The first planet of the solar system. The planets of our solar system with you. Discovery of the planets of the solar system
The solar system consists of eight planets and more than 63 of their satellites, which are being discovered more and more often, as well as several dozen comets and a large number of asteroids. All cosmic bodies move along their clear directional trajectories around the Sun, which is 1000 times heavier than all bodies in the solar system put together.
How many planets revolve around the sun
How the planets of the solar system originated: approximately 5-6 billion years ago, one of the disk-shaped gas and dust clouds of our large Galaxy (Milky Way) began to collapse towards the center, gradually forming the current Sun. Further, according to one of the theories, under the influence of powerful forces of attraction, a large number of dust and gas particles revolving around the Sun began to stick together into balls - forming future planets. According to another theory, the gas-dust cloud immediately disintegrated into separate clusters of particles, which were compressed and compressed, forming the current planets. Now 8 planets revolve around the Sun constantly.
The center of the solar system is the Sun - the star around which the planets revolve in orbits. They do not emit heat and do not glow, but only reflect the light of the Sun. There are now 8 officially recognized planets in the solar system. Briefly, in order of distance from the sun, we list them all. And now there are a few definitions.
Satellites of the planets. The solar system also includes the Moon and natural satellites other planets that all of them have, except for Mercury and Venus. More than 60 satellites are known. Most of the satellites of the outer planets were discovered when they received photographs taken by robotic spacecraft. The smallest satellite of Jupiter - Leda - is only 10 km across.
The sun is a star, without which life on Earth could not exist. She gives us energy and warmth. According to the classification of stars, the Sun is a yellow dwarf. Age about 5 billion years. It has a diameter at the equator equal to 1,392,000 km, 109 times larger than the Earth. The rotation period at the equator is 25.4 days and 34 days at the poles. The mass of the Sun is 2x10 to the 27th power of tons, about 332950 times the mass of the Earth. The temperature inside the core is about 15 million degrees Celsius. The surface temperature is about 5500 degrees Celsius.
By chemical composition The sun is made up of 75% hydrogen, with the other 25% the most being helium. Now, in order, let's figure out how many planets revolve around the sun, in the solar system and the characteristics of the planets.
The planets of the solar system in order from the sun
in pictures
Mercury - 1st in the order of the planet in the solar system
Mercury. Four inner planets(closest to the Sun) - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - have a hard surface. They are smaller than four giant planets. Mercury moves faster than other planets, being burned by the sun's rays during the day and freezing at night.
Characteristics of the planet Mercury:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 87.97 days.
Diameter at the equator: 4878 km.
Rotation period (revolution around the axis): 58 days.
Surface temperature: 350 during the day and -170 at night.
Atmosphere: very thin, helium.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.
Venus - 2nd in the order of the planet in the solar system
Venus is more like Earth in size and brightness. Observing her is difficult because of the clouds that envelop her. The surface is a hot rocky desert.
Characteristics of the planet Venus:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 224.7 days.
Diameter at the equator: 12104 km.
Rotation period (revolution around the axis): 243 days.
Surface temperature: 480 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: dense, mainly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.
Earth - 3rd in order planet in the solar system
Apparently, the Earth was formed from a gas and dust cloud, like other planets of the solar system. Particles of gas and dust, colliding, gradually "grew" the planet. Surface temperatures reached 5,000 degrees Celsius. Then the Earth cooled down and was covered with hard stone crust. But the temperature in the bowels is still quite high - 4500 degrees. Rocks in the bowels are melted and, during volcanic eruptions, are poured onto the surface. Only on earth there is water. That is why life exists here. It is located relatively close to the Sun in order to receive the necessary heat and light, but far enough so as not to burn out.
Characteristics of the planet Earth:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 365.3 days.
Diameter at equator: 12756 km.
The period of the planet's rotation (revolution around the axis): 23 hours 56 minutes.
Surface temperature: 22 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen and oxygen.
Number of satellites: 1.
The main satellites of the planet: the Moon.
Mars - 4th in order planet in the solar system
Due to its resemblance to Earth, it was believed that life exists here. But the spacecraft that landed on the surface of Mars showed no signs of life. This is the fourth planet in order.
Characteristics of the planet Mars:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 687 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 6794 km
Rotation period (revolution around the axis): 24 hours 37 minutes.
Surface temperature: -23 degrees (average).
Atmosphere of the planet: thin, mostly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 2.
The main satellites in order: Phobos, Deimos.
Jupiter - 5th in order planet in the solar system
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are composed of hydrogen and other gases. Jupiter is more than 10 times larger than Earth in diameter, 300 times in mass, and 1300 times in volume. It is more than twice as massive as all the planets in the solar system combined. How long does it take for the planet Jupiter to become a star? It is necessary to increase its mass by 75 times!
Characteristics of the planet Jupiter:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 11 years 314 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 143884 km
Rotation period (revolution around the axis): 9 hours 55 minutes.
Surface temperature of the planet: -150 degrees (average).
Number of satellites: 16 (+ rings).
The main satellites of the planets in order: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto.
Saturn - 6th in order planet of the solar system
It is number 2, the largest of the planets in the solar system. Saturn is eye-catching thanks to its ring system made of ice, rocks and dust that orbits the planet. There are three main rings with an outer diameter of 270,000 km, but their thickness is about 30 meters.
Characteristics of the planet Saturn:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 29 years 168 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 120536 km.
Rotation period (revolution around the axis): 10 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: -180 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 18 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titan.
Uranus - 7th in order planet of the solar system
Unique planet in the solar system. Its peculiarity is that it revolves around the Sun not like everyone else, but “lying on its side”. Uranus also has rings, although they are more difficult to see. In 1986, Voyager-2 flew at a distance of 64,000 km, he had six hours of photography, which he successfully implemented.
Characteristics of the planet Uranus:
Circulation period: 84 years 4 days.
Diameter at the equator: 51,118 km.
The period of the planet's rotation (revolution around the axis): 17 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: -214 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
How many satellites: 15 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titania, Oberon.
Neptune - 8th in order planet in the solar system
On the this moment, Neptune is considered the last planet of the solar system. Its discovery took place by means of mathematical calculations, and then they saw it through a telescope. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew by. He took striking photographs of the blue surface of Neptune and its largest moon, Triton.
Characteristics of the planet Neptune:
The period of revolution around the Sun: 164 years 292 days.
Diameter at the equator: 50538 km.
Period of rotation (revolution around the axis): 16 hours 7 minutes.
Surface temperature: -220 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 8.
Main satellites: Triton.
How many planets are there in the solar system: 8 or 9?
Earlier, for many years, astronomers recognized the presence of 9 planets, that is, Pluto was also considered a planet, like the others already known to everyone. But in the 21st century, scientists were able to prove that it is not a planet at all, which means that there are 8 planets in the solar system.
Now, if you are asked how many planets are in the solar system, boldly answer - there are 8 planets in our system. It has been officially recognized since 2006. When building the planets of the solar system in order from the sun, use the finished picture. What do you think, maybe Pluto shouldn't have been removed from the list of planets and this is scientific prejudice?
How many planets in the solar system: video, watch for free
The number of galaxies in the Universe is largely unknown to humans, as astronomers speculate that there could be an infinite number of galaxies. In our galaxy, the Milky Way, according to scientists, there are about 100 billion planets, most of which are in the orbit of stars. In the recent past, astronomers have discovered hundreds of planets in our galaxy, some of which demonstrate characteristics of our Earth, suggesting that they are capable of supporting life. Our solar system consists of the sun, eight planets and their moons (satellites), as well as various small cosmic bodies. The solar system included nine planets for a long time, until Pluto was stripped of this rank in 2006, because it did not meet the necessary criteria. Pluto has been found to be part of a group of six space objects that orbit the Kuiper belt and is not the largest of them all.
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Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun; it is also the smallest of all eight planets. Within 88 days, Mercury completes a complete revolution around the Sun. It is a rocky planet with an equatorial radius of 2439.7 ± 1.0 km and a density of 5427 g / cm³, making it the second densest planet in the solar system. Mercury has no atmosphere and temperatures range from 448º C during the day to -170º C during the night. Its orbit is oval and is one of the planets that can be seen from Earth.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It makes a complete revolution for 224.7 days, and the period of rotation around its axis is about 243 days (this is the slowest rotation of all the planets in the solar system). Venus is the hottest planet with a surface temperature of about 467º C, as its atmosphere is dense and retains heat well. It is very bright in the morning and evening, which makes it well visible in certain regions of the Earth. This is the closest planet to us, as well as the first one that was visited by an earthly device (Mariner 2) in 1962. The dense hot atmosphere makes Venus inaccessible to humans.
Land
Planet Earth is home to humans and is considered the only planet known to have life. It completes a revolution around the Sun in 365.256 days, covering a distance of about 940 million km. The Earth is about 150 million km from the Sun and is the third planet in our system; according to scientists, its formation began 4.54 billion years ago. The total area of the Earth is more than 510 million km², 71% of which is covered with water, and the remaining 29% belongs to land. The Earth's atmosphere protects life from outer space, harmful radiation and controls the weather. It is the densest planet in the solar system.
Mars
Mars, also known as the "red planet", is the fourth planet in our solar system and the second among the smallest. It has a hard surface like Earth, but its atmosphere is relatively thin. Mars is half the size of the Earth and is, on average, 228 million km away from the Sun; it completes a revolution around the Sun in 779.96 days. It is clearly visible from Earth at night due to its bright surface. Liquid water is not found on the planet's surface due to the low atmospheric pressure. Researchers are exploring the possibility of life on Mars. Scientists believe that the ice caps at the planet's poles are water and ice at the South Pole can fill the planet's surface to a depth of 11 m if it melts.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is 2.5 times the total mass of other planets. Jupiter is a gaseous planet with no solid surface, although researchers believe its core is solid. It has a diameter of 142,984 km at the equator and is so large that it can contain all the planets of the solar system or 1300 earths. It is predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter's atmosphere is dense, with an average wind speed of 550 km per hour, which is twice the speed of a Category 5 hurricane on Earth. The planet has three rings of dust particles, but they are difficult to see. It takes Jupiter 12 Earth years to complete a complete revolution around the Sun.
Saturn
Saturn is the second largest planet after Jupiter and the sixth largest in the solar system. It is a gas giant, just like Jupiter, but with nine continuous rings. Saturn is considered the most beautiful planet in our system and is made up of hydrogen and helium. Its diameter is nine times that of the Earth, its volume is comparable to that of 763.5 Earths, and its surface is 83 Earths. However, the mass of Saturn is only one-eighth of the mass of our planet. Saturn has almost 150 satellites, 53 of them are named, 62 are identified as having orbits, and the rest of the satellites are in the rings of the planet.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet and the third largest in the solar system. Its surface is composed of frozen matter and therefore it is considered an ice giant. However, Uranus' atmosphere also includes hydrogen and helium, along with other ices such as methane, ammonia and water. Although not the farthest planet from the Sun, it is one of the coldest with atmospheric temperatures reaching -224 C, as it is the only planet in the solar system that does not generate heat from its core. The average distance of Uranus from the Sun is about 2.8 billion km.
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun. It was initially thought to be the fixed star of Galileo, who used mathematical predictions to spot it rather than the usual telescope observation method. The average distance from Neptune to the Sun is 4.5 billion km, and a complete revolution around our star takes 164.8 years. Neptune completed its first revolution in 2011 since it was discovered in 1846. It has 14 known satellites, the largest of which is Triton. The atmosphere is dominated by hydrogen and helium. It is the windiest planet in the solar system, with an average wind speed nine times that of the earth. NASA recently discovered that Neptune has rivers and lakes of liquid methane.
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. Initially, 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 significant 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.
TO gas giants include: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are characterized by big sizes and the presence of rings of ice dust and rocky chunks. 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 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.
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 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 very weakly sunlight therefore it is visible 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 thin, 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 dried 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 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 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 mostly hydrogen and small amounts 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 does not only planet, which has a diadem, it is simply 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 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 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 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.
The search and discovery of new planets outside the solar system is relatively recent, about 20 years ago.
The latest discoveries were made in 2014, when the Kepler team discovered 715 new planets. These planets revolve around 305 stars, and in the structure of their orbits resemble the solar system.
Most of these planets are smaller than the planet Neptune.
A team of researchers led by Jack Lissauer analyzed stars around which more than one planet orbited. Each of the potential planets was spotted back in 2009-2011. It was at this time that 961 more planets were discovered. When checking planets, a technique known as multiple checking was used.
New methods for checking planets
In the early years of scientists working on the search for planets outside the solar system, their status was revealed as a result of studying one planet after another.
Later, a technique appeared that allows you to check several celestial bodies at the same time. This technique detects the presence of planets in systems where several planets revolve around one star.
Planets outside the solar system are called exoplanets. When discovering exoplanets, there are strict rules for them. The new names are obtained by the small star to the name of the star around which the planet revolves. In this case, a certain order is observed. Name of the first open planet includes the name of the star and the letter b, and the following planets will be named in a similar way, but in alphabetical order.
For example, in the "55 Cancer" system, the first planet "55 Cancer b" was discovered in 1996. In 2002, 2 more planets were discovered, which were named "55 Cancer c" and "55 Cancer d".
Discovery of the planets of the solar system
Such planets of the solar system as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were known in antiquity. The ancient Greeks called these celestial bodies "planets", which meant "wandering." These planets are visible in the sky with the naked eye.
Together with the invention of the telescope, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered.
Uranus was recognized as a planet in 1781 by the English astronomer William Herschel. Before that, he was considered a star. Neptune was calculated mathematically long before it was discovered with a telescope in 1846. German astronomer Johann Halle used mathematical calculations before he was able to detect Neptune with a telescope.
The names of the planets of the solar system come from the names of the gods of ancient myths. For example, Mercury is the Roman god of trade, Neptune is the god of the underwater kingdom, Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, Mars is the god of war, Uranus personified the sky.
The existence of Pluto became known to science in 1930. When Pluto was discovered, scientists began to believe that there are 9 planets in the solar system. In the late 90s of the 20th century, a lot of controversy arose in the world of science over whether Pluto was a planet. In 2006, it was decided to consider Pluto a dwarf planet, and this decision caused a lot of controversy. It was then that the number of planets that revolve around the sun was officially reduced to eight.
But the question of how many planets there are in the solar system has not been fully resolved.
Most people know that the Earth is part of the solar system. In addition to our planet to the solar system includes both other planets and other natural space objects.
The rotation of the planets takes place around our common star - the Sun, which, by the way, is a star.
The sun has a colossal force of gravity, which extends over millions of kilometers, and under the influence of which, to one degree or another, all objects located in the solar system fall. Only the eight largest, both in size and in mass, cosmic bodies with circular orbits are usually called planets.
Only the first four planets are attributed to the terrestrial planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars. These planets differ from the rest in that they are solid. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are all gas. It is in this sequence that the planets of the solar system are arranged in order.
In addition to the planets, the solar system includes two concentric regions with the so-called small bodies. First area Is an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the largest objects of which are objects named Pallas, Ceres and Vesta. Second area- This is a zone of trans-Neptunian objects, the location of which lies beyond the orbit of Neptune. The most prominent bodies in terms of their size are Pluto (not so long ago it ceased to be called a planet), Sedna and Haumea.
In addition to these two regions, small bodies of the solar system include populations of quasi-satellites, asteroids and Trojans, meteors, comets and even cosmic dust, which eventually settles in our apartments.
Around a number of planets are constantly plying natural satellites or rings containing ice and dust (Saturn). Interestingly, the size of the satellites can be even larger than the planets themselves. Here a quite reasonable question arises - what is a satellite, and what is its difference from a planet? The answer is simple: the satellite revolves only around the planet, and the rotation of the planets is carried out only around the Sun.
The solar system also contains the so-called dwarf planets. These objects resemble a sphere in shape, however, although they revolve around the Sun, for some reason they could not clear the space of their orbit from foreign objects. At the moment, there are five dwarf planets - Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.
