The position of the planets relative to the sun. The solar system is the world in which we live. Characteristics of the planets of the solar system

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 spacecraft Mariner 10 and Messenger.

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 magnetic field sufficient strength to protect living organisms on its surface from harmful solar radiation;
First artificial satellite The Earth under the name 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 planet terrestrial group 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;
On Mars, 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;
On earthly 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 large number 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 most big system rings 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 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 solar system.
The solar system is often divided into regions.
The sun is key component 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 dense atmosphere and the surface of which cannot be seen because of the cloud cover - 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 most bright planet Solar system - 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.

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

There are already 60 known natural satellites of Saturn, most of which have been discovered using spacecraft. Most satellites are made up of rocks and ice. The largest satellite, Titan, discovered in 1655 by Christian Huygens, is larger than the planet Mercury. The diameter of Titan is about 5200 km. Titan orbits Saturn every 16 days. Titan is the only satellite to have a very dense atmosphere, 1.5 times the size of Earth's, and consisting mostly of 90% nitrogen, with a moderate amount of methane.

The International Astronomical Union officially recognized Pluto as a planet in May 1930. At that moment, it was assumed that its mass was comparable to the mass of the Earth, but later it was found that the mass of Pluto is almost 500 times less than the Earth's, even less than the mass of the Moon. The mass of Pluto is 1.2 times 1022 kg (0.22 Earth masses). The average distance of Pluto 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. The composition of Pluto supposedly includes rock and ice; the planet has a thin atmosphere composed of nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Pluto has three moons: Charon, Hydra and Nyx.

At the end of XX and early XXI centuries, many objects have been discovered in the outer part of the solar system. It has become clear that Pluto is only one of the largest Kuiper belt objects known to date. Moreover, at least one of the objects of the belt - Eris - is a larger body than Pluto and 27% heavier than it. In this regard, the idea arose to no longer consider Pluto 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 the planet was developed, according to which planets are considered to be bodies revolving around a star (and not being a star themselves), having a hydrostatic equilibrium shape and "clearing" the area in the region of their orbit from other, smaller, objects. Dwarf planets will be considered objects that revolve around a star, have a hydrostatically equilibrium shape, but have not "cleared" the nearby space and are not satellites. planets and dwarf planets are two different classes of objects in the solar system. All other objects revolving around 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. International astronomical union Five dwarf planets are officially recognized: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

On June 11, 2008, the IAU announced the introduction of the concept of "plutoid". It was decided to call plutoids celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun in an orbit whose radius is greater than the radius of Neptune's orbit, whose mass 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 it is still difficult to determine the shape and thus the relation to the class of dwarf planets for such distant objects as plutoids, scientists recommended temporarily assigning to plutoids all objects whose absolute asteroid magnitude (brilliance from a distance of one astronomical unit) is brighter than +1. If it later turns out that the object assigned to the plutoids is not a dwarf planet, it will be deprived of this status, although the assigned name will be left. The dwarf planets Pluto and Eris were classified as plutoids. In July 2008, Makemake was included in this category. On September 17, 2008, Haumea was added to the list.

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

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

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

Brief description and description

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

The approximate age of the solar system is 4.5 billion years. Like most objects in the universe, our star was formed as a result of big bang. The origin of the solar system is explained by the action of the same laws that operated and continue to operate today in the region nuclear physics, thermodynamics and mechanics. First, a star was formed, around which, due to ongoing centripetal and centrifugal processes, the formation of planets began. The sun was formed from a dense collection of gases - a molecular cloud, which was the product of a colossal explosion. As a result of centripetal processes, the molecules of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and other elements were compressed into one continuous and dense mass.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The simplest model of the solar system is presented in school textbooks, where each of the planets and other celestial bodies occupy a certain place. In this case, it should be taken into account that the orbits of all objects revolving around the Sun are located at different angles to the diametrical plane of the Solar System. The planets of the solar system are located at different distances from the sun, rotate at different speeds and revolve around in different ways. own axis.

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

Planets and other objects of the solar system

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

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

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

Terrestrial planets:

Mercury;
Venus;
Mars.

Gas planets - giants:

Jupiter;
Saturn;
Uranus;
Neptune.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previously, Pluto, belonging to the number of large planets, is not considered a full-fledged planet today.

Pluto, which was previously ranked among the large planets of the solar system, is now translated into the size of dwarf celestial bodies revolving around the sun. Pluto, along with Haumea and Makemake, the largest dwarf planets, is in the Kuiper Belt.

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

Characteristics of the planets of the solar system

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

Saturn's satellite Titan has a diameter of over 5,000 km, Jupiter's satellite Ganymede has a diameter of 5265 km. Both satellites are second only to Mars in size.

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

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

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

Like its predecessor, Venus is devoid of the physical conditions conducive to existence. known forms life. The planet is surrounded by a dense atmosphere, consisting mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Both Mercury and Venus are the only planets in the solar system that do not have natural satellites.

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

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

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

Like the Earth, Mars has two satellites - Phobos and Deimos, the natural nature of which is Lately is being questioned. Mars is the last fourth planet with a solid surface in the solar system. Following the asteroid belt, which is a kind of inner boundary of the solar system, the realm of gas giants begins.

The largest cosmic celestial bodies in our solar system

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

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

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

Slightly inferior in size to Jupiter is its smaller brother, the gas giant Saturn. This planet, like Jupiter, consists mainly of hydrogen and helium - gases that are the basis of our star. With its size, the diameter of the planet is 57 thousand km, Saturn also resembles a protostar that has stopped in its development. The number of satellites of Saturn is slightly inferior to the number of satellites of Jupiter - 62 versus 67. On the satellite of Saturn, Titan, as well as on Io, the satellite of Jupiter, there is an atmosphere.

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

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

Like Saturn, Uranus is surrounded by a hydrogen-helium atmosphere. Neptune, unlike Uranus, has a different composition. About the presence of methane in the atmosphere says Blue colour spectrum of the planet.

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

Finally

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

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Our solar system is made up of the sun, planets orbiting it, and smaller celestial bodies. All of these are mysterious and amazing, because they are still not fully understood. Below will be indicated the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order, and briefly talk about the planets themselves.

There is everything famous list planets, in which they are listed in order of their distance from the Sun:

Pluto used to be in last place, but in 2006 it lost its status as a planet, as larger celestial bodies were found farther away. These planets are divided into stone (inner) and giant planets.

Brief information about the stone planets

The inner (stone) planets include those bodies that are located inside the asteroid belt that separates Mars and Jupiter. They got their name "stone" because they consist of various hard rocks, minerals and metals. They are united by a small number or even the absence of satellites and rings (like Saturn). On the surface of the stone planets there are volcanoes, depressions and craters formed as a result of the fall of other cosmic bodies.

But if we compare their sizes and arrange them in ascending order, the list will look like this:

Brief information about the giant planets

The giant planets are located beyond the asteroid belt and therefore they are also called outer. They consist of very light gases - hydrogen and helium. These include:

But if you make a list by the size of the planets in the solar system in ascending order, then the order changes:

A little information about the planets

In modern scientific understanding, a planet means a celestial body that revolves around the Sun and has enough mass for its own gravity. Thus, there are 8 planets in our system, and, importantly, these bodies are not similar to each other: each has its own unique differences, as in appearance, and in the very components of the planet.

- This is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest among the rest. It weighs 20 times less than the Earth! But, despite this, it has a sufficiently high density, which allows us to conclude that there are a lot of metals in its depths. Due to its close proximity to the Sun, Mercury is subject to sharp temperature changes: at night - extreme cold during the day the temperature rises sharply.

- This is the next planet close to the Sun, in many ways similar to the Earth. It has a more powerful atmosphere than the Earth, and is considered a very hot planet (its temperature is above 500 C).

is a unique planet due to its hydrosphere, and the presence of life on it led to the appearance of oxygen in its atmosphere. Most of the surface is covered with water, and the rest is occupied by the continents. A unique feature is the tectonic plates, which move, albeit very slowly, which leads to a change in the landscape. The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.

Also known as the "Red Planet". It gets its fiery red color due to the large amount of iron oxides. Mars has a very rarefied atmosphere and a much smaller atmospheric pressure compared to the earth. Mars has two satellites - Deimos and Phobos.

- this is a real giant among the planets of the solar system. Its weight is 2.5 times the weight of all the planets combined. The surface of the planet is made up of helium and hydrogen and is similar in many ways to the sun. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no life on this planet - no water and no solid surface. But Jupiter has a large number of satellites: 67 are known at the moment.

- this planet is famous for the presence of rings, consisting of ice and dust, revolving around the planet. With its atmosphere, it resembles that of Jupiter, and is slightly smaller in size than this giant planet. In terms of the number of satellites, Saturn is also slightly behind - it knows 62 of them. The largest satellite, Titan, is larger than Mercury.

- the lightest planet among the outer ones. Its atmosphere is the coldest in the entire system (minus 224 degrees), it has a magnetosphere and 27 satellites. Uranus is made up of hydrogen and helium, and ammonia ice and methane have also been noted. Due to the fact that Uranus has a large axial tilt, it seems that the planet is rolling rather than rotating.

- despite being smaller than y, it is heavier than it and exceeds the mass of the Earth. This is the only planet that was found through mathematical calculations, and not through astronomical observations. On this planet, the strongest winds in the solar system were recorded. Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton, is the only one that rotates backwards.

It is very difficult to imagine all the scales of the solar system within the studied planets. It seems to people that the Earth is a huge planet, and, in comparison with other celestial bodies, it is. But if you put giant planets next to it, then the Earth already takes on tiny sizes. Of course, next to the Sun, all celestial bodies seem small, so to represent all the planets in their full scale is a difficult task.

The most famous classification of the planets is their distance from the Sun. But a listing that takes into account the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order will also be correct. The list will be presented as follows:

As you can see, the order has not changed much: the first lines are the inner planets, and the first place is occupied by Mercury, and the other positions are the outer planets. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all in what order the planets are located, from this they will not become less mysterious and beautiful.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. The solar system is a collection of planets revolving around the Sun in orbits, the Sun and a number of other celestial bodies of smaller sizes.

The composition includes only natural objects that make a revolution around a star or any planet. Of course, satellites launched from Earth are not among them.

But let's take a closer look at what the solar system is and what its structure is. Let's find out what small and large bodies form it. Which is the largest planet and which is the smallest. Let's list them all in order, look at it and the layouts.

Planets of the solar system

You can read about the sun itself (the central star of the system) at the link above or briefly read the information on it at the bottom of this article. From interesting facts we can add that the mass of the sun is 99.86% of the mass of the entire solar system, which indicates its undeniable importance.

How many planets are in the solar system and their order

The next largest bodies after the Sun are the planets. How many planets are in the solar system? Until recently, it was believed that 9 planets revolve around our star:

For children, there are special models or drawings of the solar system to help them understand what it means to rotate around the Sun, such as the model pictured above.

The largest and smallest planet in the solar system

Is Pluto a planet or not?

Pluto recognized as the smallest planet in the solar system. However, recently there have been many questions about whether it is correct to consider Pluto a planet. Why? Here are some facts that reason to doubt in whether this object can be called a planet:

The mass of Pluto is less than the mass of the Moon - the satellite of the Earth. It is not enough for Pluto to clear space in orbit from other bodies. The orbit of Pluto is inhabited by many objects that have the same composition.
Detection beyond the orbit of Pluto of a body with a large mass and . This object is called Eris.
The center of mass of the Pluto-Charon system (Charon is a satellite) lies outside these two bodies.

Much became clear after detailed studies of the Kuiper belt. It consists of many ice objects with a diameter of 100 km. Pluto itself has a diameter of 2400 km.

After a series of similar discoveries, astronomers faced the task of redefining the concept of a planet.

One of the requirements was that the planet must be able clear the space around its orbit. This is what caused Pluto to be excluded from the list of planets and given the name of a dwarf planet.

Terrestrial planets including the smallest

The planets of the solar system revolve in orbits. The first 4 in order of the planets of the solar system are summarized as a terrestrial group:

Mercury - this is the smallest and the planet closest to the star. The period of its rotation around the star takes 88 days.
Venus. It rotates around its axis in the opposite direction relative to its orbital motion. Another such planet is Uranus. Venus is the hottest planet. The temperature of the atmosphere reaches +470°С.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun in the solar system. It has the largest density and diameter in its group. There is free oxygen in the atmosphere here. The Earth has one natural satellite - the Moon.
Mars. The atmosphere of the fourth planet consists of carbon dioxide. Due to the presence of iron oxide in the soil, the planet has a reddish hue.

Giant planets including the largest

The four terrestrial planets are followed by the giant planets of the solar system:

Jupiter - the largest planet. Its mass is 318 times the mass of our planet. It consists of H (hydrogen) and He (helium), has many satellites, one of which is larger than even Mercury.
Saturn. He is known to us thanks to his rings. The planet has many satellites.
Uranus. This planet has the smallest mass among the giants. It differs in that the angle of inclination of its axis to the plane is almost 100°. Therefore, we can say about this planet that it does not so much rotate as it rolls along its orbit.
Neptune. The rotation period is 248 years. It is the last planet, but far from the last body in the solar system.

The photo above shows the planets of the solar system and the actual ratio of their sizes.

Small bodies of the solar system

These are small bodies that make a revolution around our star. Most often they do not have a spherical shape, but look like stone blocks. They have. Asteroids may have satellites. They are not included in the solar system model.

After the orbit of the fourth planet is the asteroid belt. It ends before the orbit of the fifth planet - Jupiter. Asteroids are the most common small bodies in the solar system. Their sizes can vary from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers. Although they are much smaller than planets, such bodies can have satellites.

In addition to the asteroid belt, there are other asteroids. The paths of some of these bodies intersect with the orbit of our planet. However, we can not worry that the movement of the asteroid will disturb the alignment of the planets in the solar system.

dwarf planets

A number of asteroids that have a large mass and diameter began to be classified as dwarf planets. Among them:

Ceres.
Pluto (formerly considered a planet).
Eris (located beyond Pluto).

This is a celestial luminous object with a pronounced head and tail. The brightness of a comet is directly related to its distance from the Sun.

The comet consists of the following parts:

Core. It contains almost the entire weight of the comet.
Coma is a foggy shell around the nucleus.
Tail. It is located in the opposite direction from the Sun.

One of the famous comets is Halley's Comet. It moves closer to the sun, then moves away from it. The comet's head is made up of frozen water, metal particles, and various compounds. The diameter of the nucleus of this comet is 10 km. The period of passage of the orbit (ellipse) is about 75 years.

The point in the orbit at which the body is as close as possible to the Star is called perihelion, and the opposite (farthest) is called aphelion.

meteorites

These are relatively small bodies that fall on the surface of other celestial objects of larger size. can be iron, stone or iron-stone. About 2,000 tons of meteorites fall on the surface of our planet every year. Some have a mass of several grams, while others have a mass of several tens of tons. For example, the Tunguska meteorite that fell to Earth in 1908 knocked down forests.

The exploration of our solar system will continue for many more years, so for sure in the future we will become aware of all the new facts and information about planets, comets, asteroids and other cosmic bodies.

The sun is the star of the solar system

, which is located in the center of our system and is the basis of the layout of the solar system. Its mass is 1.989 ∙ 10 30 kg, which occupies 99.86% of the mass of the system. The diameter of the star is 1.391 million km. It is a fireball of gas. Due to the processes occurring in the nucleus, a huge amount of energy is released.

The sun belongs to a group of stars called "yellow dwarfs". Yellow stars are those whose surface temperatures range from 5,000 to 7,500 K.

Structure of the Sun

Considering the structure of the solar system, it is worth starting from its center, namely from the center of the Sun. The luminary can be divided into several layers:

Core. Hydrogen atoms break apart in the depths, which is accompanied by the release of enormous energy. There also occurs the fusion of protons and neutrons into the nuclei of helium atoms. In the core, the temperature reaches 15 million K, which is 2.5 times higher than on the surface. The core extends for 173 thousand km from the center of the Sun, which is about 20% of the star.
radiation zone. In it, the photons emitted by the nucleus wander for about 200 thousand years and lose their energy due to collisions with plasma particles.
convective zone. It looks like a boiling mass, in which particles constantly rise to the surface, located on the border of the radiation and convective zones. Here, the path of particles to the surface of the star takes much less time than the duration of processes in the radiation zone. The convective zone extends from 70% and almost to the surface of the star.
Photosphere. It has an extremely small thickness - only 100 km (compared to the size of the Sun - this is really not much). This is the visible surface of the sun.
The chromosphere is a heterogeneous layer of the solar atmosphere, which is located directly above the photosphere. Here the temperature increases from 6,000 K to 20,000 K.
The corona is the outer layer of the atmosphere. Due to the fact that its brightness is much less than that of a star, the crown is not visible to the naked eye (without additional equipment it is only visible during eclipses). The temperature here is the highest in the entire solar system - 1,000,000 K.

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