such large-scale formations as torches, sunspots, prominences, etc.

Sun spots- dark areas on the Sun, the temperature of which is lowered in comparison with the surrounding space.

With solar torches are called bright fields surrounding sunspots.

Prominences(from lat. protubero- I swell) - dense condensations of relatively cold (compared to the ambient temperature) matter, which rise and are held above the surface of the Sun by a magnetic field. The formation of the magnetic field of the Sun can be caused by the fact that different layers of the Sun rotate at different speeds: the inner parts rotate faster; the core rotates especially quickly.

Prominences, sunspots, and torches are not the only examples of solar activity. It also includes magnetic storms and explosions, which are called flashes.

Above the photosphere is located chromosphere- the outer shell of the sun. The origin of the name for this part of the solar atmosphere is due to its reddish color. The thickness of the chromosphere is 10-15 thousand km, and the density of matter is hundreds of thousands of times less than in the photosphere. The temperature in the chromosphere rises rapidly, reaching tens of thousands of degrees in its upper layers. At the edge of the chromosphere are observed spicules, which are elongated columns of compacted glowing gas. The temperature of these jets is higher than the temperature of the photosphere. The spicules first rise from the lower chromosphere by 5000-10,000 km, and then fall back, where they fade. All this happens at a speed of about 20,000 m / s. Sleep kula lives 5-10 minutes. The number of spicules existing on the Sun at the same time is about a million (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6. The structure of the outer layers of the Sun

The chromosphere surrounds solar crown- the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere.

The total amount of energy emitted by the Sun is 3.86. 1026 watts, and only one two-billionth part of this energy is received by the Earth.

Solar radiation includes corpuscular and electromagnetic radiation.Corpuscular main radiation Is a plasma flow, which consists of protons and neutrons, or in another way - sunny wind, which reaches near-Earth space and flows around the entire magnetosphere of the Earth. Electromagnetic radiation Is the radiant energy of the Sun. In the form of direct and scattered radiation, it reaches the earth's surface and provides a thermal regime on our planet.

In the middle of the XIX century. Swiss astronomer Rudolph Wolf(1816-1893) (Fig. 7) calculated a quantitative indicator of solar activity, known throughout the world as the Wolf number. After processing the accumulated sunspot observations by the middle of the last century, Wolf was able to establish the average I-year cycle of solar activity. In fact, the time intervals between the years of maximum or minimum Wolf numbers range from 7 to 17 years. Simultaneously with the 11-year cycle, there is a secular, more precisely 80-90-year cycle of solar activity. Overlapping inconsistently, they make noticeable changes in the processes taking place in the geographic shell of the Earth.

Already in 1936, A. L. Chizhevsky (1897-1964) (Fig. 8) pointed out the close connection of many terrestrial phenomena with solar activity, who wrote that the overwhelming majority of physical and chemical processes on Earth are the result of the influence of cosmic forces. He was also one of the founders of such a science as heliobiology(from the Greek. helios- the sun), studying the influence of the Sun on living matter geographic envelope Earth.

Depending on solar activity, such physical phenomena occur on Earth as: magnetic storms, the frequency of auroras, the amount of ultraviolet radiation, the intensity of thunderstorm activity, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, the level of lakes, rivers, groundwater, salinity and efficiency of the seas, and dr.

The life of plants and animals is associated with the periodic activity of the Sun (there is a correlation between solar cyclicity and the duration of the growing season in plants, reproduction and migration of birds, rodents, etc.), as well as humans (diseases).

Currently, the relationship between solar and terrestrial processes continues to be studied with the help of artificial earth satellites.

Terrestrial planets

In addition to the Sun, planets are distinguished in the composition of the solar system (Fig. 9).

By size, geographic characteristics and chemical composition planets are classified into two groups: terrestrial planets and giant planets. Terrestrial planets include, and. They will be discussed in this subsection.

Fig. 9. Planets of the solar system

Land- the third planet from the Sun. A separate subsection will be devoted to it.

Let's summarize. The density of the planet's matter depends on the location of the planet in the solar system, and taking into account its size, the mass. Than
the closer a planet is to the Sun, the higher its average density of matter. For example, for Mercury it is 5.42 g / cm \ Venus - 5.25, Earth - 5.25, Mars - 3.97 g / cm 3.

The general characteristics of the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are primarily: 1) relatively not big sizes; 2) high temperatures on the surface and 3) high density of matter of planets. These planets rotate relatively slowly on their axis and have few or no satellites. In the structure of the terrestrial planets, four main shells are distinguished: 1) a dense core; 2) the mantle covering it; 3) bark; 4) light gas-water shell (excluding Mercury). Traces of tectonic activity were found on the surface of these planets.

Giant planets

Now let's get acquainted with the giant planets, which are also part of our solar system. It , .

The giant planets have the following general characteristics: 1) large size and weight; 2) quickly rotate around the axis; 3) have rings, many satellites; 4) the atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and helium; 5) have a hot core of metals and silicates in the center.

They are also distinguished by: 1) low surface temperatures; 2) low density of matter of planets.

Until recently, astronomers believed that such a concept as a planet applies exclusively to the solar system. Everything outside of it is unexplored cosmic bodies, most often stars of very large scales. But, as it turned out later, the planets, like peas, are scattered throughout the universe. They are different in their geological and chemical composition, they may or may not have an atmosphere, and it all depends on the interaction with the nearest star. The arrangement of the planets in our solar system is unique. It is this factor that is fundamental for the conditions that have formed on each separate space object.

Our space house and its features

In the center of the solar system is the star of the same name, which is included in the category of yellow dwarfs. Its magnetic field is sufficient to hold nine planets of various sizes around its axis. Among them there are dwarf rocky cosmic bodies, immense gas giants that almost reach the parameters of the star itself, and objects of the "middle" class, to which the Earth belongs. The arrangement of the planets of the solar system does not occur in an ascending or descending order. We can say that relative to the parameters of each individual astronomical body, their location is chaotic, that is, large alternates with small.

SS structure

To consider the arrangement of the planets in our system, it is necessary to take the Sun as a reference point. This star is located in the center of the SS, and it is its magnetic fields that correct the orbits and movements of all surrounding cosmic bodies. Nine planets revolve around the Sun, as well as a ring of asteroids, which lies between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper belt, located outside Pluto. Separate dwarf planets are also distinguished in these intervals, which are sometimes attributed to the basic units of the system. Other astronomers believe that all these objects are nothing more than large asteroids, on which life cannot arise under any circumstances. They attribute Pluto itself to this category, leaving only 8 planetary units in our system.

Planet order

So, we will list all the planets, starting with the one closest to the Sun. In the first place are Mercury, Venus, then Earth and Mars. After the Red Planet, a ring of asteroids passes, behind which a parade of giants consisting of gases begins. These are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The list is completed by dwarf and icy Pluto, with its equally cold and black moon Charon. As we said above, several more dwarf cosmic units are distinguished in the system. The location of the dwarf planets of this category coincides with the Kuiper belts and asteroids. Ceres is located in an asteroid ring. Makemake, Haumea and Eris are in the Kuiper belt.

Terrestrial planets

This category includes cosmic bodies, which in their composition and parameters have much in common with our home planet. Their bowels are also filled with metals and stone; either a full-fledged atmosphere or a haze that resembles it forms around the surface. The location of the terrestrial planets is easy to remember, because these are the first four objects that are located directly next to the Sun - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Characteristic features are small in size, as well as a long period of rotation around its axis. Also, of all the terrestrial planets, only the Earth itself and Mars have satellites.

Giants made of gases and hot metals

The location of the planets of the solar system, which are called gas giants, is the most distant from the main star. They are located behind the asteroid ring and extend almost to the Kuiper belt. There are four giants in total - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Each of these planets consists of hydrogen and helium, and in the region of the core are metals heated to a liquid state. All four giants are characterized by incredibly strong gravitational field... Due to this, they attract numerous satellites, which form almost entire asteroid systems around them. SS gas balls rotate very quickly, therefore vortices and hurricanes often occur on them. But, despite all these similarities, it is worth remembering that each of the giants is unique in its composition, and in size, and in the strength of gravity.

Dwarf planets

Since we have already examined in detail the position of the planets from the Sun, we know that Pluto is the farthest, and its orbit is the most gigantic in the SS. It is he who is the most important representative of dwarfs, and only he from this group is the most studied. Dwarfs are those cosmic bodies that are too small for planets, but also large for asteroids. Their structure can be comparable to Mars or Earth, or it can be just rocky, like any asteroid. Above we have listed the most prominent representatives of this group - these are Ceres, Eris, Makemake, Haumea. In fact, dwarfs are found not only in the two SS asteroid belts. Often they are called the satellites of the gas giants, which were attracted to them due to the huge

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: terrestrial group and 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.

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 age of the Sun is 4.5 billion years, it is only in the middle of its life cycle, gradually increasing 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 detailed study 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 we 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, this assumption has not yet been proven. Mercury does not have its own satellite.

Venus

This planet is second from the Sun. In size, it is close to the diameter of the Earth, with a diameter of 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.

Land

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 under the earth's crust there are huge tectonic plates, 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 number of years it exists the only satellite 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 very weakly sunlight therefore 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 using 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 in nature. It was not possible to detect geological activity on Mars, however, it is reliably known that significant geological events took place on the planet earlier.

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 are small in size and uneven in 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 an assumption that there is ice in the atmosphere of Jupiter.

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 water can be. 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. Thunderstorms and auroras often occur in its upper layers.

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, he 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 for a long time it was believed that no weather phenomena occur on its icy surface. However, it has recently been found that Neptune has violent vortices 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 a constant source of this gas on the planet. 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 do not reflect light well, 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.

Planets and other celestial bodies can remain in orbit due to the sun's gravitational forces. It was gravitational force that placed the planets solar system in order from the Sun as it is now. The planets of the solar system are constantly moving around the sun, always in a certain order. scientists have already tried to describe.

The trajectory of motion of the planets of the solar system is called an orbit.

The movement around the sun is called the rotation of the planet.

The time during which the celestial body makes one revolution is called the period of revolution. In addition to rotating, all planets also rotate.

Rotational motion is the motion of planets revolving around their axis.

The time it takes for a celestial body to make one revolution around the Sun is called the period of rotation.

Planet of the solar system Rotation period Rotational movement
1. Mercury 88 days 59 days
2. Venus 225 days 243 days
3. Land 365 days 24 hours
4. Mars 687 days 24.6 hours
5. Jupiter 11.86 years 10 hours
6. Saturn 29.5 years 10.7 hours
7. Uranus 84 years 17 hours
8. Neptune 165 years 16 hours

1. Mercury

The planet whose position is closest to the Sun is Mercury.
The atmosphere of the planet Mercury is very thin, so during the day the temperature on its surface can reach 430 ºC.

The surface of the planet Mercury has many craters. The planet Mercury is much smaller than Earth and is the smallest in the solar system. This heavenly body can be seen in the sky by the inhabitants southern countries at a time when the sun rises and sets.

In the northern latitudes in Russia, it is best to see Mercury in the spring, then it is visualized in the evenings, or in the early autumn in the morning. This is due to the fact that this is the first planet of the solar system in order from the Sun and it interferes with observation. Mercury has no satellite.

Planet Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Mercury 58 4,900 -170 430

2. Venus

Venus is almost the same size as Earth, which is why it is often referred to as Earth's twin. The celestial body has an atmospheric pressure that is 100 times stronger than the Earth's atmosphere.

Venus looks very bright, so it can be seen about 4 hours before sunrise. So Venus was called the star of dawn. Venus is also commonly known as the star of Twilight because it looks brightly shining in the west when the Sun sets. However, Venus is not a star because it is not capable of producing its own light.

The atmosphere of Venus is composed of carbon dioxide (about 96%), nitrogen (3.5%), water vapor, and other gases. Venus's atmosphere can withstand the rays of the sun, which is why Venus appears to be the brightest seen from Earth. In addition, Venus's dense atmosphere also keeps the surface very hot at 477 ºC.

The direction of rotation of Venus is clockwise, so the Sun on Venus rises from the west and descends to the east. Venus's rotation is opposite to the direction of rotation on other planets, which move counterclockwise.

The gravity of Venus is the same as the gravity of the planet Earth.
Venus has no satellite.

Planet Distance from the planet to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Venus 108 12,100 +450 +480

3. Land

The Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the only planet inhabited by living things. The earth has an atmosphere composed of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
The atmosphere protects living beings from ultraviolet rays, which are life-threatening The atmosphere protects the Earth from radiation coming from celestial objects that are close to the Earth. In addition, the atmosphere also maintains the Earth's temperature to stay in line with the needs of living things.

Seen from the sky, the Earth looks blue with a layer of white circle atmosphere. The Earth has a satellite, namely the Moon. The moon always revolves with one side around the Earth and at the same time around the Sun together with the Earth. (150 million km) light travels in 500 seconds.

Planet Distance from the planet to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Land 150 12.750 -90 +53

4. Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Mars is often called the Red Planet because it looks red. Red is due to the amount of wind dust on the surface. On the surface of Mars, there are craters and mountains, high and large.

The entire surface of Mars is a desert, which is covered with dust and hard rocks of a reddish-orange color. The layers of the planet Mars' atmosphere are composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas.

There is no water on this planet, and Mars has two natural moons called Phobos and Deimos. most likely to be visited by people.

Planet Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Mars 228 6800 -120 +35

Wind on Mars

5. Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is 11 times the size of Earth, which is why it is often referred to as a giant. This is the third brightest celestial object after the Moon and Venus (excluding the star, of course). Jupiter rotates faster than other objects. Due to its rotational speed, Jupiter is wider at the equator.

Most of Jupiter's atmosphere is hydrogen, and the rest is helium gas. The layers of the atmosphere on this planet are very thick, so Jupiter looks like a giant ball of gas. The planet Jupiter has 16 moons, among which are the moons Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io (the 4 largest moons
Jupiter).

Planet Distance to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Jupiter 778 142.700 -130 50000

6. Saturn

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter. The size of Saturn is 9 times more earth... Saturn has very thick atmospheric layers of hydrogen and helium, as well as small amounts of methane and ammonia.

Saturn is very beautiful because it has three rings of the atmosphere. This ring is estimated to be composed of fine dust particles, small pebbles, and large chunks of ice. Saturn looks yellowish. Saturn has 31 moons, and one of them is Titan. Titan is the only satellite in the solar system that has an atmospheric layer.

Planet Distance to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Saturn 1425 120 000 -190

7. Uranus

Uranus was discovered by the British astronomer Sir William Herschel in 1781. Uranus is shrouded in thick clouds, making its surface difficult to observe from Earth. Uranus's atmosphere is thin and bluish-green, composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

The planet in position rotates from east to west like Venus. However, the direction of rotation is not clockwise, but from top to bottom. Uranus rotates rapidly on its axis. As a result, uranium is larger in the equatorial region.

The high rotation speed causes the wind in the atmosphere of Uranus. Uranus also has rings, but they can be seen from the ground with a powerful telescope. This planet has 27 satellites. There are five large companions named Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.

Like Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are a planet-like ball of a gas giant with a layer of dense atmosphere. Its atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium. Neptune has 4 rings and 11 natural satellites. Triton is the largest satellite belonging to the planet Neptune.

Planet Distance to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Uranus 2 867
Planet Distance to the Sun (million km) Diameter (km) Surface temperature (ºC)
from before
Neptune 4 486 48600 -220 -200

Thus, the planets of the solar system are in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

2019-08-10

 
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