A brief description of the planets of the solar system for schoolchildren. A story about the planets of the solar system for children. Teacher's story about Mercury

A brief description of the planets of the solar system for schoolchildren.  A story about the planets of the solar system for children.  Teacher's story about Mercury
A brief description of the planets of the solar system for schoolchildren. A story about the planets of the solar system for children. Teacher's story about Mercury

Why remember the planets solar system Is it much easier for children than it might seem? Yes because there is easy way, which can help the kids. And we will tell you about this method now. Almost every child after 5 years begins to be interested in space, celestial bodies and planets of the solar system. Remember yourself during these years, how you were drawn to the starry sky and its secrets. Children are especially fascinated by this topic, so stories about stars and constellations can captivate children for a long time.

So how can you help your child develop the most correct concepts in the field of astronomy? First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the age of the child and the degree of his interest in this issue. You shouldn’t overload a six-year-old baby with serious data about the mass of planets or their chemical composition, but the names, satellites, and locations in the starry sky can be explained quite clearly. In this article we will focus on the age of children from 5 to 10 years. But it’s up to you to decide which one specific information Of course, you will have to convey this to your children yourself. But then you can safely say that it’s yours! 🙂

How to tell your child about the planets of the solar system

In order for a child to learn the material well, it must be clearly demonstrated. Therefore, you will need pictures with planets, constellations, celestial bodies and stars. You can prepare a small computer presentation and place all the necessary images in it. A short video in the form of a . The main thing is that your student does not get bored and easily perceives what you say. Don’t overwhelm him with complex phrases, tell him everything simply and naturally. Training should take place in game form, then the child will not get bored and will remember all the basic information.

So let's decide

What exactly can you tell your child about space and the solar system?

  1. What is the solar system.
  2. The history of the origin of planets.
  3. Satellites of the planets.
  4. The names of the planets and the order of their location relative to the Sun.
  5. A short description of each planet.

How to easily remember the order of planets in the sky

There is one simple way for children to remember the planets of the Solar System. However, for adults too. It is very similar to how we remember the colors of the rainbow. All children love various counting rhymes, thanks to which information remains in memory for a long time. To memorize the planets of the solar system, I can suggest you learn a poem with the guys, which you can compose yourself, or use the work of A. Hight:

All planets in order

Any of us can name:

One - Mercury,

Two - Venus,

Three - Earth,

Four - Mars.

Five - Jupiter,

Six - Saturn,

Seven - Uranus,

Behind him is Neptune.

Think back to how you memorized the colors of the rainbow as a child. The same principle can be applied to the names of the planets. Construct a phrase in which each word begins with the same letter as a planet in the solar system in the order of its location from the Sun. For example:

M s Mercury

IN meet Venus

Z Tomorrow Earth

M oya Mars

YU Naya Jupiter

WITH traveler Saturn

U I fly Uranus

N for a long time Pluto

This is just an example, in fact, you can come up with anything, as long as it is close to your child’s spirit and he easily remembers the entire sentence. Now that we have figured out exactly how any information should be presented to children, we can move on to the direct knowledge that you will teach young astronomers.

And finally, an interesting and simple story for children about

What is the solar system

The solar system is all the cosmic bodies that revolve around the Sun according to their clearly defined trajectories. These include 8 planets and their satellites (their composition is constantly changing, as some objects are discovered, others lose their status), many comets, asteroids and meteorites.

History of the emergence of planets

There is no definite opinion on this matter, there are only theories and guesses. According to the most common opinion, about 5 billion years ago one of the clouds of the Galaxy began to shrink towards the center and formed our Sun. The formed body had a huge force of attraction, and all the particles of gas and dust around began to connect and stick together into balls (these are the current planets).

The sun as a star and the center of the solar system

The planets revolve in their orbits around a huge star called the Sun. The planets themselves do not emit any heat, and if it were not for the light of the Sun that they reflect, then life on Earth would never have arisen. There is a certain classification of stars, according to which the Sun is a yellow dwarf, approximately 5 billion years old.

Satellites of the planets

The solar system does not consist only of planets; it also includes natural satellites, among which is the well-known Moon. In addition to Venus and Mercury, each planet has a certain number of satellites, today there are more than 63. New celestial bodies are constantly being discovered thanks to photographs taken by automatic spacecraft. They are capable of detecting even the smallest satellite with a diameter of only 10 km (Leda, Jupiter).

Characteristics of each planet in the solar system

1. Mercury. This planet is closest to the Sun; in the entire system it is considered the smallest. Mercury has a hard surface, like all four inner planets (those closest to the center). He has the most high speed rotation. During the day the planet practically burns under sun rays(+350?), and at night it freezes (-170?).

2. Venus. This planet is more similar to Earth than others in its size and brightness. There are always a lot of clouds around it, which makes observation difficult. The entire surface of Venus is a hot rocky desert.

3. Earth - the only one plan A planet on which there is water, and therefore life. She has perfect location in relation to the Sun: close enough to receive light and heat in the right amount, and far enough away so as not to be burned by the rays. The Earth has one satellite - Moon.
4. Mars. Some scientists have suggested that life also exists on this planet because it has a number of similarities with Earth. But numerous studies have found no signs of life there. At the moment, two natural satellites of Mars are known: Phobos and Deimos.

5. Jupiter – the largest planet in the solar system, 10 times larger than Earth in diameter and 300 times larger in mass. Jupiter consists of hydrogen, helium and other gases and has 16 satellites.
6. Saturn – the most interesting planet for children, as it has rings that are formed from dust, stones and ice. There are three main rings around Saturn, each about 30 meters thick.

7. Uranus. This planet also has rings, but they are much more difficult to see; they only appear in certain time. The main feature of Uranus is its manner of rotation, performed in the “lying on its side” mode.

8. Neptune. Astronomy today calls this planet the last in the solar system. Neptune was discovered only in 1989, since it is located very far from the Sun. Its surface looks blue from space, which cannot but amaze us.

Until 2006, there were 9 planets, including Pluto. But according to the latest scientific data, this space object is no longer called a planet. It’s a pity... Although, it has become easier for children to remember. 🙂

Well? Do you think ours will help? simple tips Do children remember the planets of the solar system? Or do you know an easier way?

solar system– these are 8 planets and more than 63 of their satellites, which are being discovered more and more often, several dozen comets and a large number of asteroids. All cosmic bodies move along their own clearly directed trajectories around the Sun, which is 1000 times heavier than all the bodies in the solar system combined. The center of the solar system is the Sun, a star around which the planets orbit. They do not emit heat and do not glow, but only reflect the light of the Sun. There are now 8 officially recognized planets in the solar system. Let us briefly list them all in order of distance from the sun. And now a few definitions.

Planet is a celestial body that must satisfy four conditions:
1. the body must revolve around a star (for example, around the Sun);
2. the body must have sufficient gravity to have a spherical or close to it shape;
3. the body should not have other large bodies near its orbit;
4. the body should not be a star

Star is a cosmic body that emits light and is powerful source energy. This is explained, firstly, by the thermonuclear reactions occurring in it, and secondly, by the processes of gravitational compression, as a result of which a huge amount of energy is released.

Satellites of the planets. The solar system also includes the Moon and the natural satellites of other planets, which they all have except Mercury and Venus. Over 60 satellites are known. Most of the satellites of the outer planets were discovered when they received photographs taken by robotic spacecraft. Jupiter's smallest satellite, Leda, is only 10 km across.

is a star without which life on Earth could not exist. It gives us energy and warmth. According to the classification of stars, the Sun is a yellow dwarf. Age about 5 billion years. It has a diameter at the equator of 1,392,000 km, 109 times larger than that of Earth. The rotation period at the equator is 25.4 days and 34 days at the poles. The mass of the Sun is 2x10 to the 27th power of tons, approximately 332,950 times the mass of the Earth. The temperature inside the core is approximately 15 million degrees Celsius. The surface temperature is about 5500 degrees Celsius. By chemical composition The sun is made up of 75% hydrogen, and the other 25% elements are mostly helium. Now let’s figure out in order how many planets revolve around the sun, in the solar system and the characteristics of the planets.
The four inner planets (closest to the Sun) - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - have a solid surface. They are smaller than the four giant planets. Mercury moves faster than other planets, being burned by the sun's rays during the day and freezing at night. Period of revolution around the Sun: 87.97 days.
Diameter at the equator: 4878 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 58 days.
Surface temperature: 350 during the day and -170 at night.
Atmosphere: very rarefied, helium.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.

More similar to Earth in size and brightness. Observing it is difficult due to the clouds enveloping it. The surface is a hot rocky desert. Period of revolution around the Sun: 224.7 days.
Diameter at the equator: 12104 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 243 days.
Surface temperature: 480 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: dense, mostly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.


Apparently, the Earth was formed from a gas and dust cloud, like other planets. Particles of gas and dust collided and gradually “grew” the planet. The temperature on the surface reached 5000 degrees Celsius. Then the Earth cooled and became covered with a hard rock crust. But the temperature in the depths is still quite high - 4500 degrees. Rocks melted in the depths and poured out to the surface during volcanic eruptions. Only on earth there is water. That's why life exists here. It is located relatively close to the Sun in order to receive necessary heat and light, but far enough away so as not to burn out. Period of revolution around the Sun: 365.3 days.
Diameter at the equator: 12756 km.
Period of rotation of the planet (rotation around its axis): 23 hours 56 minutes.
Surface temperature: 22 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen and oxygen.
Number of satellites: 1.
The main satellites of the planet: the Moon.

Because of its resemblance to Earth, it was believed that life existed here. But descended to the surface of Mars spacecraft I found no signs of life. This is the fourth planet in order. Period of revolution around the Sun: 687 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 6794 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 24 hours 37 minutes.
Surface temperature: –23 degrees (average).
The planet's atmosphere: thin, mostly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 2.
The main satellites in order: Phobos, Deimos.


Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are made of hydrogen and other gases. Jupiter exceeds Earth by more than 10 times in diameter, 300 times in mass and 1300 times in volume. It is more than twice as massive as all the planets in the solar system combined. How long does it take for planet Jupiter to become a star? We need to increase its mass by 75 times! Period of revolution around the Sun: 11 years 314 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 143884 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 9 hours 55 minutes.
Planet surface temperature: –150 degrees (average).
Number of satellites: 16 (+ rings).
The main satellites of the planets in order: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto.

It is number 2, the largest of the planets in the solar system. Saturn attracts attention thanks to its ring system formed of ice, rocks and dust that orbit the planet. There are three main rings with an outer diameter of 270,000 km, but their thickness is about 30 meters. Period of revolution around the Sun: 29 years 168 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 120536 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 10 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: –180 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 18 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titan.


A unique planet in the solar system. Its peculiarity is that it rotates around the Sun not like everyone else, but “lying on its side.” Uranus also has rings, although they are harder to see. In 1986, Voyager 2 flew at a distance of 64,000 km, he had six hours to take photographs, which he successfully implemented. Orbital period: 84 years 4 days.
Diameter at the equator: 51118 km.
Period of rotation of the planet (rotation around its axis): 17 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: -214 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
How many satellites: 15 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titania, Oberon.

On this moment, Neptune is considered the last planet of the solar system. Its discovery took place through mathematical calculations, and then it was seen through a telescope. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew past. He took stunning photographs of the blue surface of Neptune and its largest moon, Triton. Period of revolution around the Sun: 164 years 292 days.
Diameter at the equator: 50538 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 16 hours 7 minutes.
Surface temperature: –220 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 8.
Main satellites: Triton.


On August 24, 2006, Pluto lost its planetary status. The International Astronomical Union has decided which celestial body should be considered a planet. Pluto does not satisfy the requirements of the new formulation and loses its “planetary status”, at the same time Pluto passes into a new quality and becomes a prototype separate class dwarf planets.

How did the planets appear? Approximately 5–6 billion years ago, one of the gas and dust clouds of our big galaxy (milky way), having the shape of a disk, began to shrink towards the center, little by little forming the present Sun. Further, according to one theory, under the influence of powerful forces of attraction, a large number of dust and gas particles revolving around the Sun began to stick together into balls - forming future planets. As another theory says, the gas and dust cloud immediately broke up into separate clusters of particles, which compressed and became denser, forming the current planets. Now 8 planets revolve around the Sun constantly.

PLANETS

In ancient times, people knew only five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, the only ones that can be seen with the naked eye.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered using telescopes in 1781, 1846 and 1930. Long time Astronomers studied the planets by observing them from Earth. They determined that all the planets, except Pluto, move in circular orbits in the same plane and in the same direction, calculated the sizes of the planets and the distances from them to the Sun, formed their own idea of ​​​​the structure of the planets, and even assumed that Venus and Mars could be similar Earth, and there may be life on them.

The launch of automatic space stations to the planets made it possible to significantly expand, and in many ways revise, ideas about the planets: it became possible to see photographs of the surface, explore the soil and atmosphere of the planets.

Mercury.

Mercury is a small planet, slightly larger than the Moon. Its surface is also dotted with craters from collisions with meteorites. No geological processes have erased these dents from his face. Mercury is cold inside. It moves around the Sun faster than other planets, but around its axis very slowly. Having circled the Sun twice, Mercury only has time to turn around its axis three times. Because of this, the temperature is sunny side the temperature of the planet exceeds 300 degrees, and on the unlit surface darkness and severe cold reign. Mercury has virtually no atmosphere.

Venus.

Exploring Venus is not easy. Envelops her thick layer clouds, and under this serene appearance hides a real hell, the pressure is a hundred times higher than on Earth, the temperature on the surface is about 500 degrees, which is caused by the “greenhouse effect”. Soviet automatic station Venera 9 was the first to transmit images of a lava-filled and rock-covered surface to Earth. In the conditions of Venus, the apparatus lowered to the surface of the planet quickly breaks down, so American scientists decided to obtain data on the planet’s topography in a different way.

The automatic station "Magellan", flying around Venus many times, probed the planet with radar, as a result a comprehensive picture of the surface was obtained. In some places, the relief of Venus is similar to that of Earth, but mostly the landscapes are strange: high mountainous round areas surrounded by mountain ranges 250 - 300 km in diameter, the entire area of ​​which is occupied by volcanoes; other volcanic formations resemble cakes with steep edges and a flat top. The surface of the planet is cut by channels laid by lava. Traces of active volcanic activity are visible everywhere. Meteor craters on the surface of Venus are distributed evenly, which means that its surface took shape at the same time. Scientists cannot explain how this could happen; Venus seemed to boil and be flooded with lava. Now volcanic activity is not detected on the planet.

The atmosphere of Venus is not at all similar to that of Earth; it mainly consists of carbon dioxide. The thickness of the gas shell of Venus, compared to the earth's, is monstrously large. The cloud layer reaches 20 km. The presence of a concentrated aqueous solution of sulfuric acid was detected in them. Sunlight does not reach the surface of Venus, twilight reigns there, sulfur rain falls, and the landscape is constantly illuminated by flashes of lightning. High in the planet's atmosphere, constant winds rage, driving clouds at tremendous speed; the upper layer of the Venusian atmosphere makes a complete revolution around the planet within four Earth days. Solid Venus, on the contrary, rotates around its axis very slowly and in a different direction than all the other planets. Venus has no satellites.

Mars.

In the 20th century, the planet Mars was chosen by science fiction writers; in their novels, the Martian civilization was incomparably higher than the earthly one. The mysterious, inaccessible Mars began to reveal its secrets when Soviet and American automatic spacecraft began to be sent to study it.

The Mariner 9 station, orbiting Mars, took photographs of all areas of the planet, which made it possible to create detailed map surface relief. Researchers have discovered traces of active geological processes: huge volcanoes, the largest of them, Olympus Mons, 25 km high, and a huge fracture of the Martian crust, called Valles Marineris, which crosses an eighth of the planet.

Gigantic structures grew in the same place for billions of years, unlike the Earth with its drifting continents, the surface of Mars did not move. The geological structures of the Earth, compared to those on Mars, are dwarfs. Are volcanoes active on Mars now? Scientists believe that geological activity on the planet is obviously a thing of the past.

Martian landscapes are dominated by reddish rocky deserts. Light transparent clouds float above them in the pink sky. Blue sky becomes at sunset. The atmosphere of Mars is very thin. Every few years there are dust storms that cover almost the entire surface of the planet. A day on Mars lasts 24 hours 37 minutes, the inclination of the axis of rotation of Mars to the orbital plane is almost the same as that of the Earth, so the change of seasons on Mars is quite consistent with the change of seasons on Earth. The planet is poorly heated by the Sun, so its surface temperature even on a summer day does not exceed 0 degrees, and in winter time Because of the severe cold, frozen carbon dioxide settles on the rocks, which is what the Polar Caps are predominantly made of. No traces of life have yet been found.

From Earth, Mars is visible as a reddish star, which is probably why it bears the name of the god of war, Mars. His two companions were named Phobos and Deimos, which translated from ancient Greek means “fear” and “horror.” Satellites of Mars - space "rocks" irregular shape. Phobos measures 18km x 22km, and Deimos measures 10km x 16km.

The planets are giants.

In 1977, American scientists and engineers launched an automatic interplanetary station towards Jupiter. Once every 175 years, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto are positioned in such a way relative to the Earth that a launched spacecraft can examine all these planets in one flight. Scientists have calculated that, under certain conditions, a spacecraft, approaching a planet, falls into a gravitational slingshot, and the planet itself sends the apparatus further to another planet. The calculations turned out to be correct. Earthlings were able to see these distant planets and their companions "through the eyes" space robots, unique information was transmitted to Earth.

Jupiter.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It does not have a solid surface and consists mainly of hydrogen and helium. Due to the high speed of rotation around its axis, it is noticeably compressed at the poles. Jupiter has a huge magnetic field; if it became visible, it would look the size of the solar disk from Earth.

In the photographs, scientists were able to see only clouds in the planet’s atmosphere, which create stripes parallel to the equator. But they moved with great speed, bizarrely changing their shape. Numerous vortices, auroras and lightning flashes were recorded in the cloud cover of Jupiter. On the planet, wind speeds reach one hundred kilometers per hour. The most amazing formation in the atmosphere of Jupiter is a large red spot 3 times the size more than Earth. Astronomers have observed it since the 17th century. It is possible that this is the tip of a gigantic tornado. Jupiter releases more energy than it receives from the Sun. Scientists believe that in the center of the planet, gases are compressed to the state of a metallic liquid. This hot core is power plant, generating winds and a monstrous magnetic field.

But the main surprises for scientists were not presented by Jupiter itself, but by its satellites.

Satellites of Jupiter.

There are 16 known satellites of Jupiter. The largest of them, Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, were discovered by Galileo; they are visible even with strong binoculars. It was believed that the satellites of all planets are similar to the Moon - they are cold and lifeless. But Jupiter's moons surprised researchers.

And about- the size of the Moon, but it is the first celestial body other than Earth on which active volcanoes have been discovered. Io is completely covered in volcanoes. Its surface is washed by multi-colored lava flows, volcanoes emit sulfur. But what is the reason for the active volcanic activity of such a small cosmic body? Revolving around the huge Jupiter, Io either approaches it or moves away.

Under the influence of either increasing or decreasing gravitational force, Io either contracts or expands. Friction forces heated its inner layers to enormous temperatures. Io's volcanic activity is incredible, its surface changing before our eyes. Io moves in Jupiter's powerful magnetic field, so it accumulates a huge electric charge, which discharges onto Jupiter in the form of a continuous stream of lightning, causing storms on the planet.

Europe has relatively smooth surface, virtually without relief. It is covered with a layer of ice, and it is likely that the ocean is hidden underneath. Instead of molten rocks, water oozes from cracks here. This is absolutely the new kind geological activity.

Ganymede- most large satellite in the solar system. Its size is almost the same as that of Mercury.

Callisto dark and cold, its surface, pockmarked with meteorite craters, has not changed for billions of years.

Saturn.

Saturn, like Jupiter, does not have a solid surface - it is a gas giant planet. It also consists of hydrogen and helium, but it is cooler, since it produces less heat itself and receives less of it from the Sun. But on Saturn the winds are faster than on Jupiter. Stripes, vortices and other formations are observed in the atmosphere of Saturn, but they are short-lived and irregular.

Naturally, scientists' attention was directed to the rings that surround the planet's equator. They were discovered by astronomers back in the 17th century, and since then scientists have been trying to understand what they are. Photos of rings transmitted to the ground automatically space station, surprised the researchers. They were able to identify several hundred rings nested inside one another, some intertwined with each other, dark stripes were found on the rings that appeared and disappeared, they were called spokes. Scientists were able to see the rings of Saturn from a fairly close distance, but they had more questions than answers.

In addition to the rings, 15 satellites move around Saturn. The largest of them is Titan, slightly smaller than Mercury. Titan's dense atmosphere is much thicker than Earth's and consists almost entirely of nitrogen; it did not allow us to see the surface of the satellite, but scientists suggest that internal structure Titan's structure is similar to that of the Earth. The temperature at its surface is below minus 200 degrees.

Uranus.

Uranus differs from all other planets in that its axis of rotation lies almost in the plane of its orbit, all planets look like a toy top, and Uranus rotates as if “lying on its side.” Voyager was able to “see” little in the atmosphere of Uranus; the planet turned out to be very monotonous in appearance. There are 5 satellites orbiting Uranus.

Neptune.

It took Voyager 12 years to get to Neptune. How surprised the scientists were when, on the outskirts of the solar system, they saw a planet very similar to Earth. She was intense blue color, in the atmosphere in different sides white clouds were moving. The winds on Neptune blow much stronger than on other planets.

There is so little energy on Neptune that the wind, once it picks up, cannot stop. Scientists have discovered a system of rings around Neptune, but they are incomplete and represent arcs; there is no explanation for this yet. Neptune and Uranus are also giant planets, but not gas, but icy.

Neptune has 3 satellites. One of them is that Triton rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of Neptune itself. Perhaps it did not form in Neptune's gravitational zone, but was pulled toward the planet when it came close to it and fell into its gravitational zone. Triton is the coldest body in the solar system, its surface temperature is slightly higher absolute zero(minus 273 degrees). But nitrogen geysers were discovered on Triton, which indicates its geological activity.

Pluto

Now Pluto is officially no longer a planet. Now it should be considered " dwarf planet", one of three in the Solar System. Pluto's fate was determined in 2006 by a vote of members of the International Astronomical Society in Prague.

To avoid confusion and not clutter up maps of the solar system, the International Astronomical Union has prescribed that dwarf planets fairly large celestial bodies that are not among the eight previously identified planets. In particular, new status received Pluto, Charon (a former satellite of Pluto), the asteroid Ceres, orbiting between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, as well as the so-called Kuiper belt objects Xena (object UB313) and Sedna (object 90377).

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.

IN earth group include 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.

Sun

The Sun is the star around which all the planets and satellites in the solar system revolve. It consists of hydrogen and helium. The Sun is 4.5 billion years old and is only halfway through its life cycle, gradually increases in size. Now the diameter of the Sun is 1,391,400 km. In just the same number of years, this star will expand and reach the orbit of the Earth.

The sun is the source of heat and light for our planet. Its activity increases or becomes weaker every 11 years.

Due to extremely high temperatures On its surface, a detailed study of the Sun is extremely difficult, but attempts to launch a special apparatus as close to the star as possible continue.

Terrestrial group of planets

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.

If we take the Earth year as a guide, Mercury makes a full revolution around the Sun in 88 days, and one day there lasts 59 Earth days. It was noticed that this planet can periodically change the speed of its rotation around the Sun, its distance from it and its position.

There is no atmosphere on Mercury; therefore, it is often attacked by asteroids and leaves behind a lot of craters on its surface. Sodium, helium, argon, hydrogen, and oxygen were discovered on this planet.

A detailed study of Mercury is very difficult due to its close proximity to the Sun. Sometimes Mercury can be seen from Earth with the naked eye.

According to one theory, it is believed that Mercury was previously a satellite of Venus, however, this assumption has not yet been proven. Mercury does not have its own satellite.

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.

Unlike the Earth, most of whose surface is covered with water, there is no liquid on Venus, and almost the entire surface is occupied by solidified basaltic lava. According to one theory, there used to be oceans on this planet, however, as a result of internal heating, they evaporated and the vapors were carried away solar wind V space. Near the surface of Venus, weak winds blow, however, at an altitude of 50 km their speed increases significantly and amounts to 300 meters per second.

Venus has many craters and hills that resemble the earth's continents. The formation of craters is associated with the fact that the planet previously had a less dense atmosphere.

A distinctive feature of Venus is that, unlike other planets, its movement occurs not from west to east, but from east to west. It can be seen from Earth even without the help of a telescope after sunset or before sunrise. This is due to the ability of its atmosphere to reflect light well.

Venus has no satellite.

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.

The peculiarity of our planet is that under earth's crust There are huge tectonic plates that, moving, collide with each other and lead to changes in the landscape.

The diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km. An earthly day lasts 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds, and a year lasts 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds. Its atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a small percentage of other gases. None of the atmospheres of other planets in the solar system has such an amount of oxygen.

According to scientific research, the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years, approximately the same amount of time it has existed the only satellite Moon. It is always turned to our planet with only one side. There are many craters, mountains and plains on the surface of the Moon. It reflects very little sunlight, so it is visible from Earth in the pale moonlight.

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 unhindered solar radiation influence 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.

One of the most frequent events on the planet are dust storms, which are voluminous and destructive. It was not possible to detect geological activity on Mars, however, it is reliably known that significant geological events previously occurred on the planet.

The atmosphere of Mars consists of 96% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen and 1.6% argon. Oxygen and water vapor are present in minimal quantities.

A day on Mars is similar in length to those on Earth and is 24 hours 37 minutes 23 seconds. A year on the planet lasts twice as long as on Earth - 687 days.

The planet has two satellites Phobos and Deimos. They have small sizes and an uneven shape reminiscent of asteroids.

Sometimes Mars is also visible from Earth with the naked eye.

Gas giants

Jupiter

This planet is the largest in the solar system and has a diameter of 139,822 km, which is 19 times larger than Earth. A day on Jupiter lasts 10 hours, and a year is approximately 12 Earth years. Jupiter is mainly composed of xenon, argon and krypton. If it were 60 times larger, it could become a star due to a spontaneous thermonuclear reaction.

The average temperature on the planet is -150 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere 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.

Jupiter has a huge number of satellites - 67. The largest of them are Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Ganymede is one of the largest moons in the Solar System. Its diameter is 2634 km, which is approximately the size of Mercury. In addition, a thick layer of ice can be seen on its surface, under which there may be water. Callisto is considered the most ancient of the satellites, since it is its surface that has greatest number craters.

Saturn

This planet is the second largest in the solar system. Its diameter is 116,464 km. It is most similar in composition to the Sun. A year on this planet lasts quite a long time, almost 30 earthly years, and the day is 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.

Saturn is unique in that it has 65 moons and several rings. The rings are made up of small particles of ice and rock formations. Ice dust perfectly reflects light, so Saturn's rings are very clearly visible through a telescope. However, it is not the only planet with a diadem; it is just less noticeable on other planets.

Uranus

Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system and the seventh from the Sun. It has a diameter of 50,724 km. It is also called the “ice planet”, as the temperature on its surface is -224 degrees. A day on Uranus lasts 17 hours, and a year lasts 84 Earth years. Moreover, summer lasts as long as winter - 42 years. 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.”

Uranus has 27 moons. The most famous of them are: Oberon, Titania, Ariel, Miranda, Umbriel.

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 belongs to ice giants 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.

Interesting facts about the planets of the solar system

Compared to Jupiter, Mercury seems like a dot in the sky. These are the actual proportions in the solar system:

Venus is often called the Morning and Evening Star, since it is the first star visible in the sky at sunset and the last to disappear from visibility at dawn.

An interesting fact about Mars is the fact that methane was found on it. Due to the thin atmosphere, it constantly evaporates, which means that the planet has a constant source of this gas. Such a source could be living organisms inside the planet.

There are no seasons on Jupiter. The biggest mystery is the so-called “Great Red Spot”. Its origin on the surface of the planet has not yet been fully elucidated. Scientists suggest that it was formed by a huge hurricane, which has been rotating at very high speed for several centuries.

An interesting fact is that Uranus, like many planets in the solar system, has its own ring system. Due to the fact that the particles that make up them do not reflect light well, the rings could not be detected immediately after the discovery of the planet.

Neptune has a rich blue color, so it was named after the ancient Roman god - the master of the seas. Due to its distant location, this planet was one of the last to be discovered. At the same time, its location was calculated mathematically, and after time it was able to be seen, and precisely in the calculated place.

Light from the Sun reaches the surface of our planet in 8 minutes.

The solar system, despite its long and careful study, is still fraught with many mysteries and secrets that have yet to be revealed. One of the most fascinating hypotheses is the assumption of the presence of life on other planets, the search for which is actively continuing.

Yulia Shishlova
Summary of the lesson “Solar System” for children of the senior group

Software: This cycle of classes is intended for children 5-6 years old. It includes two lessons, one of which is introductory and introduces children to basic concepts. The second lesson deepens concepts and encourages children to be interested and explore the topic.

Goals: tell children about the solar system and show it; characterize the Sun as a huge luminary (star); name and show (on slides, illustrations) all the planets of our solar system, especially focusing on planet Earth; develop curiosity, skills joint activities; develop fine motor skills.

Preliminary work: on an evening walk with your children, look at the starry sky; sharing the impression that the starry sky makes on children; what thoughts come to them when they look at the starry sky; reviewing the Month and emphasizing the changes that occur to it during the month.

Tasks:

Study the structure of the solar system;

Teach to notice and analyze events occurring in the sky;

Deepen knowledge about our planet;

Introduce other objects of the solar system;

Learn the location of the planets in the system;

Introduce the key concepts of the space theme.

Progress of classes:

Lesson 1:

Theoretical part.

Conversation with children:

“Guys, during our walks you and I paid attention to the day and night sky. What do you think is the difference between them? (children's assumptions). What can we see during the day? What about at night? What is the Sun?

The sun is a huge star, similar to the ones we see at night. But the Sun is many times larger than other stars and shines much brighter. In addition, the Sun has a “family” called the Solar System.

There are many in the solar system different objects– these are planets, meteorites, satellites, and other bodies.

There are ten main objects in the solar system. This is the Sun itself and the nine planets of its family. Each planet moves around the Sun in a circle and never runs away or changes its direction. These paths for each planet are called “orbits”.

Let's fly into space and check how everything works there! (physical education minute):

We launch a rocket - uh - uh (hands above your head)

Started motors r-r-r(run in place)

They buzzed ooooh, they flew Vzh-zh-zh (arms to the sides, spinning)

They arrived at the gas station and-and-and (sat down)

Refueled (hands forward, hands down)

Practical part

Now guys, we are ready to take a closer look at the Solar System. (showing a video about the solar system)

You were able to see with your own eyes how unusual and mysterious our solar system is. Now let's get acquainted with each planet separately.

(As the story progresses, the teacher shows the planets in a photograph, draws a diagram of the system on the board, and the children sketch it on their own pieces of paper).

At the very center of the solar system is the Sun. It's the biggest and the hottest. The first planet to orbit the Sun is the small planet Mercury. Then the beautiful Venus makes her circle. Our planet Earth moves third from the Sun. Little Mars moves even further. Beyond Mars is the road of the huge Jupiter. Next is the orbit of the unusual Saturn, which has unusual rings of gas and space debris. The following planets are a little similar to each other: Uranus and Neptune.

Conclusion: Now you know what our solar system looks like and how many mysterious neighbors it has. We will get to know each of them in more detail in the next lesson.