The solar system is planetary. Which planet rotates in the opposite direction

It's hard to believe, but once the Cosmos was completely empty. There were no planets, no satellites, no stars. Where did they come from? How was the solar system formed? These questions have troubled mankind for centuries. This article will help to give some idea of what the Cosmos is and will reveal interesting facts about the planets of the solar system.

How it all began

The Universe is the entire visible and invisible Cosmos, together with all existing cosmic bodies. Several theories have been put forward:

3. Divine intervention. Our Universe is so unique, everything in it is thought out to the smallest detail, that it could not arise by itself. Only the Great Creator is capable of creating such a miracle. Absolutely not a scientific theory, but it has the right to exist.

Disputes about the causes of the true origin of outer space continue. In fact, we have an idea of the solar system, which includes a burning star and eight planets with their satellites, galaxies, stars, comets, black holes and much more.

Amazing discoveries or interesting facts about the planets of the solar system

Outer spaces beckon with their mystery. Each celestial body keeps its own mystery. Thanks to astronomical discoveries, valuable information about heavenly wanderers appears.

Closest to the sun is Mercury. There is an opinion that it was once a satellite of Venus. But as a result of a cosmic catastrophe, the cosmic body separated from Venus and acquired its own orbit. A year on Mercury is 88 days, and a day is 59 days.

Mercury is the only planet in the solar system where you can observe the movement of the Sun in the opposite direction. This phenomenon has a completely logical explanation. The speed of rotation of the planet around its axis is much slower than the movement in its orbit. Due to such a difference in speed regimes, the effect of changing the movement of the Sun arises.

On Mercury you can observe a fantastic phenomenon: two sunsets and sunrises. And if you move to the meridians 0˚ and 180̊, then you can witness three sunsets and sunrises per day.

Venus goes next to Mercury. Lights up in the sky during sunset on Earth, but you can observe it for only a couple of hours. Because of this feature, she was nicknamed "Evening Star". Interestingly, the orbit of Venus lies inside the orbit of our planet. But it moves in the opposite direction, counterclockwise. A year on the planet lasts 225 days, and 1 day is 243 Earth days. Venus, like the Moon, has a phase change, transforming either into a thin sickle or into a wide circle. There is an assumption that some types of terrestrial bacteria can live in the atmosphere of Venus.

Earth- truly a pearl of the solar system. Only on it there is a huge variety of life forms. People feel so comfortable on this planet and do not even realize that it is rushing along its orbit at a speed of 108,000 km per hour.

The fourth planet from the Sun is Mars. He is accompanied by two companions. A day on this planet is equivalent in duration to the earth - 24 hours. But 1 year lasts 668 days. Just like on Earth, the seasons change here. Seasons cause changes in the appearance of the planet.

Jupiter- the largest space giant. It has many satellites (more than 60 pieces) and 5 rings. It is 318 times the mass of Earth. But, despite its impressive size, it moves quite quickly. It turns around its own axis in just 10 hours, but it overcomes the distance around the Sun in 12 years.

The weather on Jupiter is bad - constant storms and hurricanes, accompanied by lightning. A striking representative of such weather conditions is the Great Red Spot - a whirlwind moving at a speed of 435 km / h.

hallmark Saturn, certainly are his rings. These flat formations are made up of dust and ice. The thickness of the circles ranges from 10 - 15 m to 1 km, the width from 3,000 km to 300,000 km. The rings of the planet are not a single whole, but represent formations in the form of thin spokes. Also, the planet is surrounded by more than 62 satellites.

Saturn has an incredibly high rate of rotation, so much so that it is compressed at the poles. A day on the planet lasts 10 hours, a year - 30 years.

Uranus, like Venus, it moves around the star counterclockwise. The uniqueness of the planet lies in the fact that it "lies on its side", its axis is tilted at an angle of 98˚. There is a theory that the planet took this position after a collision with another space object.

Like Saturn, Uranus has a complex ring system, consisting of a combination of an inner and outer group of rings. In total, Uranus has 13 of them. It is believed that the rings are the remains of the former satellite of Uranus, which collided with the planet.

Uranus does not have a solid surface, a third of the radius, approximately 8,000 km, is a gaseous shell.

Neptune is the last planet in the solar system. It is surrounded by 6 dark rings. The most beautiful shade of the sea wave to the planet is given by methane, which is present in the atmosphere. Neptune makes one revolution in its orbit in 164 years. But around its axis it moves quite quickly, and the day passes for
16 hours. In some places, the orbit of Neptune intersects with the orbit of Pluto.

Neptune has a large number of moons. Basically, they all rotate in front of the orbit of Neptune and are called internal. There are only two outer satellites accompanying the planet.

You can see it on Neptune. However, outbreaks are too weak and occur throughout the planet, and not exclusively at the poles, as on Earth.

Once in space, there were 9 planets. This number also included Pluto. But due to its small size, the astronomical community has identified it as a series of dwarf planets (asteroids).

These are interesting facts and amazing stories about the planets of the solar system that are revealed in the process of exploring the black depths of the Cosmos.

The cosmos is incomprehensible, its scale and magnitude are hard to imagine. The sky hides so many mysteries that, having answered one question, scientists are faced with twenty new ones. Even answering how many planets are in the solar system is quite difficult. Why? It's not easy to explain, but we'll try. Read on: it will be interesting.

How many planets are in the solar system according to the latest data

Until 2006, in all school textbooks and astronomical encyclopedias, they wrote in black and white: there are exactly nine planets in the solar system.

But the American mathematician Michael Brown was one of those who made even people far from science talk about space. The scientist initiated a revision of the concept of "planet". According to the new criteria, Pluto has dropped out of the planetary list.

The poor fellow was enrolled in a new class - "dwarf planetoids." Why did it happen? According to the fourth parameter, a planet is considered to be a cosmic body whose gravity dominates the orbit. Pluto is only 0.07 of the mass concentrated in its orbit. For comparison: the Earth is 1.7 million times heavier than anything that gets in its way.

The same class included Haumea, Makemake, Eris and Ceres, which was previously considered an asteroid. All of them are part of the Kuiper belt - a special cluster of space objects similar to the asteroid belt, but 20 times wider and heavier.

Anything beyond the orbit of Neptune is called a trans-Neptunian object. In the early 2000s, scientists discovered Sedna, a planetoid with an unusually remote and elongated orbit around the Sun. In 2014, another object with similar parameters was discovered.

The researchers wondered: why are the orbits of these cosmic bodies so elongated? It was assumed that they are affected by a hidden massive object. Michael Brown and his Russian colleague Konstantin Batygin mathematically calculated the trajectory of the planets known to us, taking into account the available data.

The results stunned scientists: the theoretical orbits did not match the real ones. This confirmed the assumption of the presence of a massive planet "X". We also managed to find out its approximate trajectory of movement: the orbit is elongated, and the nearest point to us is 200 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun.

Scientists believe that the potential ninth planet is an ice giant, whose mass is 10-16 times the Earth.

Mankind is already watching the proposed region of space, where an unknown planet will appear. The probability of an error in the calculations is 0.007%. This means virtually guaranteed detection between 2018 and 2020.

For observation, the Japanese Subaru telescope is used. Perhaps the observatory in Chile with the LSST telescope will come to its aid, the construction of which is planned to be completed in three years, in 2020.

Solar system: location of the planets

The planets of the solar system are divided into two groups:

The first includes relatively small space bodies that have a rocky surface, 1–2 satellites, and a relatively small mass.
The second is giant planets made of dense gas and ice. They absorbed 99% of the matter in solar orbit. They are characterized by a large number of satellites and rings that can be observed from Earth only near Saturn.

Let's take a closer look at the planets in the order of their location from the Sun:

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Presumably at an early stage in history, a strong collision with some object tore off most of the surface. Therefore, Mercury has a relatively large iron core and a thin crust. The Earth year on Mercury lasts only 88 days.

Venus is a planet named after the ancient Greek goddess of love and fertility. Its size is almost comparable to the Earth. She, like Mercury, has no satellites. Venus is the only one in the solar system that rotates counterclockwise. The temperature on the surface reaches 400 degrees Celsius. Perhaps this is due to the greenhouse effect, which creates a super-dense atmosphere.

The earth is our only home so far. The uniqueness of the planet, if you do not take into account the presence of life, lies in the hydro and atmosphere. The amount of water and free oxygen exceeds that of any other known planet.

Mars is our red neighbor. The color of the planet is due to the high content of oxidized iron in the soil. Here is Olympus. No kidding, this is the name of the volcano, and its dimensions correspond to the name - 21 km high and 540 km wide! Mars is accompanied by two moons that are believed to be asteroids captured by the planet's gravity.

Between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants is the asteroid belt. This cluster is relatively small from 1 m to 100 km in diameter of celestial bodies. Previously, it was believed that there was a planet in this orbit that collapsed as a result of a catastrophe. However, the theory was not confirmed. It is now believed that the ring of asteroids is nothing more than an accumulation of matter left after the formation of the solar system. Roughly speaking - unnecessary rubbish.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It is 2.5 times heavier than the other planets. Due to the high pressure, storms of hydrogen and helium rage here. The largest eddy reaches 40-50 thousand km in length and 13 thousand km in width. If a person were at the epicenter, if he survived in the atmosphere, the wind would tear him to pieces, because his speed reaches 500 km / h!

Saturn is considered by many to be the most beautiful planet. Known for its rings, which are made up primarily of water ice and dust. Their width on a cosmic scale is incredibly small - 10–1000 meters. The planet has 62 moons - 5 less than Jupiter. It is believed that about 4.5 billion years ago there were more of them, but Saturn swallowed them up, which is why the rings formed.

Uranus. Due to the nature of the rotation, this ice giant is called a "rolling ball". The axis of the planet relative to the orbit around the Sun is tilted by 98 degrees. After the impeachment, Pluto became the coldest planet (‒224 degrees Celsius). This is due to the relatively low temperature of the core - approximately 5 thousand degrees.

Neptune is a blue-colored planet, which is explained by the large amount of methane in the atmosphere, which also contains nitrogen, ammonia and water ice. Remember we talked about the winds on Jupiter? Forget it, because here its speed is more than 2000 km / h!

A little about the outsider

Most likely, Pluto was not very offended that he was expelled from the planetary family. By and large, what difference does it make what people think on a distant Earth. But, one way or another, it is necessary to say a few words about the recently ninth planet from the Sun.

Pluto is the coldest place in the system. The temperature here is close to absolute zero and drops to -240 degrees Celsius. It is six times lighter and three times smaller than the Moon. The largest moon of the planet Charon is one third of the size of Pluto. The remaining four satellites revolve around them. Therefore, it is possible that they will be reclassified as a binary planetary system. By the way, the bad news - the New Year on Pluto will have to wait 500 years!

What do we end up with? According to the latest data, there are eight planets in the solar system, but, according to mathematical calculations, there should be a ninth. If you think that calculations are nothing, here's a fact for you: Neptune was discovered by mathematicians in 1846, and they could only see it up close in 1989, when the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by. With all the scale of our house, we are just grains of sand in the space of space.

The earth, like all the planets in our solar system, revolves around the sun. And their moons revolve around the planets.

Since 2006, when it was transferred from the category of planets to dwarf planets, there are 8 planets in our system.

The location of the planets

All of them are located in almost circular orbits and rotate in the direction of rotation of the Sun itself, with the exception of Venus. Venus rotates in the opposite direction - from east to west, unlike the Earth, which rotates from west to east, like most other planets.

However, the moving model of the solar system does not show so many small details. Of other oddities, it is worth noting that Uranus rotates almost lying on its side (the mobile model of the solar system does not show this either), its axis of rotation is tilted by about 90 degrees. They attribute this to a cataclysm that occurred a long time ago and affected the inclination of its axis. It could be a collision with some large cosmic body, which was not lucky enough to fly past the gas giant.

What are the groups of planets

The planetary model of the solar system in dynamics shows us 8 planets, which are divided into 2 types: the planets of the Earth group (these include: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and the gas giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).

This model demonstrates well the differences in the sizes of the planets. The planets of the same group combine similar characteristics, ranging from structure to relative size, a detailed model of the solar system in proportions clearly demonstrates this.

Belts of asteroids and icy comets

In addition to the planets, our system contains hundreds of satellites (Jupiter alone has 62), millions of asteroids and billions of comets. Also, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, there is an asteroid belt and the interactive model of the Solar System Flash clearly demonstrates it.

Kuiper belt

The belt remains from the time of the formation of the planetary system, and after the orbit of Neptune, the Kuiper belt extends, in which dozens of icy bodies are still hidden, some of which are even larger than Pluto.

And at a distance of 1-2 light years, there is the Oort cloud, a truly gigantic sphere encircling the Sun and representing the remains of building material that was thrown out after the formation of the planetary system. The Oort Cloud is so big that we can't show you its scale.

It regularly supplies us with long-period comets, which take about 100,000 years to reach the center of the system and please us with their command. However, not all comets from the cloud survive the meeting with the Sun and last year's comet ISON fiasco is a vivid confirmation of this. It is a pity that this model of the flash system does not display such small objects as comets.

It would be wrong to ignore such an important group of celestial bodies, which was singled out as a separate taxonomy relatively recently, after the International Astronomical Union (MAC) in 2006 held its famous session on which the planet Pluto.

History of discovery

And the prehistory began relatively recently, with the introduction of modern telescopes in the early 90s. In general, the beginning of the 90s was marked by a number of major technological breakthroughs.

Firstly, it was at this time that the Edwin Hubble Orbital Telescope was put into operation, which, with its 2.4-meter mirror, taken out of the earth's atmosphere, discovered a completely amazing world that was inaccessible to ground-based telescopes.

Secondly, the qualitative development of computer and various optical systems allowed astronomers not only to build new telescopes, but also to significantly expand the capabilities of old ones. Due to the use of digital cameras, which completely replaced the film. It became possible to accumulate light and keep records of almost every photon that fell on the photodetector matrix with unattainable accuracy, and computer positioning and modern processing tools quickly transferred such an advanced science as astronomy to a new stage of development.

alarm bells

Thanks to these successes, it became possible to discover celestial bodies, quite large in size, outside the orbit of Neptune. Those were the first calls. The situation became very aggravated at the beginning of the 2000s precisely then, in 2003-2004, Sedna and Eris were discovered, which, according to preliminary calculations, had the same size as Pluto, and Eris completely exceeded it.

Astronomers are at a dead end: either admit that they discovered the 10th planet, or something is wrong with Pluto. And new discoveries were not long in coming. In 2005, it was discovered that, together with Quaoar, discovered back in June 2002, Ork and Varuna literally filled the trans-Neptunian space, which, beyond the orbit of Pluto, was previously considered almost empty.

International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union, convened in 2006, decided that Pluto, Eris, Haumea and Ceres, which joined them, belong to. Objects that were in orbital resonance with Neptune in a ratio of 2:3 became known as plutinos, and all other Kuiper belt objects - cubivano. Since then, we have only 8 planets left.

The history of the formation of modern astronomical views

Schematic representation of the solar system and spacecraft leaving it

Today, the heliocentric model of the solar system is an indisputable truth. But this was not always the case, but until the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the idea (which was expressed by Aristarchus) that it is not the Sun that revolves around the Earth, but vice versa. It should be remembered that some still think that Galileo created the first model of the solar system. But this is a delusion, Galileo only spoke out in defense of Copernicus.

The model of the solar system according to Copernicus was not to everyone's taste, and many of his followers, such as the monk Giordano Bruno, were burned. But the model according to Ptolemy could not fully explain the observed celestial phenomena and the seeds of doubt, in the minds of people, were already planted. For example, the geocentric model was not able to fully explain the uneven movement of celestial bodies, such as the backward movements of the planets.

At different stages of history, there were many theories of the structure of our world. All of them were depicted in the form of drawings, diagrams, models. However, time and the achievements of scientific and technological progress put everything in its place. And the heliocentric mathematical model of the solar system is already an axiom.

The movement of the planets is now on the monitor screen

Plunging into astronomy as a science, it can be difficult for an unprepared person to imagine all aspects of the cosmic world order. For this, modeling is ideal. The online solar system model appeared thanks to the development of computer technology.

Our planetary system has not gone unnoticed either. Specialists in the field of graphics have developed a computer model of the solar system with the input of dates, which is available to everyone. It is an interactive application that displays the movement of the planets around the Sun. In addition, it shows how the largest satellites revolve around the planets. We can also see between Mars and Jupiter and the zodiac constellations.

How to use the schema

The movement of the planets and their satellites correspond to their real daily and annual cycle. The model also takes into account the relative angular velocities and the initial conditions for the movement of space objects relative to each other. Therefore, at each moment of time, their relative position corresponds to the real one.

An interactive model of the solar system allows you to navigate in time using a calendar, which is depicted as an outer circle. The arrow on it points to the current date. The speed of the passage of time can be changed by moving the slider in the upper left corner. It is also possible to turn on the display of the phases of the moon, with the dynamics of the lunar phases displayed in the lower left corner.

Some Assumptions

The solar system is a group of planets revolving in certain 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 system of planets was formed as a result of the explosion of one or more stars and this happened about 4.5 billion years ago. At first, the solar system was a collection of gas and dust particles, however, over time and under the influence of its own mass, the Sun and other planets arose.

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 also 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 called 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 than the others to the Sun.

The gas giants include: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are characterized by large sizes and the presence of rings, which are ice dust and rocky pieces. These planets are made up mostly of gas.

Mercury

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

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun.
There are no seasons on Mercury. The tilt of the planet's axis is almost perpendicular to the plane of the planet's orbit around the Sun.
The temperature on the surface of Mercury is not the highest, although the planet is located closest to the Sun. He lost first place to Venus.
The first research vehicle to visit Mercury was Mariner 10. It conducted a series of demonstration flybys in 1974.
A day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days, and a year is only 88 days.
On Mercury, the most dramatic temperature changes are observed, which reach 610 ° C. During the day, the temperature can reach 430 ° C, and at night -180 ° C.
The force of gravity on the surface of the planet is only 38% of the Earth's. This means that on Mercury you could jump three times as high, and it would be easier to lift heavy objects.
The first telescope observations of Mercury were made by Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century.
Mercury has no natural satellites.
The first official map of the surface of Mercury was published only in 2009, thanks to data obtained from the Mariner 10 and Messenger spacecraft.

Venus

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

Venus is the second planet from the Sun in the solar system.
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, although it is the second planet from the Sun. Surface temperature can reach 475°C.
The first spacecraft sent to explore Venus was launched from Earth on February 12, 1961 and was called Venera 1.
Venus is one of two planets that has a different direction of rotation than most planets in the solar system.
The orbit of the planet around the Sun is very close to circular.
The day and night temperatures of the surface of Venus are practically the same due to the large thermal inertia of the atmosphere.
Venus makes one revolution around the Sun in 225 Earth days, and one revolution around its axis in 243 Earth days, that is, one day on Venus lasts more than one year.
The first telescope observations of Venus were made by Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century.
Venus has no natural satellites.
Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, after the Sun and Moon.

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 one of the planets that has such an amount of liquid. It is believed that many thousands of years ago, the steam contained in the atmosphere created the temperature on the Earth's surface necessary for the formation of water in liquid form, and solar radiation contributed to photosynthesis and the birth of life on the planet.

Earth is the third planet from the sun in the solar system.a;
One natural satellite revolves around our planet - the Moon;
Earth is the only planet not named after a divine being;
The Earth's density is the largest of all the planets in the solar system;
The speed of the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down;
The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is 1 astronomical unit (a conventional measure of length in astronomy), which is approximately 150 million km;
The earth has a magnetic field strong enough to protect living organisms on its surface from harmful solar radiation;
The first artificial Earth satellite called PS-1 (The Simplest Satellite - 1) was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Sputnik launch vehicle on October 4, 1957;
In orbit around the Earth, compared with other planets, there is the largest number of spacecraft;
Earth is the largest terrestrial planet in the solar system;

Mars

This planet is the fourth in a row from the Sun and is 1.5 times more distant from it than the Earth. The diameter of Mars is smaller than Earth's and is 6,779 km. The average air temperature on the planet ranges from -155 degrees to +20 degrees at the equator. The magnetic field on Mars is much weaker than that of the Earth, and the atmosphere is quite rarefied, which allows solar radiation to freely affect the surface. 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 riverbeds and glaciers. The surface of the planet is covered with red sand. Iron oxide gives Mars its color.

Mars is located on the fourth orbit from the Sun;
The Red Planet hosts the tallest volcano in the solar system;
Of the 40 exploration missions sent to Mars, only 18 were successful;
Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system;
In 30-50 million years, a system of rings will be located around Mars, like that of Saturn;
Fragments of Mars have been found on Earth;
The sun from the surface of Mars looks half as large as from the surface of the Earth;
Mars is the only planet in the solar system that has polar ice caps;
Two natural satellites revolve around Mars - Deimos and Phobos;
Mars has no magnetic field;

Jupiter

This planet is the largest in the solar system and has a diameter of 139,822 km, which is 19 times larger than the 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 made up of hydrogen and helium. There is no oxygen or water on its surface. There is an assumption that there is ice in the atmosphere of Jupiter.

Jupiter is located in the fifth orbit from the Sun;
In the earth's sky, Jupiter is the fourth brightest object, after the Sun, Moon and Venus;
Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets in the solar system;
In Jupiter's atmosphere, one of the longest and most powerful storms in the solar system, better known as the Great Red Spot, rages;
Jupiter's moon, Ganymede, is the largest moon in the solar system;
Around Jupiter is a thin system of rings;
Jupiter was visited by 8 research vehicles;
Jupiter has a strong magnetic field;
If Jupiter were 80 times more massive, it would become a star;
There are 67 natural satellites revolving around Jupiter. This is the largest figure in the solar system;

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 is 10.5 hours. The average surface temperature is -180 degrees.

Its atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and a small amount of helium. Thunderstorms and auroras often occur in its upper layers.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun;
Saturn's atmosphere has some of the strongest winds in the solar system;
Saturn is one of the least dense planets in the solar system;
Around the planet is the largest ring system in the solar system;
One day on the planet lasts almost one Earth year and is equal to 378 Earth days;
Saturn was visited by 4 research spacecraft;
Saturn together with Jupiter make up approximately 92% of the entire planetary mass of the solar system;
One year on the planet lasts 29.5 Earth years;
There are 62 known natural satellites revolving around the planet;
Currently, the automatic interplanetary station Cassini is engaged in the study of Saturn and its rings;

Uranus

Uranus, computer artwork.

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 is 84 Earth years. At the same time, 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 is located in the seventh orbit from the Sun;
The first to know about the existence of Uranus was William Herschel in 1781;
Only one spacecraft has visited Uranus, Voyager 2 in 1982;
Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system;
The plane of the equator of Uranus is inclined to the plane of its orbit almost at a right angle - that is, the planet rotates retrograde, "lying on its side slightly upside down";
The moons of Uranus bear names taken from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope, not from Greek or Roman mythology;
A day on Uranus lasts about 17 Earth hours;
There are 13 known rings around Uranus;
One year on Uranus lasts 84 Earth years;
There are 27 known natural satellites revolving around Uranus;

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. In its 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 events occur on its icy surface. However, it has recently been found that Neptune has raging eddies and wind speeds 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 that it has its own atmosphere.

Neptune also has rings. This planet has 6.

Neptune is the most distant planet in the solar system and occupies the eighth orbit from the Sun;
Mathematicians were the first to know about the existence of Neptune;
There are 14 moons circling Neptune;
The orbit of Nepputna is removed from the Sun by an average of 30 AU;
One day on Neptune lasts 16 Earth hours;
Neptune has only been visited by one spacecraft, Voyager 2;
Around Neptune there is a system of rings;
Neptune has the second highest gravity after Jupiter;
One year on Neptune lasts 164 Earth years;
The atmosphere on Neptune is extremely active;

Jupiter is considered the largest planet in the solar system.
There are 5 dwarf planets in the solar system, one of which was reclassified as Pluto.
There are very few asteroids in the solar system.
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
About 99% of the space (by volume) is occupied by the Sun in the solar system.
One of the most beautiful and original places in the solar system is the satellite of Saturn. There you can see a huge concentration of ethane and liquid methane.
Our solar system has a tail that resembles a four-leaf clover.
The sun follows a continuous 11-year cycle.
There are 8 planets in the solar system.
The solar system is fully formed thanks to a large gas and dust cloud.
Spacecraft flew to all the planets of the solar system.
Venus is the only planet in the solar system that rotates counterclockwise on its axis.
Uranus has 27 moons.
The largest mountain is on Mars.
A huge mass of objects in the solar system fell on the Sun.
The solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy.
The sun is the central object of the solar system.
The solar system is often divided into regions.
The sun is a key component of the solar system.
The solar system was formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
Pluto is the most distant planet in the solar system.
Two regions in the solar system are filled with small bodies.
The solar system is built contrary to all the laws of the universe.
If we compare the solar system and space, then it is just a grain of sand in it.
Over the past few centuries, the solar system has lost 2 planets: Vulcan and Pluto.
Researchers claim that the solar system was created artificially.
The only satellite in the solar system that has a dense atmosphere and whose surface cannot be seen due to cloud cover is Titan.
The region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune is called the Kuiper belt.
The Oort cloud is a region of the solar system that serves as the source of a comet and a long period of revolution.
Every object in the solar system is held there by gravity.
The leading theory of the solar system proposes the emergence of planets and satellites from a huge cloud.
The solar system is considered the most secret particle of the Universe.
There is a huge asteroid belt in the solar system.
On Mars, you can see the eruption of the largest volcano in the solar system, which is called Olympus.
Pluto is considered to be the outskirts of the solar system.
Jupiter has a large ocean of liquid water.
The Moon is the largest satellite in the solar system.
The largest asteroid in the solar system is Pallas.
The brightest planet in the solar system is Venus.
The majority of the solar system is made up of hydrogen.
Earth is an equal member of the solar system.
The sun heats up slowly.
Oddly enough, the largest reserves of water in the solar system are in the sun.
The plane of the equator of each planet in the solar system diverges from the plane of the orbit.
The satellite of Mars with the name Phobos is an anomaly of the solar system.
The solar system can amaze with its diversity and scale.
The planets of the solar system are influenced by the sun.
The outer shell of the solar system is considered the haven of satellites and gas giants.
A huge number of planetary satellites of the solar system are dead.
The largest asteroid, with a diameter of 950 km, is called Ceres.

> Planets

Explore everything planets of the solar system in order and learn the names, new scientific facts and interesting features of the surrounding worlds with photos and videos.

There are 8 planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The first 4 belong to the inner solar system and are considered terrestrial planets. Jupiter and Saturn are large planets of the solar system and representatives of gas giants (huge and filled with hydrogen and helium), while Uranus and Neptune are ice giants (large and represented by heavier elements).

Previously, Pluto was considered the ninth planet, but since 2006 it has moved into the category of dwarf planets. This dwarf planet was first discovered by Clyde Tomb. Now it is one of the largest objects in the Kuiper belt - a cluster of icy bodies on the outer edge of our system. Pluto lost its planetary status after the IAU (International Astronomical Union) revised the concept itself.

According to the decision of the IAU, a planet of the solar system is a body that performs an orbital passage around the Sun, endowed with sufficient mass to form in the form of a sphere and clear the area around it from foreign objects. Pluto could not meet the last requirement, and therefore became a dwarf planet. Other similar objects include Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eridu.

With a small atmosphere, harsh surface features and 5 moons, Pluto is considered the most complex dwarf planet and one of the most amazing planets in our solar system.

But scientists do not lose hope of finding the mysterious Ninth Planet - after they announced in 2016 a hypothetical object that affects gravity on bodies from the Kuiper belt. In terms of parameters, it is 10 times the mass of the Earth and 5,000 times more massive than Pluto. Below is a list of the planets of the solar system with photos, names, descriptions, detailed characteristics and interesting facts for children and adults.

Variety of planets

Astrophysicist Sergei Popov on gas and ice giants, binary star systems and single planets:

Hot planetary coronas

Astronomer Valery Shematovich on the study of gas shells of planets, hot particles in the atmosphere and discoveries on Titan:

Diameter relative to Earth	Mass, relative to the Earth	Orbital radius, a. e.	Orbital period, Earth years	Day, relative to the earth	Density, kg/m³	satellites
0,382	0,06	0,38	0,241	58,6	5427	No
0,949	0,82	0,72	0,615	243	5243	No
1,0	1,0	1,0	1,0	1,0	5515	1
0,53	0,11	1,52	1,88	1,03	3933	2
0,074	0,000013	2,76	4,6	0,46	~2000	No
11,2	318	5,20	11,86	0,414	1326	67
9,41	95	9,54	29,46	0,426	687	62
3,98	14,6	19,22	84,01	0,718	1270	27
3,81	17,2	30,06	164,79	0,671	1638	14
0,098	0,0017	39,2	248,09	6,3	2203	5
0,032	0,00066	42,1	281,1	0,03	~1900	2
0,033	0,00065	45,2	306,28	1,9	~1700	No
0,1	0,0019	68,03	561,34	1,1	~2400	1

Terrestrial planets of the solar system

The first 4 planets from the Sun are called terrestrial planets because their surface is rocky. Pluto also has a solid surface layer (frozen), but it belongs to the dwarf type planets.

Gas giant planets of the solar system

4 gas giants live in the outer solar system, as they are quite huge and gaseous. But Uranus and Neptune are different because they have more ice. Therefore, they are also called ice giants. However, all gas giants have one thing in common: they are all made up of hydrogen and helium.

The IAU put forward the definition of a planet:

The object must revolve around the sun;
Have enough mass to take the shape of a ball;
Clear your orbital path from foreign objects;

Pluto could not meet the latter requirement, as it shares an orbital path with a huge number of bodies from the Kuiper belt. But not everyone agreed with the definition. However, dwarf planets such as Eris, Haumea and Makemake appeared on the scene.

Ceres also lives between Mars and Jupiter. She was noticed in 1801 and considered a planet. Some still consider it the 10th planet of the solar system.

Dwarf planets of the solar system

Formation of planetary systems

Astronomer Dmitry Wiebe about stone planets and giant planets, the diversity of planetary systems and hot Jupiters:

Solar system planets in order

Below are the characteristics of the 8 major planets of the solar system in order from the sun:

The first planet from the Sun is Mercury

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun. It rotates in an elliptical orbit with a distance of 46-70 million km from the Sun. It spends 88 days on one orbital span, and 59 days on an axial span. Due to the slow rotation, a day spans 176 days. The axial tilt is extremely small.

With a diameter of 4887 km, the first planet from the Sun reaches 5% of the earth's mass. Surface gravity - 1/3 of the earth. The planet is practically devoid of an atmospheric layer, so it is hot during the day and freezes at night. The temperature mark fluctuates between +430°C and -180°C.

There is a crater surface and an iron core. But the magnetic field is inferior to the earth. Initially, radars indicated the presence of water ice at the poles. The Messenger confirmed the assumptions and found deposits at the bottom of the craters, which are all the time immersed in shadow.

The first planet from the Sun is located close to the star, so it can be seen before dawn and just after sunset.

Name: the messenger of the gods in the Roman pantheon.
Diameter: 4878 km.
Orbit: 88 days.
Day length: 58.6 days.

Second planet from the Sun - Venus

Venus is the second planet from the Sun. Travels in an almost circular orbit at a distance of 108 million km. It comes closest to the Earth and can reduce the distance to 40 million km.

It spends 225 days on an orbital path, and an axial rotation (clockwise) lasts 243 days. A day covers 117 Earth days. The axial tilt is 3 degrees.

In diameter (12100 km), the second planet from the Sun almost converges with the earth and reaches 80% of the earth's mass. The gravity indicator is 90% of the earth. The planet has a dense atmospheric layer, where the pressure is 90 times higher than the earth's. The atmosphere is filled with carbon dioxide with thick sulfur clouds, which creates a powerful greenhouse effect. It is because of this that the surface warms up by 460 ° C (the hottest planet in the system).

The surface of the second planet from the Sun is hidden from direct observation, but scientists managed to create a map using radar. Sheltered by large volcanic plains with two huge continents, mountains and valleys. There are also impact craters. A weak magnetic field is observed.

Detection: The ancients saw without the use of tools.
Name: Roman goddess responsible for love and beauty.
Diameter: 12104 km.
Orbit: 225 days.
Day length: 241 days.

Third planet from the Sun - Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the largest and densest of the inner planets. The orbital path is 150 million km away from the Sun. It has a single companion and developed life.

The orbital flyby takes 365.25 days, and the axial rotation takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. The length of the day is 24 hours. The axial tilt is 23.4 degrees, and the diameter index is 12742 km.

The third planet from the Sun was formed 4.54 billion years ago and the Moon has been nearby for most of its existence. It is believed that the satellite appeared after a huge object crashed into the Earth and pulled material into orbit. It was the Moon that stabilized the earth's axial tilt and acts as a source of tide formation.

The satellite in diameter covers 3747 km (27% of the Earth's) and is located at a distance of 362000-405000 km. Experiencing planetary gravitational influence, due to which it slowed down the axial rotation and got into the gravitational block (therefore, one side is turned towards the Earth).

The planet is protected from stellar radiation by a powerful magnetic field formed by an active core (molten iron).

Diameter: 12760 km.
Orbit: 365.24 days.
Day length: 23 hours and 56 minutes.

The fourth planet from the Sun is Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. The red planet moves along an eccentric orbital path - 230 million km. It spends 686 days on one flight around the Sun, and an axial rotation - 24 hours and 37 minutes. It is tilted at 25.1 degrees and a day lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes. The slope resembles the Earth, so it has seasons.

The diameter of the fourth planet from the Sun (6792 km) is half that of the earth, and the mass reaches 1/10 of the earth. The gravity indicator is 37%.

Mars is unprotected as a magnetic field, so the original atmosphere was destroyed by the solar wind. The devices recorded the outflow of atoms into space. As a result, the pressure reaches 1% of the earth's, and a thin atmospheric layer is represented by 95% carbon dioxide.

The fourth planet from the Sun is extremely frosty, where temperatures drop to -87°C in winter and rise to -5°C in summer. It is a dusty place with gigantic storms capable of covering the entire surface.

Detection: The ancients saw without the use of tools.
Title: Roman god of war.
Diameter: 6787 km.
Orbit: 687 days.
Day length: 24 hours and 37 minutes.

Fifth planet from the Sun - Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. In addition, in front of you is the largest planet in the system, which is 2.5 times more massive than all the planets and covers 1/1000 of the solar mass.

It is 780 million km away from the Sun and spends 12 years on an orbital path. It is filled with hydrogen (75%) and helium (24%) and may have a rocky core immersed in liquid metallic hydrogen with a diameter of 110,000 km. The total planetary diameter is 142,984 km.

In the upper layer of the atmosphere there are 50-kilometer clouds, represented by ammonia crystals. They are in lanes moving at different speeds and latitudes. The Great Red Spot, a large-scale storm, seems noteworthy.

The fifth planet from the Sun spends 10 hours on an axial rotation. This is a rapid speed, which means that the equatorial diameter is 9000 km more than the polar one.

Detection: The ancients saw without the use of tools.
Name: the main god in the Roman pantheon.
Diameter: 139822 km.
Orbit: 11.9 years.
Day length: 9.8 hours.

The sixth planet from the Sun is Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. Saturn is in the 2nd position in terms of scale in the system, exceeding the earth's radius by 9 times (57,000 km) and 95 times more massive.

It is 1400 million km away from the Sun and spends 29 years on an orbital flight. Filled with hydrogen (96%) and helium (3%). May have a rocky core in liquid metallic hydrogen with a diameter of 56,000 km. The upper layers are represented by liquid water, hydrogen, ammonium hydrosulfide and helium.

The core is heated up to 11700°C and produces more heat than the planet receives from the Sun. The higher we climb, the lower the degree drops. At the top, the temperature is kept at -180°C and 0°C at a depth of 350 km.

The cloud layers of the sixth planet from the Sun resemble the picture of Jupiter, but they are fainter and wider. There is also the Great White Spot, a brief periodic storm. It spends 10 hours and 39 minutes on an axial turn, but it is difficult to give an exact figure, since there are no fixed surface features.

Detection: The ancients saw without the use of tools.
Name: god of economy in the Roman pantheon.
Diameter: 120500 km.
Orbit: 29.5 days.
Day length: 10.5 hours.

The seventh planet from the Sun is Uranus

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Uranus is a representative of the ice giants and is the 3rd largest in the system. In diameter (50,000 km) it is 4 times larger than the earth and 14 times more massive.

It is distant by 2900 million km and spends 84 years on the orbital path. Surprisingly, according to the axial tilt (97 degrees), the planet literally rotates on its side.

It is believed that there is a small rocky core around which a mantle of water, ammonia and methane is concentrated. This is followed by a hydrogen, helium and methane atmosphere. The seventh planet from the Sun is also distinguished by the fact that it does not radiate more internal heat, so the temperature mark drops to -224 ° C (the frostiest planet).

Discovery: Noticed by William Herschel in 1781.
Name: personification of the sky.
Diameter: 51120 km.
Orbit: 84 years old.
Day length: 18 hours.

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. Neptune has been the official last planet in the solar system since 2006. The diameter is 49,000 km, and in terms of massiveness it is 17 times larger than the earth.

It is distant by 4500 million km and spends 165 years on an orbital flight. Due to the remoteness, only 1% of solar radiation (compared to Earth) enters the planet. The axial tilt is 28 degrees, and the rotation is completed in 16 hours.

The meteorology of the eighth planet from the Sun is more pronounced than that of Uranus, so powerful storm actions can be seen at the poles in the form of dark spots. The wind accelerates to 600 m/s, and the temperature mark drops to -220°C. The core is heated up to 5200°C.

Discovery: 1846.
Title: Roman god of water.
Diameter: 49530 km.
Orbit: 165 years.
Day length: 19 hours.

This is a small world, inferior in size to the terrestrial satellite. The orbit intersects with Neptune and in 1979-1999. it could be considered the 8th planet in terms of distance from the Sun. Pluto will remain beyond the orbit of Neptune for more than two hundred years. The orbital path is tilted to the system plane by 17.1 degrees. Frosty World visited New Horizons in 2015.

Discovery: 1930 - Clyde Tombaugh.
Title: Roman god of the underworld.
Diameter: 2301 km.
Orbit: 248 years.
Day length: 6.4 days.

The ninth planet is a hypothetical object residing in the outer system. Its gravity should explain the behavior of trans-Neptunian objects.