What planets are in our solar system. Why is Pluto not a planet? Features of the terrestrial planets

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Why is Pluto not considered a planet?: discovery of Pluto with photos, finding objects in the Kuiper belt, new classification IAU and criteria, dwarf planet.

In 1930, Clyde Tomb managed to find Pluto, which became the 9th planet of our system. The scientist photographed the sky for a whole year and studied the images. On one pair, he noticed a moving object. The name came from an 11-year-old schoolgirl in honor of the Roman deity who rules the other world.

Why Pluto is no longer a planet

Little was known about the mass until the discovery of the large satellite Charon nearby (1978). As a result, we managed to arrive at a size of (2400 km). Despite its tiny size, it was considered the last object and planet beyond the orbit of Neptune.

But earthly instruments improved, we managed to launch devices into space, and we were able to expand the boundaries of observation. Soon the remaining moons of Pluto were found, and then the Kuiper belt, distant from Neptune at 55 AU.

This area is home to at least 70,000 icy bodies, which match the composition of Pluto and extend 100 km or more in width. With their discovery, new rules appeared and Pluto did not pass the test for planetary nature.

The problem is this. Each time, more and more objects were found that exceeded the parameters of Pluto.

And in 2005, Michael Brown found Eris, located further away, but larger than Pluto (2600 km) and larger in mass. The concept of 9 planets began to crumble. What is Eris? Also a planet or just an object from the Kuiper belt? Then what is Pluto? A dispute ensued between the scientists and in 2006 a meeting of the IAS was convened in Prague.

It was important to derive a clear definition of the concept of “planet”. If they voted for one version, then the number solar planets increased to 12, but as a result we reduced it to 8. What is Pluto?

Now this is a class of dwarf planets.

To become a planet, a body must:

  • make revolutions around the Sun;
  • be massive enough to become spherical;
  • clear the surrounding area of ​​objects;

Pluto failed to fulfill the last condition. Now all bodies that meet the first two but fail the third requirement are called dwarf planets.

But let's not forget that large objects are hidden in the Kuiper belt and one of them could become the 9th planet. With its decline in status, Pluto has not lost its popularity and scientific interest. Therefore, in 2015, the New Horizons mission was sent to him. Let's not forget that there are still scientists who do not recognize the IAU decision.

Planets solar system

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

Pluto was removed from the planet category in 2006. because There are objects in the Kuiper belt that are larger/equal in size to Pluto. Therefore, even if we take it as a full-fledged celestial body, then it is necessary to add Eris to this category, which has almost the same size as Pluto.

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

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

Schematic representation of the location of the planets

Terrestrial planets

Mercury

The smallest planet in the solar system has a radius of only 2440 km. The period of revolution around the Sun, equated to an earthly year for ease of understanding, is 88 days, while Mercury manages to rotate around its own axis only one and a half times. Thus, his day lasts approximately 59 Earth days. For a long time it was believed that this planet always turned the same side to the Sun, since periods of its visibility from Earth were repeated with a frequency approximately equal to four Mercury days. This misconception was dispelled with the advent of the ability to use radar research and conduct continuous observations using space stations. The orbit of Mercury is one of the most unstable; not only the speed of movement and its distance from the Sun change, but also the position itself. Anyone interested can observe this effect.

Mercury in color, image from the MESSENGER spacecraft

Its proximity to the Sun is the reason why Mercury is subject to the largest temperature changes among the planets in our system. The average daytime temperature is about 350 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature is -170 °C. Sodium, oxygen, helium, potassium, hydrogen and argon were detected in the atmosphere. There is a theory that it was previously a satellite of Venus, but so far this remains unproven. It does not have its own satellites.

Venus

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

Venus in the UV spectrum

Such an atmosphere creates a greenhouse effect; the temperature on the surface is even higher than that of Mercury and reaches 475 °C. Considered the slowest, a Venusian day lasts 243 Earth days, which is almost equal to a year on Venus - 225 Earth days. Many call it Earth's sister because of its mass and radius, the values ​​of which are very close to those of Earth. The radius of Venus is 6052 km (0.85% of Earth's). Like Mercury, there are no satellites.

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

Our planet from space

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

Mars

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

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

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

Visual model of the solar system

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  • Sun

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

  • Mercury

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

  • Venus

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

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

  • Mars

    Although details of the surface of Mars are difficult to see from Earth, observations through a telescope indicate that Mars has seasons and white spots at the poles. For decades, people believed that the bright and dark areas on Mars were patches of vegetation, that Mars might be a suitable place for life, and that water existed in the polar ice caps. When the Mariner 4 spacecraft arrived at Mars in 1965, many scientists were shocked to see photographs of the murky, cratered planet. Mars turned out to be a dead planet. More recent missions, however, have revealed that Mars holds many mysteries that remain to be solved.

  • Jupiter

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

  • Saturn

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

  • Uranus

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

  • Neptune

    Distant Neptune rotates almost 4.5 billion kilometers from the Sun. It takes him 165 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. It is invisible to the naked eye due to its vast distance from Earth. Interestingly, its unusual elliptical orbit intersects with the orbit of the dwarf planet Pluto, which is why Pluto is inside the orbit of Neptune for about 20 years out of 248 during which it makes one revolution around the Sun.

  • Pluto

    Tiny, cold and incredibly distant, Pluto was discovered in 1930 and was long considered the ninth planet. But after discoveries of Pluto-like worlds that were even further away, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

Planets are giants

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

Planets of the solar system, not to scale

Jupiter

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

There is an opinion that one of the four gas giants is actually a failed star. This theory is supported by the most a large number of Jupiter has many satellites – as many as 67. To imagine their behavior in the planet’s orbit, you need a fairly accurate and clear model of the solar system. The largest of them are Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa. Moreover, Ganymede is the largest satellite of the planets in the entire solar system, its radius is 2634 km, which is 8% greater than the size of Mercury, the smallest planet in our system. Io has the distinction of being one of only three moons with an atmosphere.

Saturn

The second largest planet and the sixth in the solar system. Compared to other planets, its composition is most similar to the Sun chemical elements. The radius of the surface is 57,350 km, the year is 10,759 days (almost 30 Earth years). A day here lasts a little longer than on Jupiter - 10.5 Earth hours. In terms of the number of satellites, it is not much behind its neighbor - 62 versus 67. The largest satellite of Saturn is Titan, just like Io, which is distinguished by the presence of an atmosphere. Slightly smaller in size, but no less famous are Enceladus, Rhea, Dione, Tethys, Iapetus and Mimas. It is these satellites that are the objects for the most frequent observation, and therefore we can say that they are the most studied in comparison with the others.

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

The solar system is a planetary system that includes the central star - the Sun - and all the natural objects of space revolving around it. It was formed by gravitational compression of a gas and dust cloud approximately 4.57 billion years ago. We will find out which planets are part of the solar system, how they are located in relation to the Sun and their brief characteristics.

Brief information about the planets of the solar system

The number of planets in the Solar System is 8, and they are classified in order of distance from the Sun:

  • Inner planets or terrestrial planets- Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They consist mainly of silicates and metals
  • Outer planets– Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the so-called gas giants. They are much more massive than the terrestrial planets. The largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, consist mainly of hydrogen and helium; The smaller gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, contain methane and carbon monoxide in their atmospheres, in addition to hydrogen and helium.

Rice. 1. Planets of the Solar System.

The list of planets in the Solar System, in order from the Sun, looks like this: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. By listing the planets from largest to smallest, this order changes. Most major planet is Jupiter, then comes Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars and finally Mercury.

All planets orbit the Sun in the same direction as the Sun rotates (counterclockwise when viewed from the side north pole Sun).

Mercury has the highest angular velocity - it manages to complete a full revolution around the Sun in just 88 Earth days. And for the most distant planet - Neptune - the orbital period is 165 Earth years.

Most of the planets rotate around their axis in the same direction as they revolve around the Sun. The exceptions are Venus and Uranus, with Uranus rotating almost “lying on its side” (axis tilt is about 90 degrees).

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Table. The sequence of planets in the solar system and their features.

Planet

Distance from the Sun

Circulation period

Rotation period

Diameter, km.

Number of satellites

Density g/cub. cm.

Mercury

Terrestrial planets (inner planets)

The four planets closest to the Sun consist predominantly of heavy elements, have a small number of satellites, and have no rings. They are largely composed of refractory minerals such as silicates, which form their mantle and crust, and metals, such as iron and nickel, which form their core. Three of these planets—Venus, Earth, and Mars—have atmospheres.

  • Mercury- is the closest planet to the Sun and smallest planet systems. The planet has no satellites.
  • Venus- is close in size to the Earth and, like the Earth, has a thick silicate shell around an iron core and an atmosphere (because of this, Venus is often called the “sister” of the Earth). However, the amount of water on Venus is much less than on Earth, and its atmosphere is 90 times denser. Venus has no satellites.

Venus is the hottest planet in our system, its surface temperature exceeds 400 degrees Celsius. Most probable cause so high temperature is the greenhouse effect resulting from a dense atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide.

Rice. 2. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system

  • Earth- is the largest and most dense of the terrestrial planets. The question of whether life exists anywhere other than Earth remains open. Among the terrestrial planets, the Earth is unique (primarily due to its hydrosphere). The Earth's atmosphere is radically different from the atmospheres of other planets - it contains free oxygen. The Earth has one natural satellite - the Moon, the only large satellite of the terrestrial planets of the Solar System.
  • Marssmaller than Earth and Venus. It has an atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide. There are volcanoes on its surface, the largest of which, Olympus, exceeds the size of all terrestrial volcanoes, reaching a height of 21.2 km.

Outer Solar System

The outer region of the Solar System is home to gas giants and their satellites.

  • Jupiter- has a mass 318 times that of Earth, and 2.5 times more massive than all other planets combined. It consists mainly of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter has 67 moons.
  • Saturn- known for its extensive system rings, it is the least dense planet in the solar system (its average density is less than the density of water). Saturn has 62 satellites.

Rice. 3. Planet Saturn.

  • Uranus- the seventh planet from the Sun is the lightest of the giant planets. What makes it unique among other planets is that it rotates “lying on its side”: the inclination of its rotation axis to the ecliptic plane is approximately 98 degrees. Uranus has 27 moons.
  • Neptune- the last planet in the solar system. Although slightly smaller than Uranus, it is more massive and therefore denser. Neptune has 14 known moons.

What have we learned?

One of the interesting topics in astronomy is the structure of the solar system. We learned what names the planets of the solar system are, in what sequence they are located in relation to the Sun, what are their distinctive features And brief characteristics. This information so interesting and educational that it will be useful even for 4th grade children.

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

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

Planets of the Solar System

At 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 belonged to this group of planets; it was considered the 9th planet from the Sun, however, due to its significant distance from the Sun and small size, it was excluded from this list and called a dwarf planet. More precisely, it is one of several dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt.

All of 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 closest to the Sun.

Gas giants include: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are characterized by big sizes and the presence of rings representing ice dust and rocky chunks. These planets consist mainly 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 proximity predetermined a significant temperature difference. average temperature on Mercury in daytime is +350 degrees Celsius, and at night - -170 degrees.

  1. Mercury is the first planet from the Sun.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. The first research vehicle to visit Mercury was Mariner 10. It conducted a number of demonstration flights in 1974.
  5. A day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days, and a year is only 88 days.
  6. Mercury experiences the most dramatic temperature changes, reaching 610 °C. During the day, temperatures can reach 430 °C, and at night -180 °C.
  7. The gravity on the planet's surface is only 38% of Earth's. This means that on Mercury you could jump three times as high, and it would be easier to lift heavy objects.
  8. The first observations of Mercury through a telescope were made by Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century.
  9. Mercury has no natural satellites.
  10. First official map 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 differs significantly from our planet. A day here lasts 243 Earth days, and a year lasts 255 days. The atmosphere of Venus is 95% carbon dioxide, which creates a greenhouse effect on its surface. This results in an average temperature on the planet of 475 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere also contains 5% nitrogen and 0.1% oxygen.

  1. Venus is the second planet from the Sun in the Solar System.
  2. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, although it is the second planet from the sun. Surface temperature can reach 475 °C.
  3. The first spacecraft sent to explore Venus was sent from Earth on February 12, 1961 and was called Venera 1.
  4. Venus is one of two planets whose direction of rotation around its axis is different from most planets in the solar system.
  5. The planet's orbit around the Sun is very close to circular.
  6. The day and night temperatures of the surface of Venus are practically the same due to the large thermal inertia of the atmosphere.
  7. 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.
  8. The first observations of Venus through a telescope were made by Galileo Galilei at the beginning of the 17th century.
  9. Venus has no natural satellites.
  10. 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 liquid water, and, therefore, for the emergence of life.

Its surface is 70% covered with water, and it is the only planet to contain such an amount of liquid. It is believed that many thousands of years ago, 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.

  1. Earth in the solar system is the third planet from the sunsA;
  2. Our planet revolves around one natural satellite - the Moon;
  3. Earth is the only planet not named after a divine being;
  4. The Earth's density is the greatest of all the planets in the solar system;
  5. The Earth's rotation speed is gradually slowing down;
  6. 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;
  7. The earth has magnetic field sufficient strength to protect living organisms on its surface from harmful solar radiation;
  8. 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;
  9. In orbit around the Earth, compared to other planets, there is the largest number of spacecraft;
  10. The earth is the most big planet terrestrial group in the solar system;

Mars

This planet is the fourth 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 Earth, and the atmosphere is quite thin, which allows solar radiation to unimpededly affect the surface. In this regard, if there is life on Mars, it is not on the surface.

When surveyed with the help of Mars rovers, it was found that there are many mountains on Mars, as well as dried river beds and glaciers. The surface of the planet is covered with red sand. It is iron oxide that gives Mars its color.

  1. Mars is located in the fourth orbit from the Sun;
  2. The Red Planet is home to the tallest volcano in the solar system;
  3. Of the 40 exploration missions sent to Mars, only 18 were successful;
  4. Mars is home to some of the largest dust storms in the solar system;
  5. In 30-50 million years, there will be a system of rings around Mars, like Saturn's;
  6. Debris from Mars has been found on Earth;
  7. The Sun from the surface of Mars looks half as big as from the surface of the Earth;
  8. Mars is the only planet in the solar system that has polar ice caps;
  9. Two natural satellites revolve around Mars - Deimos and Phobos;
  10. 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 Earth. A day on Jupiter lasts 10 hours, and a year is approximately 12. earthly 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 consists 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.

  1. Jupiter is located in the fifth orbit from the Sun;
  2. In the Earth's sky, Jupiter is the fourth brightest object, after the Sun, Moon and Venus;
  3. Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets in the solar system;
  4. In the atmosphere of Jupiter, one of the longest and most powerful storms in the solar system rages, better known as the Great Red Spot;
  5. Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system;
  6. Jupiter is surrounded by a thin system of rings;
  7. Jupiter was visited by 8 research vehicles;
  8. Jupiter has a strong magnetic field;
  9. If Jupiter were 80 times more massive, it would become a star;
  10. There are 67 natural satellites orbiting Jupiter. This is the largest 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 lasts 10.5 hours. The average surface temperature is -180 degrees.

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

  1. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun;
  2. In the atmosphere of Saturn the most powerful winds blow strong winds in the solar system;
  3. Saturn is one of the least dense planets in the solar system;
  4. Surrounding the planet is the largest ring system in the Solar System;
  5. One day on the planet lasts almost one Earth year and is equal to 378 Earth days;
  6. Saturn was visited by 4 research spacecraft;
  7. Saturn, together with Jupiter, constitutes approximately 92% of the total planetary mass of the Solar System;
  8. One year on the planet lasts 29.5 Earth years;
  9. There are 62 known natural satellites orbiting the planet;
  10. Currently, the automatic interplanetary station Cassini is studying 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 lasts 84 Earth years. Moreover, summer lasts as long as winter - 42 years. This a natural phenomenon This 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 seems to be “lying on its side.”

  1. Uranus is located in the seventh orbit from the Sun;
  2. The first person to learn about the existence of Uranus was William Herschel in 1781;
  3. Uranus has only been visited by one spacecraft, Voyager 2 in 1982;
  4. Uranus is the most cold planet in the solar system;
  5. The plane of Uranus' equator is inclined to the plane of its orbit at almost a right angle - that is, the planet rotates retrograde, "lying on its side slightly upside down";
  6. The moons of Uranus bear names taken from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope, rather than Greek or Roman mythology;
  7. A day on Uranus lasts about 17 Earth hours;
  8. There are 13 known rings around Uranus;
  9. One year on Uranus lasts 84 Earth years;
  10. There are 27 known natural satellites orbiting Uranus;

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. It is similar in composition and size 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 is an ice giant and for a long time it was believed that no events occurred on its icy surface. weather phenomena. However, it was recently discovered that Neptune has raging vortices and wind speeds that are the highest among the planets in the solar system. It reaches 700 km/h.

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

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

  1. Neptune is the most distant planet in the Solar System and occupies the eighth orbit from the Sun;
  2. Mathematicians were the first to know about the existence of Neptune;
  3. There are 14 satellites circling around Neptune;
  4. Neputna's orbit is removed from the Sun by an average of 30 AU;
  5. One day on Neptune lasts 16 Earth hours;
  6. Neptune has only been visited by one spacecraft, Voyager 2;
  7. There is a system of rings around Neptune;
  8. Neptune has the second highest gravity after Jupiter;
  9. One year on Neptune lasts 164 Earth years;
  10. The atmosphere on Neptune is extremely active;

  1. Jupiter is considered the largest planet in the solar system.
  2. There are 5 dwarf planets in the Solar System, one of which has been reclassified as Pluto.
  3. There are very few asteroids in the Solar System.
  4. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
  5. About 99% of the space (by volume) is occupied by the Sun in the Solar System.
  6. The satellite of Saturn is considered one of the most beautiful and original places in the solar system. There you can see a huge concentration of ethane and liquid methane.
  7. Our solar system has a tail that resembles a four-leaf clover.
  8. The sun follows a continuous 11-year cycle.
  9. There are 8 planets in the solar system.
  10. The Solar System is fully formed thanks to a large gas and dust cloud.
  11. Spacecraft have flown to all the planets of the solar system.
  12. Venus is the only planet in the solar system that rotates counterclockwise around its axis.
  13. Uranus has 27 satellites.
  14. The largest mountain is on Mars.
  15. A huge mass of objects in the solar system fell on the sun.
  16. The solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy.
  17. The sun is the central object of the solar system.
  18. The solar system is often divided into regions.
  19. The Sun is a key component of the Solar System.
  20. The solar system was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
  21. The most distant planet in the solar system is Pluto.
  22. Two regions in the Solar System are filled with small bodies.
  23. The solar system was built contrary to all the laws of the Universe.
  24. If you compare the solar system and space, then it is just a grain of sand in it.
  25. Over the past few centuries, the solar system has lost 2 planets: Vulcan and Pluto.
  26. Researchers claim that the solar system was created artificially.
  27. The only satellite of the Solar System that has a dense atmosphere and whose surface cannot be seen due to cloud cover is Titan.
  28. The region of the solar system that lies beyond the orbit of Neptune is called the Kuiper belt.
  29. The Oort cloud is the region of the solar system that serves as the source of a comet and a long orbital period.
  30. Every object in the solar system is held there due to the force of gravity.
  31. The leading theory of the solar system involves the emergence of planets and moons from a huge cloud.
  32. The solar system is considered the most secret particle of the Universe.
  33. There is a huge asteroid belt in the solar system.
  34. On Mars you can see the eruption of the largest volcano in the solar system, which is called Olympus.
  35. Pluto is considered to be the outskirts of the solar system.
  36. Jupiter has big ocean liquid water.
  37. The Moon is the largest satellite of the Solar System.
  38. Pallas is considered the largest asteroid in the solar system.
  39. The brightest planet in the solar system is Venus.
  40. The solar system is mostly made of hydrogen.
  41. The Earth is an equal member of the solar system.
  42. The sun heats up slowly.
  43. Oddly enough, the largest reserves of water in the solar system are in the sun.
  44. The equator plane of each planet in the solar system diverges from the orbital plane.
  45. The satellite of Mars called Phobos is an anomaly in the solar system.
  46. The solar system can amaze with its diversity and scale.
  47. The planets of the solar system are influenced by the sun.
  48. The outer shell of the Solar System is considered to be the haven of satellites and gas giants.
  49. A huge number of planetary satellites of the solar system are dead.
  50. The largest asteroid, with a diameter of 950 km, is called Ceres.

This is a system of planets, at the center of which is bright Star, source of energy, heat and light - the Sun.
According to one theory, the Sun was formed along with the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago as a result of the explosion of one or more supernovas. Initially, the solar system was a cloud of gas and dust particles, which, in motion and under the influence of their mass, formed a disk in which new star The sun and our entire solar system.

At the center of the solar system is the Sun, around which nine large planets revolve in orbit. Since the Sun is displaced from the center of planetary orbits, during the cycle of revolution around the Sun the planets either approach or move away in their orbits.

There are two groups of planets:

Terrestrial planets: And . These planets are small in size with a rocky surface and are closest to the Sun.

Giant planets: And . This major planets, consisting mainly of gas and characterized by the presence of rings consisting of icy dust and many rocky pieces.

And here does not fall into any group because, despite its location in the solar system, it is located too far from the Sun and has a very small diameter, only 2320 km, which is half the diameter of Mercury.

Planets of the Solar System

Let's begin a fascinating acquaintance with the planets of the Solar System in order of their location from the Sun, and also consider their main satellites and some other space objects (comets, asteroids, meteorites) in the gigantic expanses of our planetary system.

Rings and moons of Jupiter: Europa, Io, Ganymede, Callisto and others...
The planet Jupiter is surrounded by a whole family of 16 satellites, and each of them has its own unique features...

Rings and moons of Saturn: Titan, Enceladus and others...
Not only the planet Saturn has characteristic rings, but also other giant planets. Around Saturn, the rings are especially clearly visible, because they consist of billions of small particles that revolve around the planet, in addition to several rings, Saturn has 18 satellites, one of which is Titan, its diameter is 5000 km, which makes it the largest satellite in the solar system...

Rings and moons of Uranus: Titania, Oberon and others...
The planet Uranus has 17 satellites and, like other giant planets, there are thin rings surrounding the planet that have practically no ability to reflect light, so they were discovered not so long ago in 1977, completely by accident...

Rings and moons of Neptune: Triton, Nereid and others...
Initially, before the exploration of Neptune by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, two satellites of the planet were known - Triton and Nerida. Interesting fact that the Triton satellite has a reverse direction of orbital motion; strange volcanoes were also discovered on the satellite, which erupted nitrogen gas like geysers, spreading a dark-colored mass (from liquid to vapor) many kilometers into the atmosphere. During its mission, Voyager 2 discovered six more moons of the planet Neptune...

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