2 planets of the solar system. The boundary of the solar system is a thousand times further from Pluto. Visual model of the solar system

The sun is an ordinary star, its age is about 5 billion years. All the planets of the solar system revolve in this star.
SUN, central body solar system, an incandescent plasma ball, a typical G2 dwarf star; mass M~2.1030 kg, radius R=696 t. km, average density 1.416.103 kg/m3, luminosity L=3.86.1023 kW, effective temperature surface (photosphere) approx. 6000 K.

The rotation period (synodic) varies from 27 days at the equator to 32 days at the poles, the free fall acceleration is 274 m/s2. Chemical composition determined from analysis of the solar spectrum: hydrogen approx. 90%, helium 10%, other elements less than 0.1% (by number of atoms).

The source of solar energy is the nuclear transformation of hydrogen into helium in the central region of the Sun, where the temperature is 15 million K (thermonuclear reactions).

Energy from the depths is transferred by radiation, and then in the outer layer with a thickness of approx. 0.2 R by convection. The existence of photospheric granulation, sunspots, spicules, etc. is associated with the convective motion of plasma.
The intensity of plasma processes on the Sun changes periodically (11-year period; see C

solar activity). The solar atmosphere (the chromosphere and the solar corona) is very dynamic, flares and prominences are observed in it, there is a constant outflow of corona matter into interplanetary space (solar wind).

Features of the motion Venus moves in an orbit located between the orbits of Mercury and the Earth, with a sidereal period equal to 224.7 Earth days. ;
- Third Earth. The only planet where life exists. Thanks to its unique, perhaps the only one in the universe natural conditions, became the place where organic life arose and developed. The shape, dimensions and movement of the Earth The shape of the Earth is close to an ellipsoid, flattened at the poles and stretched in the equatorial zone. ;
- the fourth from the solar system. Behind him is the asteroid belt.

The average distance from the Sun is 228 million km, the period of revolution is 687 days, the period of rotation is 24.5 hours, the average diameter is 6780 km, the mass is 6.4 × 1023 kg; 2 natural satellite Phobos and Deimos. Atmospheric composition: CO2 (>95%), N2 (2.5%), Ar (1.5-2%), CO (0.06%), H2O (up to 0.1%); surface pressure 5-7 hPa. The areas of the surface of Mars covered with craters are similar to the lunar mainland. Significant scientific material about Mars was obtained with the help of the Mariner and Mars spacecraft.

Movement, size, mass Mars moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.0934. The plane of the orbit is inclined to the plane of the ecliptic at a small angle (1° 51). ;
- the fifth from the sun of our solar system. the average distance from the Sun is 5.2 AU. e. (778.3 million km), sidereal circulation period 11.9 years, rotation period (cloud layer near the equator) approx. 10 h, equivalent to a diameter of approx. 142,800 km, weight 1.90 1027 kg.

Atmospheric composition: H2, CH4, NH3, He. Jupiter is a powerful source of thermal radio emission, has a radiation belt and an extensive magnetosphere. Jupiter has 16 satellites;
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun in our solar system. Orbital period 29.46 years, rotation period

at the equator (cloud layer) 10.2 hours, equatorial diameter 120 660 km, mass 5.68 1026 kg, has 17 satellites, the atmosphere includes CH4, H2, He, NH3. Saturn has radiation belts. , which has rings. SATURN, the second largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter; refers to the giant planets.

Movement, size, shape Saturn's elliptical orbit has an eccentricity of 0.0556 and an average radius of 9.539 AU. e. (1427 million km). The maximum and minimum distances from the Sun are approximately 10 and 9 AU. e. Distances from the Earth vary from 1.2 to 1.6 billion km.

The inclination of the planet's orbit to the plane of the ecliptic is 2°29.4. ;
- the seventh from the sun of our solar system. Refers to the giant planets, the average distance from the Sun is 19.18 AU. e. (2871 million km), circulation period 84 years, rotation period approx. 17 hours, equatorial diameter 51,200 km, mass 8.7 1025 kg, atmospheric composition: H2, He, CH4. The axis of rotation of Uranus is tilted at an angle of 98°. Uranus has 15 satellites (5 discovered from Earth Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, and 10 discovered spacecraft Voyager 2 Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Belinda, Pack) and the ring system. Movement, dimensions, mass Uranus moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit, the major semi-axis of which (average heliocentric distance) is 19.182 greater than that of the Earth, and is 2871 million km. ;
is the eighth from the sun in our solar system. Orbital period 164.8 years, rotation period 17.8 hours, equatorial diameter 49,500 km, mass 1.03.1026 kg, atmospheric composition: CH4, H2, He. Neptune has 6 moons.

It was discovered in 1846 by I. Galle according to the theoretical predictions of W. J. Le Verrier and J. C. Adams. The remoteness of Neptune from the Earth significantly limits the possibilities of its study. NEPTUNE, the eighth largest planet from the Sun, belongs to the giant planets. Some parameters of the planet Neptune moves around the Sun in an elliptical, close to circular (eccentricity 0.009) orbit; its average distance from the Sun is 30.058 times greater than that of the Earth, which is approximately 4500 million km. This means that the light from the Sun reaches Neptune in a little over 4 hours. ;
- the ninth from the sun of our solar system. The average distance from the Sun is 39.4 AU. e., circulation period 247.7 years, rotation period 6.4 days, diameter approx. 3000 km, weight approx. 1.79.1022 kg. Methane has been discovered on Pluto. Pluto is a double planet, its satellite, about 3 times smaller in diameter, moves at a distance of only approx. 20,000 km from the center of the planet, making 1 revolution in 6.4 days. Some parameters of the planet Pluto moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit with a significant eccentricity equal to 0.25, exceeding even the eccentricity of Mercury's orbit (0.206).

The semi-major axis of Pluto's orbit is 39.439 AU. e. or approximately 5.8 billion km. The plane of the orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at an angle of 17.2°. One revolution of Pluto lasts 247.7 Earth years;
, their satellites, many small planets, comets, small meteoroids and cosmic dust moving in the area of the prevailing gravitational action of the Sun. According to the prevailing scientific ideas, the formation of the solar system began with the emergence of the central body of the Sun;

The gravitational field of the Sun led to the capture of an incident gas-dust cloud, from which the Solar System was formed as a result of gravitational separation and condensation. The pressure of the solar radiation caused its inhomogeneity chemical composition: lighter elements, primarily hydrogen and helium, predominate in the peripheral (so-called outer, or distant) planets. The age of the Earth has been most reliably determined: it is approximately equal to 4.6 billion years.

The general structure of the solar system was revealed in the middle of the 16th century. N. Copernicus, who substantiated the idea of the motion of the planets around the Sun. Such solar system model called heliocentric. In the 17th century I. Kepler discovered the laws of planetary motion, and I. Newton formulated the law gravity. The study of the physical characteristics of the cosmic bodies that make up the solar system became possible only after the invention by G. Galileo in 1609 of the telescope. So, observing sunspots, Galileo first discovered the rotation of the Sun around its axis.

Space has attracted people's attention for a long time. Astronomers began to study the planets of the solar system in the Middle Ages, looking at them through primitive telescopes. But a careful classification, a description of the features of the structure and movement celestial bodies became possible only in the 20th century. With the advent of powerful equipment equipped with last word observatory technology and spaceships several previously unknown objects were discovered. Now each student can list all the planets of the solar system in order. Almost all of them have been landed by a space probe, and so far man has only been to the Moon.

What is the solar system

The universe is huge and includes many galaxies. Our solar system is part of a galaxy with over 100 billion stars. But there are very few that look like the Sun. Basically, they are all red dwarfs, which are smaller in size and do not shine as brightly. Scientists have suggested that the solar system was formed after the emergence of the sun. Its huge field of attraction captured a gas-dust cloud, from which, as a result of gradual cooling, particles of solid matter were formed. Over time, celestial bodies formed from them. It is believed that the Sun is now in the middle of its life path, so it will exist, as well as all celestial bodies dependent on it, for several billion more years. Near space has been studied by astronomers for a long time, and any person knows what planets of the solar system exist. Photos of them taken with space satellites, can be found on the pages of various information resources dedicated to this topic. All celestial bodies are held by the Sun's strong gravitational field, which makes up over 99% of the solar system's volume. Large celestial bodies revolve around the star and around their axis in one direction and in one plane, which is called the plane of the ecliptic.

Solar system planets in order

In modern astronomy, it is customary to consider celestial bodies, starting from the Sun. In the 20th century, a classification was created, which includes 9 planets of the solar system. But recent space exploration and latest discoveries prompted scientists to revise many positions in astronomy. And in 2006 on international congress, due to its small size (a dwarf with a diameter not exceeding three thousand km), Pluto was excluded from the number of classical planets, and there are eight of them left. Now the structure of our solar system has taken on a symmetrical, slender appearance. It includes four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, then comes the asteroid belt, followed by four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. On the outskirts of the solar system also passes which scientists called the Kuiper belt. This is where Pluto is located. These places are still little studied because of their remoteness from the Sun.

Features of the terrestrial planets

What makes it possible to attribute these celestial bodies to one group? We list the main characteristics inner planets:

relatively small size;
hard surface, high density and similar composition (oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium and other heavy elements);
the presence of an atmosphere;
the same structure: a core of iron with nickel impurities, a mantle consisting of silicates, and a crust of silicate rocks (except for Mercury - it has no crust);
a small number of satellites - only 3 for four planets;
rather weak magnetic field.

Features of the giant planets

As for the outer planets, or gas giants, they have the following similar characteristics:

large size and weight;
they do not have a solid surface and are composed of gases, mainly helium and hydrogen (which is why they are also called gas giants);
a liquid core consisting of metallic hydrogen;
high rotation speed;
a strong magnetic field, which explains the unusual nature of many processes occurring on them;
there are 98 satellites in this group, most of which belong to Jupiter;
the most salient feature gas giants is the presence of rings. All four planets have them, although they are not always noticeable.

The first planet is Mercury

It is located closest to the Sun. Therefore, from its surface, the luminary looks three times larger than from the Earth. This also explains the strong temperature fluctuations: from -180 to +430 degrees. Mercury is moving very fast in its orbit. Maybe that's why it got such a name, because in Greek mythology Mercury is the messenger of the gods. There is almost no atmosphere here, and the sky is always black, but the Sun shines very brightly. However, there are places at the poles where its rays never hit. This phenomenon can be explained by the tilt of the axis of rotation. No water was found on the surface. This circumstance, as well as the anomalously high daytime temperature (as well as the low nighttime temperature) fully explain the fact that there is no life on the planet.

Venus

If we study the planets of the solar system in order, then the second one is Venus. People could observe her in the sky in ancient times, but since she was shown only in the morning and in the evening, it was believed that these were 2 different objects. By the way, our Slavic ancestors called her Flicker. It is the third brightest object in our solar system. Previously, people called it the morning and evening star, because it is best seen before sunrise and sunset. Venus and Earth are very similar in structure, composition, size and gravity. Around its axis, this planet moves very slowly, making a complete revolution in 243.02 Earth days. Of course, the conditions on Venus are very different from those on Earth. It is twice as close to the Sun, so it is very hot there. Heat It is also explained by the fact that thick clouds of sulfuric acid and an atmosphere of carbon dioxide create a greenhouse effect on the planet. In addition, the pressure at the surface is 95 times greater than on Earth. Therefore, the first ship that visited Venus in the 70s of the 20th century survived there for no more than an hour. A feature of the planet is also the fact that it rotates in the opposite direction, compared to most planets. Astronomers know nothing more about this celestial object yet.

Third planet from the Sun

The only place in the solar system, and indeed in the entire universe known to astronomers, where life exists, is the Earth. In the terrestrial group, it has the largest dimensions. What else is her

The largest gravity among the terrestrial planets.
Very strong magnetic field.
High density.
It is the only one among all the planets that has a hydrosphere, which contributed to the formation of life.
It has the largest, in comparison with its size, satellite, which stabilizes its tilt relative to the Sun and affects natural processes.

The planet Mars

It is one of the smallest planets in our galaxy. If we consider the planets of the solar system in order, then Mars is the fourth from the Sun. Its atmosphere is very rarefied, and the pressure on the surface is almost 200 times less than on Earth. For the same reason, very strong temperature drops are observed. The planet Mars is little studied, although it has long attracted the attention of people. According to scientists, this is the only celestial body on which life could exist. After all, in the past there was water on the surface of the planet. Such a conclusion can be drawn on the basis of the fact that at the poles there are large ice caps, and the surface is covered with many furrows, which could be dried up riverbeds. In addition, there are some minerals on Mars that can only be formed in the presence of water. Another feature of the fourth planet is the presence of two satellites. Their unusualness is that Phobos gradually slows down its rotation and approaches the planet, while Deimos, on the contrary, moves away.

What is Jupiter famous for?

The fifth planet is the largest. 1300 Earths would fit in the volume of Jupiter, and its mass is 317 times more than the earth. Like all gas giants, its structure is hydrogen-helium, reminiscent of the composition of stars. Jupiter is the most interesting planet that has many characteristic features:

it is the third brightest celestial body after the Moon and Venus;
Jupiter has the strongest magnetic field of all the planets;
it completes a full rotation around its axis in just 10 earth hours - faster than other planets;
an interesting feature of Jupiter is a large red spot - so visible from Earth atmospheric vortex, rotating counterclockwise;
like all giant planets, it has rings, though not as bright as those of Saturn;
this planet has the largest number of satellites. He has 63 of them. The most famous are Europe, where they found water, Ganymede is the most large satellite the planets Jupiter, as well as Io and Calisto;
another feature of the planet is that in the shade the surface temperature is higher than in places illuminated by the Sun.

Planet Saturn

It is the second largest gas giant, also named after ancient god. It consists of hydrogen and helium, but traces of methane, ammonia and water have been found on its surface. Scientists have found that Saturn is the most rarefied planet. Its density is less than that of water. This gas giant rotates very quickly - it completes one revolution in 10 Earth hours, as a result of which the planet is flattened from the sides. Huge speeds on Saturn and near the wind - up to 2000 kilometers per hour. It's more than the speed of sound. Saturn has another distinguishing feature- he keeps 60 satellites in his field of attraction. The largest of them - Titan - is the second largest in the entire solar system. The uniqueness of this object lies in the fact that, exploring its surface, scientists first discovered a celestial body with conditions similar to those that existed on Earth about 4 billion years ago. But the most main feature Saturn is the presence of bright rings. They encircle the planet around the equator and reflect more light than itself. Four is the most amazing phenomenon in the solar system. Unusually, the inner rings move faster than the outer ones.

- Uranus

So, we continue to consider the planets of the solar system in order. The seventh planet from the Sun is Uranus. It is the coldest of all - the temperature drops to -224 ° C. In addition, scientists did not find metallic hydrogen in its composition, but found modified ice. Because Uranus is classified as a separate category of ice giants. Amazing Feature of this celestial body in that it rotates while lying on its side. The change of seasons on the planet is also unusual: winter reigns there for 42 Earth years, and the Sun does not appear at all, summer also lasts 42 years, and the Sun does not set at this time. In spring and autumn, the luminary appears every 9 hours. Like all giant planets, Uranus has rings and many satellites. As many as 13 rings revolve around it, but they are not as bright as those of Saturn, and the planet holds only 27 satellites. If we compare Uranus with the Earth, then it is 4 times larger than it, 14 times heavier and is located at a distance from the Sun, in 19 times greater than the path to the luminary from our planet.

Neptune: the invisible planet

After Pluto was excluded from the number of planets, Neptune became the last from the Sun in the system. It is located 30 times farther from the star than the Earth, and is not visible from our planet even through a telescope. Scientists discovered it, so to speak, by chance: observing the peculiarities of the movement of the planets closest to it and their satellites, they concluded that there must be another large celestial body beyond the orbit of Uranus. After discovery and research, it turned out interesting features this planet:

due to the presence in the atmosphere a large number methane the color of the planet from space appears blue-green;
Neptune's orbit is almost perfectly circular;
the planet rotates very slowly - it completes one circle in 165 years;
Neptune 4 times more earth and 17 times heavier, but the force of gravity is almost the same as on our planet;
the largest of the 13 moons of this giant is Triton. It is always turned to the planet on one side and slowly approaches it. Based on these signs, scientists have suggested that it was captured by Neptune's gravity.

In the entire galaxy, the Milky Way is about a hundred billion planets. So far, scientists cannot even study some of them. But the number of planets in the solar system is known to almost all people on Earth. True, in the 21st century, interest in astronomy has faded a little, but even children know the name of the planets of the solar system.

> Planets

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

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

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

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

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

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

Variety of planets

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

Hot planetary coronas

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

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

Terrestrial planets of the solar system

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

Gas giant planets of the solar system

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

The IAU put forward the definition of a planet:

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

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

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

Dwarf planets of the solar system

Formation of planetary systems

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

Solar system planets in order

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

The first planet from the Sun is Mercury

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

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

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

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

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

Second planet from the Sun - Venus

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

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

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

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

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

Third planet from the Sun - Earth

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fourth planet from the Sun is Mars

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

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

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

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

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

Fifth planet from the Sun - Jupiter

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

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

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

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

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

The sixth planet from the Sun is Saturn

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

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

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

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

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

The seventh planet from the Sun is Uranus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

> solar system

solar system- planets in order, Sun, structure, system model, satellites, space missions, asteroids, comets, dwarf planets, interesting facts.

solar system- a place in outer space in which the Sun, planets in order and many other space objects and celestial bodies are located. The solar system is the most expensive place where we live, our home.

Our Universe is a huge place where we occupy a tiny corner. But for earthlings, the solar system seems to be the most immense territory, to the far corners of which we are only beginning to approach. And she still hides a lot of mysterious and mysterious formations. So, despite centuries of study, we have only slightly opened the door to the unknown. So what is the solar system? Today we will consider this issue.

Discovery of the solar system

The actual need to look into the sky and you will see our system. But few peoples and cultures understood exactly where we exist and what place we occupy in space. For a long time we thought that our planet is static, located in the center, and the rest of the objects rotate around it.

But still, even in ancient times, supporters of heliocentrism appeared, whose ideas would inspire Nicolaus Copernicus to create a true model, where the Sun was located in the center.

In the 17th century, Galileo, Kepler and Newton were able to prove that the planet Earth revolves around the star Sun. The discovery of gravity helped to understand that other planets follow the same laws of physics.

The revolutionary moment came with the advent of the first telescope from Galileo Galilei. In 1610, he noticed Jupiter and its satellites. This will be followed by the discovery of other planets.

In the 19th century, three important observations were made that helped to calculate the true nature of the system and its position in space. In 1839, Friedrich Bessel successfully identified an apparent shift in stellar position. This showed that there is a huge distance between the Sun and the stars.

In 1859, G. Kirchhoff and R. Bunsen used a telescope to conduct a spectral analysis of the Sun. It turned out that it consists of the same elements as the Earth. The parallax effect is visible in the lower figure.

As a result, Angelo Secchi was able to compare the spectral signature of the Sun with the spectra of other stars. It turned out that they almost converge. Percival Lowell carefully studied the distant corners and orbital paths of the planets. He guessed that there was still an undiscovered object - Planet X. In 1930, Clyde Tombaugh noticed Pluto at his observatory.

In 1992, scientists expand the boundaries of the system by discovering a trans-Neptunian object - 1992 QB1. From this moment begins the interest in the Kuiper belt. The following are the finds of Eris and other objects from the team of Michael Brown. All of this will lead to an IAU meeting and the removal of Pluto from planetary status. Below you can study in detail the composition of the solar system, considering all the solar planets in order, main star The Sun, the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. The solar system also hides the largest planet (Jupiter) and the smallest (Mercury).

Structure and composition of the solar system

Comets are lumps of snow and mud filled with frozen gas, rocks, and dust. The closer they get to the Sun, the more they heat up and throw out dust and gas, increasing their brightness.

Dwarf planets rotate around the star, but could not remove foreign objects from orbit. They are inferior in size to standard planets. The most famous representative is Pluto.

The Kuiper Belt lurks outside of Neptune's orbit, filled with icy bodies and formed into a disk. Most famous representatives- Pluto and Eris. Hundreds of ice dwarfs live on its territory. Farthest away is the Oort Cloud. Together they act as a source of incoming comets.

The solar system is only a small part of the Milky Way. Beyond its borders is a large-scale space filled with stars. At light speed, it would take 100,000 years to fly over the entire area. Our galaxy is one of many in the universe.

At the center of the system is the main and only star - the Sun (main sequence G2). 4 come first terrestrial planets(inner), an asteroid belt, 4 gas giants, the Kuiper Belt (30-50 AU) and a spherical Oort Cloud extending to 100,000 AU. to the interstellar medium.

The sun holds 99.86% of the total systemic mass, and gravity outweighs all forces. Most of the planets are located near the ecliptic and rotate in the same direction (counterclockwise).

Approximately 99% of the planetary mass is represented by gas giants, where Jupiter and Saturn cover more than 90%.

Informally, the system is divided into several sections. The inner one includes 4 terrestrial planets and an asteroid belt. Next comes external system with 4 giants. Separately, a zone with trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) is distinguished. That is, you can easily find the outer line, as it is marked by the large planets of the solar system.

Many planets are considered mini-systems, as they have a group of satellites. Gas giants also have rings - small bands of small particles rotating around the planet. Usually large moons arrive in a gravitational block. On the lower layout, you can see a comparison of the sizes of the Sun and the planets of the system.

The sun is 98% hydrogen and helium. Earth-type planets are endowed with silicate rock, nickel and iron. Giants are composed of gases and ices (water, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide).

The bodies of the solar system distant from the star have low temperature indicators. Ice giants (Neptune and Uranus), as well as small objects beyond their orbits, are isolated from here. Their gases and ices are volatile substances capable of condensing at a distance of 5 AU. from the sun.

The origin and evolutionary process of the solar system

Our system appeared 4.568 billion years ago as a result of the gravitational collapse of a large-scale molecular cloud, represented by hydrogen, helium and a small amount of heavier elements. This mass collapsed, which led to a rapid rotation.

Most of the mass gathered in the center. The temperature mark rose. The nebula contracted, increasing acceleration. This led to flattening into a protoplanetary disk with a red-hot protostar.

Because of high level boiling near the star in solid form, only metals and silicates can exist. As a result, 4 terrestrial planets appeared: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Metals were scarce, so they were unable to increase their size.

But the giants appeared farther away, where the material was cool and allowed the volatile ice compounds to remain in a solid state. There were much more ice, so the planets dramatically increased their scale, pulling great amount hydrogen and helium into the atmosphere. The remnants failed to become planets and settled in the Kuiper Belt or moved to the Oort Cloud.

Over 50 million years of development, the pressure and density of hydrogen in the protostar launched nuclear fusion. Thus the Sun was born. The wind created the heliosphere and scattered gas and dust into space.

The system remains in habitual state. But the Sun develops and after 5 billion years completely transforms hydrogen into helium. The core will collapse, releasing a huge energy reserve. The star will increase 260 times and become a red giant.

This will lead to the death of Mercury and Venus. Our planet will lose life because it will heat up. As a result, the outer stellar layers will break out into space, leaving behind a white dwarf, the size of our planet. A planetary nebula will form.

inner solar system

This is the line with the first 4 planets from the star. All of them have similar parameters. This is a rocky type, represented by silicates and metals. Located closer than the giants. They are inferior in density and size, and are also deprived of huge lunar families and rings.

Silicates form the crust and mantle, while metals are part of the cores. All except Mercury have an atmospheric layer that allows the formation of weather. Impact craters and tectonic activity are visible on the surface.

Closest to the star is Mercury. It is also the smallest planet. The magnetic field reaches only 1% of that of the Earth, and the thin atmosphere leads to the fact that the planet is half hot (430°C) and freezes (-187°C).

Venus converges in size with the Earth and has a dense atmospheric layer. But the atmosphere is extremely toxic and works as a greenhouse. 96% consists of carbon dioxide, along with nitrogen and other impurities. Dense clouds are made from sulfuric acid. There are many canyons on the surface, the deepest of which reaches 6400 km.

Earth best studied because it is our home. It has a rocky surface covered with mountains and depressions. In the center is a heavy metal core. There is water vapor in the atmosphere, which smooths temperature regime. The moon revolves nearby.

Because of appearance Mars was nicknamed the Red Planet. The color is created by the oxidation of iron materials on the top layer. Endowed with the most big mountain in the system (Olympus), rising to 21229 m, as well as the deepest canyon - the Mariner Valley (4000 km). Much of the surface is ancient. There are ice caps at the poles. A thin atmospheric layer hints at water deposits. The core is solid, and next to the planet there are two satellites: Phobos and Deimos.

outer solar system

Gas giants are located here - large-scale planets with lunar families and rings. Despite their size, only Jupiter and Saturn can be seen without the use of telescopes.

The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter with a rapid rotational speed (10 hours) and an orbital path of 12 years. The dense atmospheric layer is filled with hydrogen and helium. The core can reach the size of the Earth. There are many satellites, faint rings, and the Great Red Spot, a powerful storm that has been unsettled for the 4th century.

Saturn- a planet that is recognized by its chic ring system (7 pieces). There are satellites in the system, and the hydrogen and helium atmosphere rotates rapidly (10.7 hours). It takes 29 years to go around the star.

In 1781 William Herschel found Uranus. A day on the giant lasts 17 hours, and it takes 84 years to orbit. It holds a huge amount of water, methane, ammonia, helium and hydrogen. All this is concentrated around the stone core. There is a lunar family and rings. Voyager 2 flew to it in 1986.

Neptune- a distant planet with water, methane, ammonium, hydrogen and helium. There are 6 rings and dozens of satellites. Voyager 2 also flew by in 1989.

Trans-Neptunian region of the solar system

Thousands of objects have already been found in the Kuiper belt, but it is believed that up to 100,000 with a diameter of more than 100 km live there. They are extremely small and located at large distances, so it is difficult to calculate the composition.

Spectrographs show an ice mixture: hydrocarbons, water ice and ammonia. Initial analysis showed a wide range of colors from neutral to bright red. This hints at the richness of the composition. A comparison of Pluto and KBO 1993 SC showed that they are extremely different in surface elements.

Water ice was found in 1996 TO66, 38628 Huya and 20000 Varuna, and crystalline ice was seen in Quaoar.

The Oort Cloud and Beyond the Solar System

This cloud is believed to extend from 2000-5000 AU. and up to 50,000 a.u. from a star. The outer edge can stretch up to 100,000-200,000 AU. The cloud is divided into two parts: outer spherical (20000-50000 AU) and inner (2000-20000 AU).

The outer one is inhabited by trillions of bodies with a diameter of a kilometer or more, as well as billions with a width of 20 km. There is no exact information about the mass, but it is believed that Halley's comet is a typical representative. The total mass of the cloud is 3 x 10 25 km (5 lands).

If we focus on comets, then most of the cloud bodies are represented by ethane, water, carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. The population of 1-2% consists of asteroids.

Bodies from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud are called Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) because they are further away from Neptune's orbital path.

Exploring the solar system

The size of the solar system still seems immense, but our knowledge has expanded significantly with the sending of probes into outer space. The boom in the study of outer space began in the middle of the 20th century. Now it can be noted that all solar planets have been approached at least once by terrestrial vehicles. We have photos, videos, as well as analysis of the soil and atmosphere (for some).

The first artificial spacecraft was the Soviet Sputnik-1. He was sent into space in 1957. Spent several months in orbit collecting atmospheric and ionospheric data. In 1959, the United States joined with Explorer 6, which first took pictures of our planet.

These devices provided a huge array of information about planetary features. Luna-1 was the first to go to another object. He raced past our satellite in 1959. Mariner became a successful mission to Venus in 1964, Mariner 4 arrived at Mars in 1965, and the 10th flight in 1974 passed Mercury.

Since the 1970s the attack on the outer planets begins. Pioneer 10 flew past Jupiter in 1973, and the next mission visited Saturn in 1979. The real breakthrough was the Voyagers, which flew around big giants and their companions in the 1980s.

The Kuiper Belt is being handled by New Horizons. In 2015, the device successfully reached Pluto, sending the first close pictures and a lot of information. Now he rushes to the distant TNO.

But we yearned to land on another planet, so rovers and probes began to be sent in the 1960s. Luna 10 was the first to enter lunar orbit in 1966. In 1971, Mariner 9 settled near Mars, and Verena 9 orbited the second planet in 1975.

Galileo first swirled near Jupiter in 1995, and the famous Cassini appeared near Saturn in 2004. MESSENGER and Dawn visited Mercury and Vesta in 2011. And the latter still managed to fly around the dwarf planet Ceres in 2015.

The first spacecraft to land on the surface was Luna 2 in 1959. This was followed by landings on Venus (1966), Mars (1971), asteroid 433 Eros (2001), Titan and Tempel in 2005.

Now controlled vehicles have visited only Mars and the Moon. But the first robotic was Lunokhod 1 in 1970. Spirit (2004), Opportunity (2004) and Curiosity (2012) landed on Mars.

The 20th century was marked by the space race between America and the USSR. For the Soviets, this was the East program. The first mission came in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin was in orbit. In 1963, the first woman flew - Valentina Tereshkova.

In the United States, the Mercury project was developed, where they also planned to take people into space. The first American to go into orbit was Alan Shepard in 1961. After the end of both programs, countries focused on long-term and short-term flights.

The main goal was to land a man on the moon. The USSR was developing a capsule for 2-3 people, and the Gemini were trying to create a device for a safe lunar landing. In 1969, Apollo 11 ended up successfully landing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the satellite. In 1972, they completed 5 more landings, and all were Americans.

The next challenge was the creation of a space station and reusable vehicles. The Soviets formed the Salyut and Almaz stations. The first station with a large number of crews was NASA Skylab. The first settlement was the Soviet Mir, functioning in 1989-1999. It was replaced by the International Space Station in 2001.

the only reusable ship was Columbia, which performed several orbital passes. 5 shuttles completed 121 missions, and retired in 2011. Due to accidents, two shuttles crashed: Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003).

In 2004, George W. Bush announced his intention to return to the moon and conquer the Red Planet. This idea was supported by Barack Obama. As a result, now all the forces are spent on the exploration of Mars and plans to create a human colony.

All these flights and sacrifices have led to a better understanding of our system, its past and future. IN modern model there are 8 planets, 4 dwarfs and a huge number of TNOs. Let's not forget about the army of asteroids and planetosimals.

On the page you can find out not only useful information about the solar system, its structure and size, but also get a detailed description and characteristics of all the planets in order with names, photos, videos, diagrams and an indication of the distance from the Sun. The composition and structure of the solar system will no longer be a mystery. Also use our 3D model to explore all the celestial bodies on your own.

The names of the planets of the solar system: where do they come from?

About the origin of the name of which planet humanity still does not know anything? The answer will surprise you...

Most of the cosmic bodies in the universe got their names in honor of the ancient Roman and ancient Greek deities. Modern names of the planets in the solar system are also associated with ancient mythological characters. And only one planet is an exception to this list: its name has nothing to do with the ancient gods. What space object are we talking about? Let's figure it out.

Planets of the solar system.

Science knows exactly about the existence of 8 planets of the solar system. Not so long ago, scientists expanded this list with the discovery of the ninth planet, the name of which has not yet been officially announced, so let's leave it alone for now. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, due to their location and gigantic size, are combined into a single, external group. Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury belong to the terrestrial inner group.

The location of the planets.

Until 2006, Pluto was considered a planet in the solar system, but careful exploration of outer space has changed the idea of this object. It has been classified as the largest body in the Kuiper belt. Pluto has been given the status of a dwarf planet. Known to mankind since 1930, it owes its name to Oxford schoolgirl Venice Burney. By voting astronomers, the choice fell on the option of an eleven-year-old girl who proposed to name the planet in honor of the Roman god - the patron of the underworld and death.

Pluto and its moon Charon.

Its existence became known back in the middle of the 19th century (1846), when the cosmic body was discovered by mathematical calculations by John Coach Adams and Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier. The name of the new planet in the solar system caused a discussion between astronomers: each of them wanted to perpetuate his last name in the name of the object. To end the dispute, they offered a compromise - the name of the god of the seas from ancient Roman mythology.

Neptune: The name of a planet in the solar system.

Initially, the planet had several names. Discovered in 1781, they decided to christen it after the discoverer W. Herschel. The scientist himself wanted to honor the British ruler George III with a similar honor, but astronomers were asked to continue the tradition of their ancestors and, like the 5 most ancient planets, give a “divine” name to the cosmic body. The main contender was greek god sky Uranus.

Uranus.

The existence of a giant planet was known even in the pre-Christian era. Choosing the name, the Romans decided to focus on the God of agriculture.

The giant planet Saturn.

The name of the Roman supreme god is imprinted in the name of the planet of the solar system - the largest of them. Like Saturn, Jupiter has been known for a very long time, because it was not difficult to see a giant in the sky.

Jupiter.

The reddish tint of the planet's surface is associated with bloodshed, which is why the god of war among the Romans gave the name to the space object.

"Red Planet" Mars.

Almost nothing is known about the name of our home planet. Surely we can say that its name has nothing to do with mythology. First mention modern name planets was recorded in 1400. It is associated with the Anglo-Saxon term for soil or ground - "Earth". But who called the Earth "earth" - there is no information.