The period of revolution of the planets of the solar system around the sun. Solar system: description of the planets by size and in the correct sequence

Names of the planets of the Solar System: where do they come from?

Humanity still knows nothing about the origin of the name of which planet? The answer will surprise you...

Majority cosmic bodies in the Universe received their names in honor of the ancient Roman and Greek deities. Modern names of 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 for sure about the existence of 8 planets in the solar system. Not long ago, scientists expanded this list with the discovery of a ninth planet, whose name 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 are classified as the terrestrial inner group.

The location of the planets.

Until 2006, Pluto was considered a planet in the solar system, but careful research outer space changed ideas about this object. It was classified as the largest cosmic body in the Kuiper belt. Pluto was given the status dwarf planet. Known to mankind since 1930, it owes its name to an Oxford schoolgirl, Venice Bernie. By voting by 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 saint of the underworld and death.

Pluto and its moon Charon.

Its existence became known in the middle of the 19th century (1846), when the cosmic body was discovered through mathematical calculations by John Couch Adams and Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier. Name new planet The solar system caused a discussion between astronomers: each of them wanted to perpetuate their name in the name of the object. To end the dispute, they proposed a compromise option - 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 proposed to continue the tradition of his ancestors and, like the 5 most ancient planets, give a “divine” name to the cosmic body. The main contender turned out to be greek god sky Uranus.

Uranus.

The existence of a giant planet was known back in the pre-Christian era. When choosing a name, the Romans decided to settle on the God of Agriculture.

Giant planet Saturn.

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

Jupiter.

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

"Red Planet" Mars.

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

The night sky amazes with countless stars. What is especially attractive is that they are all located in a certain place, as if someone specially placed them in such a way as to draw patterns in the sky. Since ancient times, observers have tried to explain the nature of the origin of constellations, galaxies, and individual stars, and to give beautiful names to planets. In ancient times, constellations and planets were given the names of mythical heroes, animals, various characters from stories and legends.

Types of stars and planets

A star is a celestial body that emits a lot of light and heat. Most often it consists of helium and hydrogen. Celestial bodies are in a state of equilibrium due to their own gravity and internal pressure the body itself.

Depending on the life cycle and buildings, highlight the following types stars:

1. This includes all objects that have low mass and low temperature.
2. White dwarf. This type includes all stars that are at the end of their life path. At this moment, the star contracts, then cools and goes out.
3. Red giant.
4. New star.
5. Supernova.
6. Blue variables.
7. Hypernova.
8. Neutron.
9. Unique.
10. Ultra-X-ray stars. They emit huge amounts of radiation.

Depending on the spectrum, stars are blue, red, yellow, white, orange and other tones.

For each planet there is a letter classification.

1. Class A or geothermal planets. This group includes all young celestial bodies on which violent volcanism occurs. If a planet has an atmosphere, it is liquefied and very thin.
2. Class B. These are also young planets, but more massive than A.
3. Class C. Such planets are often covered in ice.
4. Class D. This includes asteroids and
5. Class E. These are young and small planets.
6. Class F. Celestial bodies with volcanic activity and a completely metallic core.
7. Class M. These include all Earth-like planets, including the Earth.
8. Class O or ocean planets.
9. Class P - ice, etc.

Each species includes hundreds and thousands of different stars and planets, and each celestial body has its own name. Although scientists have not been able to count all the galaxies and stars in the Universe, even those billions that have already been discovered speak of vastness and diversity. space world.

Names of constellations and stars

From Earth you can see several thousand different stars, and each of them has its own name. Many names were given in ancient times.

The very first name was given to the Sun - the brightest and largest star. Although by cosmic standards it is not the largest and not the brightest. So what are the most beautiful star names out there? The most beautiful stars with sonorous names are considered:

1. Sirius, or Alpha Canis Major.
2. Vega, or Alpha Lyrae.
3. Toliman, or Alpha Centauri.
4. Canopus, or Alpha Carinae.
5. Arcturus, or Alpha Bootes.

These names were given by people in different periods. Thus, beautiful names of stars and constellations given in the pre-antique and Greek periods have been preserved to this day. Ptolemy's writings contain descriptions of some of the brightest stars. His works say that Sirius is a star located in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius can be seen in the mouth of the constellation. On the hind legs of the Canis Minor there is bright Star called Procyon. Antares can be seen in the middle of the constellation Scorpio. On Lyra's shell is Vega or Alpha Lyra. There is a star with unusual name- Goat or Chapel, located in

It was customary among the Arabs to name stars based on the location of the body in the constellation. Because of this, many stars have names or parts of names meaning body, tail, neck, shoulder, etc. For example: Ras is Alpha Hercules, i.e. the head, and Menkib is the shoulder. Moreover, stars in different constellations were called by a similar name: Perseus, Orion, Centaurus, Pegasus, etc.

During the Renaissance, an atlas of the starry sky appeared. It presented old and new objects. Its compiler was Bayer, who proposed adding letters to the names of stars Greek alphabet. So, the brightest star is Alpha, a little dimmer is Beta, etc.

Among all the existing names of celestial bodies, it is difficult to choose the most beautiful name of a star. After all, each of them is beautiful in its own way.

Constellation names

The most beautiful names of stars and constellations were given in ancient times, and many of them have survived to this day. So, the ancient Greeks came up with the idea of ​​giving the Ursa Bears a name. Beautiful legends are associated with them. One of them says that one king had a daughter unusual beauty, with whom Zeus fell in love. Hera, the wife of God, was very jealous and decided to teach the princess a lesson by turning her into a bear. One day, Callisto's son returned home and saw a bear, he almost killed her - Zeus intervened. He took the princess to his heaven, turning her into the Big Dipper, and her son into the Little Dipper, who must always protect her mother. This constellation contains the star Arcturus, which means "guardian of the bear." Ursa Minor and Ursa Major are non-setting constellations that are always visible in the night sky.

Among the most beautiful names of stars and galaxies, it is worth highlighting the constellation Orion. He was the son of Poseidon - the god of the seas and oceans. Orion was famous for his skill as a hunter, and there was no animal that he could not defeat. For this boast, Hera, the wife of Zeus, sent a scorpion to Orion. He died from his bite, and Zeus took him to heaven, placing him so that he could always escape from his enemy. Because of this, the constellations Orion and Scorpio never meet in the night sky.

History of the names of solar system bodies

Today scientists use modern equipment for tracking celestial bodies. But once upon a time, in ancient times, the discoverers of planets could not see as far as modern astronomers. At that time, they gave beautiful names to the planets, but now they are called by the name of the telescope that discovered the “new thing.”

Mercury

Since ancient times, people have observed various celestial bodies, come up with names for them, and try to describe them. One of the planets that came to the attention of ancient scientists is Mercury. The planet received its beautiful name in ancient times. Even then, scientists knew that this planet revolves around the Sun at tremendous speed - it completes a full revolution in just 88 days. Because of this, he was named after the fleet-footed god Mercury.

Venus

Among the beautiful names of planets, Venus is also highlighted. This is the second planet in the solar system, which was named after the goddess of love - Venus. The object is considered the brightest after the Moon and the Sun and the only one among all celestial bodies that was named after a female god.

Earth

It has had this name since 1400, and no one knows who exactly gave the planet this name. By the way, Earth is the only planet in the solar system that is not related to mythology.

Mars

Among the beautiful names of planets and stars, Mars stands out. This is the seventh largest planet in our system with a red surface. Nowadays, even small children know about this planet.

Jupiter and Saturn

Jupiter is named after the thunder god, and Saturn got its name because of its slowness. Initially it was called Kronos, but later it was renamed, choosing an analogue - Satur. This is the god of agriculture. As a result, this planet began to be called by this name.

Other planets

For several centuries, scientists have explored only the planets of our solar system. Other planets outside our universe were first seen only in 1994. Opened and registered since then a large number of a variety of planets, and many of them are more like the fantasy of film scriptwriters. Among all known objects, exoplanets, that is, those that are similar to Earth, are of greatest interest. Theoretically, there could be life on them.

The most beautiful names of planets and stars were given in ancient times, and it’s hard to argue with that. Although, some of the “finds” have unofficial unusual nicknames. So, among them it is worth highlighting the planet Osiris - this is gas body, which contains oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, these substances gradually evaporate from the surface of the celestial body. This event led to the emergence of a new category of bodies - chthonic planets.

Among the most beautiful names of planets in the universe, this one stands out. It is located in The exoplanet rotates in an elongated orbit around its star. She has two because of this she is somewhat similar to our Saturn. Epsilon is located 10.5 light years away from us. A year on it lasts 2500 Earth days.

Among the beautiful names of the planets of the Universe, Tatooine or HD188753 Ab are highlighted. It is located in the constellation Cygnus, consisting of three objects: yellow, red and orange dwarfs. Presumably, Tatooine is a hot gas giant that orbits its main star in 3.5 days.

Among them are Tres. It is almost the same size as Jupiter. It has low density. The beauty of the planet is that due to extreme heating, the atmosphere is lost. This phenomenon causes the effect of a trailing tail, like that of an asteroid.

The most beautiful name of the planet - Methuselah, sounds like some kind of demonic name. It orbits two objects at once - a white dwarf and a pulsar. In six earthly months, Methuselah makes a full revolution.

Not so long ago, scientists discovered one of them is Gliese. It has almost the same orbit; it itself revolves around its star in a zone where the emergence of life is not excluded. And who knows, maybe she has it on her, but we don’t know that yet.

Among all the objects, Cancer-e or the Diamond planet has the most beautiful name of the planet, as well as the most unusual structure. She didn't get her nickname by accident. According to scientists, Cancer is eight times heavier than the Earth. Its main element is carbon, therefore, most of the object consists of crystalline diamonds. Because of this feature, the planet is considered the most expensive in the Universe. It is estimated that only 0.18% of this object could fully pay off all the world's debts.

Depths of space

Considering the most beautiful names stars in the universe, it is worth mentioning galaxies, nebulae and other space objects. So, among the most unusual but attractive names and objects themselves are:

Modern technologies allowed us to look into the distant depths of Space, see a variety of objects, and give them names. One of the dramatic objects is War and Peace. This is an unusual nebula due to high density gas forms a bubble around a bright cluster of stars, and then ultraviolet radiation heats the gas and pushes it out, straight into space. This beautiful sight looks as if in this exact place in the Universe, stars and gas accumulations are fighting for space in open space.

Previously, a planet was called any cosmic body orbiting a star. emitting light, which is reflected by this star, and is larger than an asteroid. Also in Ancient Greece they talked about 7 planets as luminous bodies that move across the sky against the background of stars. These are Mercury, Sun, Venus, Mars, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn. Please note that the Sun is indicated here, which is a star, and the Moon is a satellite of our Earth. The earth is not included in this list because the Greeks considered it the center of everything.

In the 15th century, Copernicus discovered that the center of the system was the Sun, not the Earth. He laid out his statements in his work “On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres.” The Moon and Sun were removed from the list, and planet Earth was included. When telescopes were invented, three more planets were discovered. Uranus in 1781, Neptune in 1846, Pluto in 1930, which, by the way, is no longer considered a planet.

On this moment researchers give a new meaning to the word “planet”, namely: it is a celestial body that satisfies 4 conditions:

• The body must rotate around the star.
• Have a spherical or approximately spherical shape, that is, the body must have sufficient gravity.
• It doesn't have to be a star.
• The celestial body should not have other large bodies near its orbit.

A star is a body that emits light and has a powerful source of energy.

Planets in the Solar System

The solar system includes the planets and other objects that orbit the sun. 4.5 billion years ago, condensations of clouds of stellar matter began to form in the Galaxy. The gases heated up and radiated heat. As a result of the increase in temperature and density, nuclear reactions, hydrogen turned into helium. This is how it arose most powerful source energy – the Sun. This process took tens of millions of years. Planets with satellites were created. The formation of the solar system ended completely about 4 billion years ago.

Today, the solar system includes 8 planets, which are divided into two groups. The first is the terrestrial group, the second is the gas giants. Planets terrestrial group– Venus, Mercury, Mars and Earth are composed of silicates and metals. The gas giants - Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus - are composed of hydrogen and helium. At the planets different sizes both in comparison between the two groups and among themselves. Accordingly, the giants are much larger and more massive than the terrestrial planets.

Mercury is closest to the Sun, followed by Neptune. Before characterizing the planets of the Solar System, we need to talk about its main object - the Sun. This is the star through which all living and nonliving things in the system began to exist. The sun is a spherical, plasma, hot ball. A large number of space objects revolve around it - satellites, planets, meteorites, asteroids and cosmic dust. This star appeared about 5 billion years ago. Its mass is 300 thousand times greater than the mass of our planet. The core temperature is 13 million degrees Kelvin, and at the surface - 5 thousand degrees Kelvin (4727 degrees Celsius). In the galaxy milky way The Sun is one of the largest and brightest stars. The distance from the Sun to the center of the Galaxy is 26,000 light years. The Sun makes a complete revolution around the galactic center every 230-250 million years.

Mercury

It is closest to the Sun and is the smallest planet in the solar system. The planet has no satellites. There are many craters on the surface of Mercury, which were formed by many meteorites that fell on the planet more than 3 billion years ago. Their diameter is varied - from a couple of meters to 1000 kilometers. The planet's atmosphere is composed mainly of helium and is blown by wind from the Sun. Temperatures can reach +440 degrees Celsius. The planet completes a revolution around the Sun in 88 Earth days. A day on the planet is equal to 176 Earth hours.

Venus

Venus is the second planet from the Sun. Its dimensions are close to the size of the Earth. The planet has no satellites. The atmosphere is carbon dioxide with admixtures of nitrogen and oxygen. The air pressure is 90 atmospheres, which is 35 times more than on Earth. Venus is called the most hot planet, because the dense atmosphere, carbon dioxide, the proximity of the Sun and the greenhouse effect create very high temperatures on the surface of the planet. It can reach 460 degrees Celsius. Venus can be seen from the surface of the Earth. This is the brightest cosmic object after the Moon and the Sun.

Earth

The only planet suitable for life. Maybe it exists on other planets, but no one can say this with certainty yet. It is the largest in its group in terms of mass, density and size. Its age is more than 4 billion years. Life began here more than 3 billion years ago. Earth's satellite is the Moon. The atmosphere on the planet is radically different from others. Most of it consists of nitrogen. This also includes carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapor and argon. The ozone layer and magnetic field make the level of solar and cosmic radiation less. Due to the content of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, a greenhouse effect is formed on the planet. Without it, the temperature on the Earth's surface would be 40 degrees lower. Islands and continents occupy 29% of the planet's surface, and the rest is the World Ocean.

Mars

It is also called the “red planet” due to the presence of large amounts of iron oxide in the soil. Mars is the seventh largest planet in the solar system. Two satellites fly near the planet - Deimos and Phobos. Due to the too thin atmosphere and the far distance from the Sun, the average annual temperature of the planet is minus 60 degrees. At some points during the day, temperature changes can reach 40 degrees. The presence of volcanoes and craters, deserts and valleys, and polar ice caps distinguishes Mars from other planets in the solar system. Also here is the highest mountain - the extinct Olympus volcano, which reached a height of 27 kilometers. Valles Marineris is the largest canyon among the planets. Its length is 4500 km and its depth is 11 m.

Jupiter

It is the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is 318 times heavier than Earth and 2.5 times more massive compared to other planets. The main components of the planet are helium and hydrogen. Jupiter emits a lot of heat - 4 * 1017 W. To become a star like the Sun, it must reach 70 times its current mass. The planet has the largest number of satellites - 63. Europa, Callisto, Ganymede and Io are the largest of them. Ganymede is also the largest moon in the entire solar system and is even larger than Mercury. Jupiter's atmosphere hosts many vortices that have a brownish-red colored band of clouds, or a giant storm, known as the Great Red Spot since the 17th century.

Saturn

Like Jupiter, it is a large planet that follows Jupiter in size. A ring system that consists of ice particles various sizes, rocks and dust, distinguishes this planet from others. It has one fewer satellites than Jupiter. The largest are Enceladus and Titan. In composition, Saturn resembles Jupiter, but in density it is inferior to the simplest water. The atmosphere looks quite homogeneous and calm, which can be explained by a dense layer of fog. Saturn has enormous wind speeds, it can reach 1800 km per hour.

Uranus

This planet was discovered first using a telescope. Uranus is the only planet A solar system that lies on its side and revolves around the Sun. Uranus has 27 moons, which are named after characters in Shakespeare's plays. The largest among them are Titania, Oberon and Umbriel. Uranus contains a large number of high-temperature modifications of ice. He is also the most cold planet. The temperature here is minus 224 degrees Celsius.

Neptune

It is the farthest planet from the Sun, although until 2006 this title belonged to Pluto. This planet was discovered without the help of a telescope, but by mathematical calculations. The existence of Neptune was suggested to scientists by Uranus, on which strange changes were discovered while moving in its own orbit. The planet has 13 satellites. The largest among them is Triton. Its peculiarity is that it moves opposite to the planet. Most blow in the same direction strong winds Solar system, the speed of which reaches 2200 km per hour. Neptune and Uranus have similar compositions, but it is also similar in composition to Jupiter and Saturn. The planet has internal source heat, from which it receives 2.5 times more energy than from the Sun. In outer layers The atmosphere contains methane, which gives the planet a blue tint.

That's how mysterious the world of Space is. Many satellites and planets have their own characteristics. Scientists are making changes to this world, for example, they excluded Pluto from the list of planets.

Study the planets on the portal website - it’s very interesting.

Rotation of planets

All planets, in addition to their orbit, also rotate around their own axis. The period during which they make a full revolution is defined as an epoch. Large quantity planets in the solar system rotate in the same direction around the axis as around the sun, but Uranus and Venus rotate in the opposite direction. Scientists observe a big difference in the length of the day on the planets - Venus takes 243 Earth days to complete one revolution around its axis, while the gas giant planets need only a couple of hours. The rotation period of exoplanets is unknown, but their close proximity to the stars means that eternal day reigns on one side, and eternal night on the other.

Why are all the planets so different? Thanks to high temperature Closer to the star, the ice and gas evaporated very quickly. The giant planets failed to form, but an accumulation of metal particles occurred. Thus, Mercury was formed, which contains the largest amount of metals. The further we are from the center, the lower the temperature. Celestial bodies appeared, where a significant percentage was made up of rocks. The four planets that are located closer to the center of the solar system are called the inner ones. With the discovery of new systems, more and more questions arise. New research will help answer them.

Scientists claim that our system is unique. All planets are built in strict order. The largest one is closer to the Sun, respectively, the smallest one is further away. Our system has a more complex structure, because the planets are not arranged according to their mass. The sun makes up more than 99 percent of all objects in the system.

The solar system - our home - consists of 8 planets and many other cosmic bodies that revolve around a star. Large, medium, small in size, solid and consisting of gases, closest and farthest from the Sun, they live within the system according to a clearly established order.

Until 2006, it was believed that there were 9 planets in the solar system. However, then at the next International Astronomical Congress, the most distant object, Pluto, was crossed off the list. Scientists revised the criteria and left planets that fit the following parameters:

• orbital rotation around a star (Sun);
• gravity and spherical shape;
• the absence of other large cosmic bodies nearby, except for their own satellites.

These planets are in order from the Sun:

1. Mercury. Diameter – 4.9 thousand km.
2. Venus. Diameter – 12.1 thousand km.
3. Earth. Diameter – 12.7 thousand km.
4. Mars. Diameter – 6.8 thousand km.
5. Jupiter. Diameter – 139.8 thousand km.
6. Saturn. Diameter – 116.5 thousand km.
7. Uranus. Diameter – 50.7 thousand km.
8. Neptune. Diameter – 49.2 thousand km.

Attention! Scientists were prompted to revise the parameters by the discovery of another planet-like body - Eris, which turned out to be heavier than Pluto. Both objects were classified as dwarf planets.

Terrestrial planets: Mercury and Venus

The planets in the Solar System are divided into two groups: terrestrial (inner) and gas (outer). They are separated from each other by an asteroid belt. According to one hypothesis, it is a planet that could not form under the strong influence of Jupiter. The terrestrial group includes planets with a solid surface.

There are 8 planets

Mercury– the first object of the system from the sun. Its orbit is the smallest, and it revolves around the star faster than the others. A year here is equal to 88 Earth days. But Mercury rotates very slowly around its axis. The local day here is longer than the local year and amounts to 4224 Earth hours.

Attention! The movement of the sun in the black sky of Mercury is very different from that on Earth. Due to the peculiarities of rotation and orbit at different points, it may look as if the star is freezing, “backing away,” rising and setting several times a day.

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. It is even smaller than some of the satellites of the gas group of planets. Its surface is covered with many craters with a diameter ranging from several meters to hundreds of kilometers. There is almost no atmosphere on Mercury, so the surface can be very hot during the day (+440°C) and cold at night (-180°C). But already at a depth of 1 m the temperature is stable and is approximately +75°C at any time.

Venus- the second planet from the Sun. Its powerful atmosphere of carbon dioxide (more than 96%) for a long time hid the surface from human eyes. Venus is very hot (+460°C), but unlike Mercury, the main reason for this is the greenhouse effect due to the density of the atmosphere. The pressure on the surface of Venus is 92 times greater than that on Earth. Under the clouds of sulfuric acid lie hurricanes and thunderstorms that never subside here.

Terrestrial planets: Earth and Mars

Earth- the largest of the inner group and the only planet in the system suitable for life. The Earth's atmosphere contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, and water vapor. The surface is protected by an ozone layer and magnetic field just enough for life to be born on it in the form in which it exists now. Earth's satellite is the Moon.

Mars closes the four terrestrial planets. The planet has a very thin atmosphere, a surface with craters, a topography with valleys, deserts, extinct volcanoes and polar glaciers. Including the huge Olympus volcano, which is the largest peak on the planets of the solar system - 21.2 km. It has been proven that the surface of the planet was once . But today there is only ice and dust devils.

The location of the planets in the solar system

Gas group planets

Jupiter- the largest planet in the solar system. It is more than 300 times heavier than the Earth, although it consists of gases: hydrogen and helium. Jupiter has quite powerful radiation to influence nearby objects. It has the most satellites - 67. Some of them are quite large bodies, different in structure.

Jupiter itself is covered in liquid. On its surface there are noticeable many stripes of light and dark colors moving parallel to the equator. These are clouds. Winds of up to 600 km/h rage beneath them. For several centuries, astronomers have been observing a red spot the size of more than Earth, which is a giant storm.

Attention! Jupiter rotates around its axis faster than all the planets in the solar system. A day here is less than 10 hours.

Saturn popularly known as the ringed planet. They consist of ice and dust particles. The planet's atmosphere is dense, almost entirely consisting of hydrogen (more than 96%) and helium. Saturn has more than 60 open moons. The surface density is the smallest among the planets of the system, less than the density of water.

Uranus and Neptune refer to ice giants, because there is a lot of ice on their surface. And the atmosphere consists of hydrogen and helium. Neptune is very stormy, Uranus is much calmer. With the most rights distant planet Neptune system has the longest year - almost 165 earthly years. Behind Neptune is the little-studied Kuiper Belt, a cluster of small bodies of various structures and sizes. It is considered the outskirts of the solar system.

Space: video

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

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

There are two groups of planets:

Terrestrial planets: And . These planets small size With a rocky surface, they are closest to the Sun.

Giant planets: And . These are large planets, consisting mainly of gas and characterized by the presence of rings consisting of icy dust and many rocky chunks.

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

Planets of the Solar System

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

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

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

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

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