What planets the solar system consists of. The future of the solar system. Complete characteristics of the planets of the solar system

The solar system consists of the Sun, nine planets, sixty-six satellites of the planets, a large number of small bodies (comets and asteroids) and the interplanetary medium. The inner solar system includes the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars:

The planets of the outer solar system include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto:

The orbits of the planets are elliptical with the Sun in focus, with the exception of Mercury and Pluto, which are nearly circular. The orbits of all planets lie more or less in one plane, called the ecliptic, and determined by the plane of the Earth's orbit. The ecliptic is tilted about 7 degrees to the plane of the Sun's equator. Pluto's orbit deviates most from the plane of the ecliptic - by 17 degrees.

The figure below shows the relative sizes of the orbits of the nine planets from a point slightly above the ecliptic. All planets orbit the Sun in the same direction (counterclockwise when viewed from the North Pole of the Sun); all but Venus, Uranus and Pluto also rotate in the same direction.

One way to imagine the relative size of the solar system is to imagine a model in which everything is reduced in size by one billion times. In this case, the diameter Globe will be approximately 1.3 cm (grape size). In this case, the moon orbits the Earth at a distance of about 30 cm. The diameter of the Sun is 1.5 meters, and the distance from it to the Earth is 150 meters. Jupiter's diameter is 15 cm (the size of a large grapefruit), the distance to the Sun is 750 meters. Saturn is the size of an orange - 1.5 km from the Sun; Uranus and Neptune (lemons) are 3 and 4.5 km from the Sun. Man on this scale would have the size of an atom; the closest star would be more than 40,000 km away from us.

Numerous small bodies are not shown in the above figures: satellites of planets; a large number of asteroids (small rocky bodies) orbiting the Sun, mostly between Mars and Jupiter, and comets (small icy bodies), moving in highly elongated orbits, arbitrarily oriented to the plane of the ecliptic. With a few exceptions, the orbits of planetary satellites, as well as the planets themselves, are located approximately in the plane of the ecliptic, but this does not apply to comets and asteroids.

Classification

The classification of these objects is slightly controversial. Traditionally, the solar system was subdivided into planets (large bodies orbiting the sun), their satellites (the so-called moons - objects of various sizes orbiting planets), asteroids (small dense objects orbiting the sun) and comets (small icy objects with highly eccentric orbits). Unfortunately, the solar system turned out to be more complex than it could be suggested:

There are several satellites larger than Pluto and two satellites larger than Mercury;

There are several small satellites that are likely captured asteroids;

Comets are sometimes depleted and become indistinguishable from asteroids;

The Kuiper belt objects and others like Chiron do not fit well into this scheme;

The Earth / Moon and Pluto / Charon systems are sometimes referred to as "binary planets".

Other classifications, such as those based on chemical composition, tend to include too many classes or allow too many exceptions. In addition, many of the bodies are unique. Current knowledge is simply not enough to establish precise and clear categories. We will use the standard classification. So, the nine bodies, traditionally called planets, are often further classified in several ways:

by composition:

Terrestrial, or rocky planets:

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars: The terrestrial planets are composed primarily of rock (rock) and metal and have relatively high densities, slow rotation, a hard surface, several satellites and no rings.

Gas planets:

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune: These planets are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and usually have low densities, fast rotation, a deep atmosphere, rings and a large number of moons.

to size:

Small planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Pluto. Their diameter is no more than 13,000 km.

Giant planets:

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The diameter of the giant planets is over 48,000 km.

Mercury and Pluto are sometimes referred to as lesser planets (not to be confused with the term minor planets, which is the official term for asteroids).

Giant planets are sometimes also called gas giants.

by location relative to the Sun:

Inner planets:

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Outer planets:

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter forms the border between the inner and outer solar systems.

by location relative to the Earth:

Lower planets:

Mercury and Venus. They are closer to the Sun than the Earth;

These planets have phases similar to those of the Moon.

Higher planets:

Always fully visible.

from a historical point of view:

Classic planets:

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

known since prehistoric times; visible to the naked eye. Modern planets:

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

discovered in our time; visible only through a telescope.

It is assumed that the planets arose simultaneously (or almost simultaneously) 4.6 billion years ago from a gas-dust nebula in the form of a disk, in the center of which was a young Sun. This protoplanetary nebula was apparently formed together with the Sun from interstellar matter, the density of which has exceeded the critical limit. According to some reports (the presence of specific isotopes in meteorites), such a compaction occurred as a result of a relatively close supernova explosion

The science

We all know from childhood that in the center of our solar system is the Sun, around which the four nearest terrestrial planets revolve, including Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars... They are followed by four gas giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

After Pluto ceased to be considered a planet of the solar system in 2006 and became a dwarf planet, the number of major planets was reduced to 8.

Although many people know general structure, there are many myths and misconceptions regarding the solar system.

Here are 10 facts you may not have known about the solar system.

1. The hottest planet is not closest to the Sun

Many people know that Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, whose distance is almost half the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Unsurprisingly, many people believe that Mercury is the hottest planet.

Actually the hottest planet in the solar system is Venus- the second planet close to the Sun, where the average temperature reaches 475 degrees Celsius. This is enough to melt tin and lead. At the same time, the maximum temperature on Mercury is about 426 degrees Celsius.

But due to the lack of atmosphere, the surface temperature of Mercury can vary by hundreds of degrees, while carbon dioxide on the surface of Venus maintains an almost constant temperature at any time of the day or night.

2. The border of the solar system a thousand times further from Pluto

We used to think that the solar system extends to the orbit of Pluto. Today Pluto is not even considered the main planet, but this idea has remained in the minds of many people.

Scientists have discovered many objects orbiting the sun, which are located much further than Pluto. These are the so-called trans-Neptunian or Kuiper belt objects... The Kuiper Belt extends 50-60 AU (AU or the mean distance from the Earth to the Sun is 149,597,870,700 m).

3. Almost everything on planet Earth is a rare element

The earth is mainly composed of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, sulfur, nickel, calcium, sodium and aluminum.

Although all of these elements have been found in different places throughout the universe, they are only traces of elements that overshadow the abundance of hydrogen and helium. Thus, the Earth is mostly composed of rare elements. This does not mean any particular place on planet Earth, since the cloud from which the Earth was formed contained large amounts of hydrogen and helium. But since these are light gases, they were carried away into space by the heat of the sun as the Earth formed.

4. The solar system has lost at least two planets

Pluto was originally considered a planet, but due to its very small size (much smaller than our Moon), it was renamed a dwarf planet. Astronomers also once believed that the planet Volcano existed, which is closer to the Sun than Mercury. They started talking about its possible existence 150 years ago to explain some of the features of the orbit of Mercury. However, later observations ruled out the possibility of the existence of the Volcano.

In addition, recent studies have shown that it is possible that someday there was a fifth giant planet, similar to Jupiter, which revolved around the Sun but was thrown out of the Solar System due to gravitational interactions with other planets.

5. Jupiter has the largest ocean of all planets

Jupiter, which orbits in cold space five times farther from the Sun than planet Earth, was able to hold much higher levels of hydrogen and helium during formation than our planet.

You could even say that Jupiter is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium... Given the mass of the planet and chemical composition, as well as the laws of physics, under cold clouds, an increase in pressure should lead to the transition of hydrogen into a liquid state. That is, Jupiter should have deepest ocean of liquid hydrogen.

According to computer models on this planet, not only is the largest ocean in the solar system, its depth is about 40,000 km, that is, it is equal to the circumference of the Earth.

6. Even the smallest bodies in the solar system have satellites

It was once believed that only such large objects as planets can have natural satellites or moons. The fact that satellites exist is sometimes even used to determine what a planet really is. It seems counterintuitive that small cosmic bodies can have enough gravity to hold a satellite. After all, Mercury and Venus don't have them, and Mars only have two tiny moons.

But in 1993, the Galileo interplanetary station discovered the Dactyl satellite, just 1.6 km wide, near the asteroid Ida. It has since been found satellites orbiting about 200 other small planets, which greatly complicated the definition of "planet".

7. We live inside the Sun

We usually think of the Sun as a huge hot ball of light located 149.6 million kilometers from Earth. Actually the outer atmosphere of the sun extends far beyond the visible surface.

Our planet orbits within its tenuous atmosphere, and we can see this when gusts of solar wind cause the appearance of the aurora. In this sense, we live inside the Sun. But the solar atmosphere doesn't end on Earth. The aurora can be seen on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and even distant Neptune. The outermost region of the solar atmosphere is the heliosphere extends for at least 100 astronomical units. It is about 16 billion kilometers. But since the atmosphere has the shape of a drop due to the movement of the Sun in space, its tail can reach from ten to hundreds of billions of kilometers.

8. Saturn is not the only planet with rings

Although Saturn's rings are by far the most beautiful and easy to observe, jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also have rings... While Saturn's bright rings are composed of icy particles, Jupiter's very dark rings are mostly dust particles. They may contain minor fragments of decayed meteorites and asteroids, and possibly particles from the volcanic moon Io.

Uranus's ring system is slightly more visible than that of Jupiter, and may have formed after the collision of small satellites. Neptune's rings are faint and dark, just like Jupiter's. Dim rings of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune cannot be seen through small telescopes from Earththerefore Saturn became best known for its rings.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a body in the solar system with an atmosphere essentially similar to that of the earth. This is the satellite of Saturn - Titan... It is larger than our Moon and is close to the planet Mercury in size. Unlike the atmospheres of Venus and Mars, which are much thicker and thinner, respectively, than Earth's, and are composed of carbon dioxide, titan's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen.

The Earth's atmosphere is approximately 78 percent nitrogen. The similarity with the Earth's atmosphere, and especially the presence of methane and other organic molecules, led scientists to believe that Titan can be considered an analogue of the early Earth, or there is some kind of biological activity. For this reason, Titan is considered the best place in the solar system to look for signs of life.

solar system Is a system of celestial bodies welded together by the forces of mutual attraction. It includes: the central star - the Sun, 8 major planets with their satellites, several thousand minor planets, or asteroids, several hundred observed comets and countless meteoric bodies, dust, gas and small particles . It was formed by gravitational compressiongas and dust cloud about 4.57 billion years ago.

In addition to the Sun, the system includes the following eight major planets:

The sun

The Sun is the closest star to the Earth, all others are immeasurably farther from us. For example, the closest star to us is Proxima from the systema Centauri is 2500 times farther than the Sun. For the Earth, the Sun is a powerful source of cosmic energy. It provides light and heat necessary for flora and fauna, and forms the most important properties of the Earth's atmosphere. In general, the Sun determines the ecology of the planet. Without it, there would be no air necessary for life: it would turn into a liquid nitrogen ocean around frozen waters and frozen land. For us, earthlings, the most important feature of the Sun is that our planet arose around it and life appeared on it.

Merkur ui

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun.

The ancient Romans considered Mercury the patron saint of commerce, travelers and thieves, as well as the messenger of the gods. No wonder not big planet, rapidly moving across the sky after the Sun, received his name. Mercury has been known since ancient times, but the ancient astronomers did not immediately realize that they saw the same star in the morning and in the evening. Mercury is closer to the Sun than Earth: the average distance from the Sun is 0.387 AU, and the distance to Earth ranges from 82 to 217 million km. The inclination of the orbit to the ecliptic i \u003d 7 ° is one of the largest in the solar system. The axis of Mercury is almost perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, and the orbit itself is very elongated (eccentricity e \u003d 0.206). The average speed of Mercury in orbit is 47.9 km / s. Due to the tidal effect of the Sun, Mercury fell into a resonance trap. Measured in 1965, the period of its revolution around the Sun (87.95 Earth days) refers to the period of rotation around the axis (58.65 Earth days) as 3/2. Mercury completes three complete revolutions around the axis in 176 days. During the same period, the planet makes two revolutions around the Sun. Thus, Mercury occupies the same orbital position relative to the Sun, and the orientation of the planet remains the same. Mercury has no satellites. If they were, then in the process of planet formation they fell on protomercurium. The mass of Mercury is almost 20 times less than the mass of the Earth (0.055M or 3.3 10 23 kg), and the density is almost the same as that of the Earth (5.43 g / cm3). The radius of the planet is 0.38R (2440 km). Mercury is smaller than some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Venus

The second planet from the Sun, has an almost circular orbit. It passes closer to Earth than any other planet.

But the dense, cloudy atmosphere makes it impossible to directly see its surface. Atmosphere: CO 2 (97%), N2 (about 3%), H 2 O (0.05%), impurities of CO, SO 2, HCl, HF. Thanks to greenhouse effect, the surface temperature heats up to hundreds of degrees. The atmosphere, which is a dense blanket of carbon dioxide, traps the heat from the sun. This leads to the fact that the temperature of the atmosphere is much higher than in the oven. Radar images show a very wide variety of craters, volcanoes and mountains. There are several very large volcanoes, up to 3 km high. and hundreds of kilometers wide. The outpouring of lava on Venus takes much longer than on Earth. The surface pressure is about 107 Pa. Surface rocks of Venus are similar in composition to terrestrial sedimentary rocks.
Finding Venus in the sky is easier than any other planet. Its dense clouds reflect sunlight well, making the planet bright in our sky. Every seven months for several weeks, Venus is the brightest object in the western sky in the evenings. Three and a half months later, it rises three hours earlier than the Sun, becoming the brilliant "morning star" of the eastern sky. Venus can be seen one hour after sunset or one hour before sunrise. Venus has no satellites.

Earth

Third from Sol nza planet. The speed of the Earth's revolution in an elliptical orbit around the Sun is 29.765 km / s. The inclination of the earth's axis to the plane of the ecliptic is 66 o 33 "22" ". The earth has a natural satellite - the moon.net and electric fields. The Earth was formed 4.7 billion years ago from gas scattered in the protosolar system-dust substances. The composition of the Earth is dominated by: iron (34.6%), oxygen (29.5%), silicon (15.2%), magnesium (12.7%). The pressure in the center of the planet is 3.6 * 10 11 Pa, the density is about 12,500 kg / m 3, the temperature is 5000-6000 o C. Most Pthe surface is occupied by the World Ocean (361.1 million km 2; 70.8%); land is 149.1 million km 2 and forms six motherscoves and islands. It rises above the world ocean level by an average of 875 meters (the highest height is 8848 meters - the city of Jomolungma). Mountains occupy 30% of the land, deserts cover about 20% of the land surface, savannahs and woodlands - about 20%, forests - about 30%, glaciers - 10%. The average depth of the ocean is about 3800 meters, the greatest is 11022 meters (the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean), the volume of water is 1370 million km 3, the average salinity is 35g / l. The atmosphere of the Earth, the total mass of which is 5.15 * 10 15 tons, consists of air - a mixture of mainly nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (21%), the rest is water vapor, carbon dioxide, noble and other gases. About 3-3.5 billion years ago, as a result of the natural evolution of matter, life arose on Earth, and the development of the biosphere began.

Mars

The fourth planet from the Sun, similar to Earth, but smaller and colder. Mars has deep canyons giant volcanoes and vast deserts. Around the Red Planet, as Mars is also called, two small moons fly: Phobos and Deimos. Mars is the planet next to the Earth, if we count from the Sun, and the only cosmic world besides the Moon that can already be reached with the help of modern missiles... For astronauts, this 4-year journey could be the next frontier in space exploration. Near the equator of Mars, in an area called Tarsis, there are volcanoes of colossal size. Tarsis is the name given by astronomers to an elevation of 400 km. wide and about 10 km. in height. There are four volcanoes on this plateau, each of which is just a giant in comparison with any terrestrial volcano. The most grandiose volcano in Tarsis, Mount Olympus, rises 27 km above the surrounding area. About two-thirds of the surface of Mars is mountainous with many impact craters surrounded by debris. Near the volcanoes of Tarsis, a vast system of canyons snakes about a quarter of the equator. The Mariner Valley is 600 km wide, and its depth is such that Mount Everest would sink entirely to its bottom. Sheer cliffs rise thousands of meters from the bottom of the valley to the plateau above. In ancient times, there was a lot of water on Mars, and large rivers flowed along the surface of this planet. There are ice caps at the South and North Poles of Mars. But this ice does not consist of water, but of solidified atmospheric carbon dioxide (solidifies at a temperature of -100 o C). Scientists believe that surface water is stored in the form of ice blocks buried in the ground, especially in the polar regions. The composition of the atmosphere: CO 2 (95%), N 2 (2.5%), Ar (1.5 - 2%), CO (0.06%), H 2 O (up to 0.1%); pressure at the surface is 5-7 hPa. In total, about 30 interplanetary space stations were sent to Mars.

Jupiter

The fifth planet from the Sun, the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is not a solid planet. Unlike the four solid planets that are closest to the Sun, Jupiter is a ball of gas. The composition of the atmosphere: H 2 (85%), CH 4, NH 3, He (14%). Jupiter's gas composition is very similar to that of the Sun. Jupiter is a powerful source of thermal radio emission. Jupiter has 16 satellites (Adrastea, Metis, Amalthea, Thebes, Io, Lysitea, Elara, Ananke, Karma, Pasiphae, Sinope, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Leda, Himalia), as well as a ring 20,000 km wide, almost closely adjacent to planet. Jupiter's rotation speed is so great that the planet bulges along the equator. In addition, this rapid rotation causes very strong winds in the upper atmosphere, where clouds are drawn in long colorful ribbons. Jupiter's clouds contain a very large number of vortex spots. The largest of them, the so-called Great Red Spot, is larger than the Earth. The Great Red Spot is a massive storm in Jupiter's atmosphere that has been observed for 300 years. Inside the planet, under enormous pressure, hydrogen turns from gas into liquid, and then from liquid into solid. At a depth of 100 km. there is an endless ocean of liquid hydrogen. Below 17000 km. hydrogen is compressed so strongly that its atoms are destroyed. And then he begins to behave like metal; in this state, it conducts electricity easily. An electric current flowing in metallic hydrogen creates a strong magnetic field around Jupiter.

Saturn

The sixth planet from the Sun, it has an amazing system of rings. Due to the rapid rotation around its axis, Saturn will seem to be flattened at the poles. The wind speed at the equator reaches 1800 km / h. The width of Saturn's rings is 400,000 km, but they are only a few tens of meters thick. The inner parts of the rings revolve around Saturn faster than the outer ones. The rings are mostly made up of billions of small particles, each of which orbits Saturn as a separate microscopic satellite. Probably, these "microsatellites" are composed of water ice or rocks covered with ice. Their size ranges from a few centimeters to tens of meters. There are also larger objects in the rings - boulders and fragments up to hundreds of meters in diameter. The gaps between the rings are caused by the gravitational forces of the seventeen moons (Hyperion, Mimas, Tethys, Titan, Enceladus, etc.), which cause the rings to split. The atmosphere includes: CH 4, H 2, He, NH 3.

Uranus

Seventh from The sun is a planet. It was discovered in 1781 by the English astronomer William Herschel, and named aftergreek about the sky god Uranus. The orientation of Uranus in space differs from the rest of the planets of the solar system - its axis of rotation lies, as it were, "on its side" relative to the plane of rotation of this planet around the sun. The axis of rotation is inclined at an angle of 98 o. As a result, the planet is turned to the Sun alternately by the north pole, then the south, then the equator, then the middle latitudes. Uranus has more than 27 satellites (Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Belinda, Peck, etc.) and a ring system. At the center of Uranus is a core made of stone and iron. The composition of the atmosphere includes: H 2, He, CH 4 (14%).

Neptune

E its orbit intersects with Pluto's orbit in some places. The equatorial diameter is the same as that of Uranus, although ra neptune is located 1627 million km further from Uranus (Uranus is located 2869 million km from the Sun). Based on these data, we can conclude that this planet could not be noticed in the 17th century. One of the brightest achievements of science, one of the evidence of the unlimited cognizability of nature was the discovery of the planet Neptune by calculations - "at the tip of a pen". Uranus, the planet following Saturn, which for many centuries was considered the most distant planet, was discovered by V. Herschel at the end of the 18th century. Uranus is hardly visible to the naked eye. By the 40s of the XIX century. accurate observations have shown that Uranus is subtly deviating from the path it should follow, taking into account the disturbances from all known planets. Thus, the theory of the motion of celestial bodies, so rigorous and precise, was tested. Le Verrier (in France) and Adams (in England) suggested that if perturbations from the known planets do not explain the deviation in the motion of Uranus, then it is under the influence of the attraction of an unknown body. They almost simultaneously calculated where behind Uranus there should be an unknown body, producing these deviations by its attraction. They calculated the orbit of the unknown planet, its mass and indicated the place in the sky where the unknown planet was supposed to be at this time. This planet was found in a telescope at the place indicated by them in 1846. It was named Neptune. Neptune is invisible to the naked eye. On this planet, winds blow at speeds up to 2400 km / h, directed against the rotation of the planet. These are the strongest winds in the solar system.
Atmosphere composition: H 2, He, CH 4. Has 6 satellites (one of them is Triton).
Neptune is the god of the seas in Roman mythology.

The content of the article:

Celestial bodies are objects located in the Observable Universe. Such objects can be natural physical bodies or their associations. All of them are characterized by isolation, and also represent a single structure connected by gravity or electromagnetism. Astronomy is engaged in the study of this category. This article proposes a classification of the celestial bodies of the solar system, as well as a description of their main characteristics.

Classification of the celestial bodies of the solar system

Each celestial body has special characteristics, for example, the method of origin, chemical composition, size, etc. This makes it possible to classify objects by combining them into groups. Let us describe what heavenly bodies are in the solar system: stars, planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, etc.

Classification of the celestial bodies of the solar system by composition:

• Silicate celestial bodies... This group of celestial bodies is called silicate, because the main component of all its representatives are stone-metal rocks (about 99% of the total body weight). The silicate component is represented by such refractory substances as silicon, calcium, iron, aluminum, magnesium, sulfur, etc. There are also ice and gas components (water, ice, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, helium-hydrogen), but their content is scanty. This category includes 4 planets (Venus, Mercury, Earth and Mars), satellites (Moon, Io, Europa, Triton, Phobos, Deimos, Amalthea, etc.), more than a million asteroids orbiting between the orbits of two planets - Jupiter and Mars (Pallas , Hygea, Vesta, Ceres, etc.). The density indicator is from 3 grams per cubic centimeter or more.
• Icy celestial bodies... This group is the largest in the solar system. The main component is the ice component (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water ice, oxygen, ammonia, methane, etc.). The silicate component is present in a smaller amount, and the gas volume is extremely insignificant. This group includes one planet Pluto, large satellites (Ganymede, Titan, Callisto, Charon, etc.), as well as all comets.
• Combined celestial bodies... The composition of representatives of this group is characterized by the presence in large quantities of all three components, i.e. silicate, gas and ice. Celestial bodies with a combined composition include the Sun and giant planets (Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus). These objects are characterized by fast rotation.

Characteristics of the star Sun

The sun is a star, i.e. is a collection of gas with incredible volumes. It has its own gravity (interaction characterized by attraction), with the help of which all its components are held. Inside any star, and therefore inside the Sun, thermonuclear fusion reactions occur, the product of which is colossal energy.

The sun has a core, around which a radiation zone is formed, where energy transfer takes place. This is followed by a convection zone in which magnetic fields and the movement of solar matter. The visible part of the Sun can be called the surface of this star only conditionally. A more correct formulation is the photosphere or the sphere of light.

The attraction inside the Sun is so great that a photon from its core takes hundreds of thousands of years to reach the surface of a star. Moreover, its path from the surface of the Sun to the Earth is only 8 minutes. The density and size of the sun allows it to attract other objects in the solar system. The acceleration of gravity (gravity) in the surface area is almost 28 m / s 2.

The characteristic of the celestial body of the star Sun is as follows:

1. Chemical composition. The main components of the sun are helium and hydrogen. Naturally, the star also includes other elements, but their specific gravity is very scanty.
2. Temperature. The temperature value differs significantly in different zones, for example, in the core it reaches 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, and in the visible part - 5,500 degrees Celsius.
3. Density. Is 1.409 g / cm 3. The highest density is noted in the core, the lowest - on the surface.
4. Weight. If we describe the mass of the Sun without mathematical abbreviations, then the number will look like 1.988.920.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
5. Volume. The total value is 1.412.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000 cubic kilograms.
6. Diameter. This figure is 1,391,000 km.
7. Radius. The radius of the star Sun is 695500 km.
8. Orbit of a celestial body. The sun has its own orbit, which runs around the center of the Milky Way. A complete revolution takes 226 million years. Scientists' calculations have shown that the speed of movement is incredibly high - almost 782,000 kilometers per hour.

Characteristics of the planets of the solar system

Planets are celestial bodies that orbit around a star or its remnants. Large weight allows planets to become rounded under the influence of their own gravity. However, the size and weight are insufficient for the start of thermonuclear reactions. Let us examine in more detail the characteristics of the planets using the examples of some representatives of this category that are part of the solar system.

Mars is the second most studied planet. It is the 4th farthest from the Sun. Its size allows it to occupy the 7th place in the ranking of the most voluminous celestial bodies in the solar system. Mars has an inner core surrounded by an outer liquid core. Further, the silicate mantle of the planet is located. And after the intermediate layer comes the crust, which has different thickness in different parts of the celestial body.

Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of Mars:

• The chemical composition of the celestial body. The main elements that make up Mars are iron, sulfur, silicates, basalt, iron oxide.
• Temperature. The average is -50 ° C.
• Density - 3.94 g / cm 3.
• Weight - 641.850.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
• Volume - 163.180.000.000 km 3.
• Diameter - 6780 km.
• Radius - 3390 km.
• The acceleration of gravity is 3.711 m / s 2.
• Orbit. Lies around the sun. It has a rounded trajectory, which is far from ideal. at different times the distance of a celestial body from the center of the solar system has different indicators - 206 and 249 million km.

Pluto belongs to the category of dwarf planets. Has a rocky core. Some researchers admit that it is not only formed from rock, but may also include ice. An icy robe covers him. There is frozen water and methane on the surface. The atmosphere is believed to include methane and nitrogen.

Pluto has the following characteristics:

1. Composition. The main ingredients are stone and ice.
2. Temperature. The average temperature on Pluto is -229 degrees Celsius.
3. Density - about 2 g per 1 cm 3.
4. The mass of a celestial body is 13.105.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
5. Volume - 7,150,000,000 km 3.
6. Diameter - 2374 km.
7. The radius is 1187 km.
8. The acceleration of gravity is 0.62 m / s 2.
9. Orbit. The planet revolves around the Sun, but the orbit is characterized by eccentricity, i.e. in one period it moves away to 7.4 billion km, in another - it approaches 4.4 billion km. The orbital speed of a celestial body reaches 4.6691 km / s.

Uranus is a planet discovered with a telescope in 1781. It has a ring system and a magnetosphere. Inside Uranus is a core made up of metals and silicon. It is surrounded by water, methane and ammonia. This is followed by a layer of liquid hydrogen. There is a gaseous atmosphere on the surface.

The main characteristics of Uranus:

• Chemical composition. This planet is made up of a combination of chemical elements. In large quantities it includes silicon, metals, water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, etc.
• Celestial body temperature. average temperature - -224 ° C.
• Density - 1.3 g / cm 3.
• Weight - 86.832.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
• Volume - 68.340.000.000 km 3.
• Diameter - 50,724 km.
• Radius - 25362 km.
• The acceleration of gravity is 8.69 m / s 2.
• Orbit. The center around which Uranus revolves is also the Sun. The orbit is slightly elongated. The orbital speed is 6.81 km / s.

Characteristics of the satellites of celestial bodies

A satellite is an object located in the Visible Universe, which does not revolve around a star, but around another celestial body under the influence of its gravity and along a certain trajectory. Let's describe some satellites and characteristics of these cosmic celestial bodies.

Deimos, a satellite of Mars, which is considered one of the smallest, is described as follows:

1. Shape - similar to a triaxial ellipsoid.
2. Dimensions - 15x12.2x10.4 km.
3. Weight - 1.480.000.000.000.000 kg.
4. Density - 1.47 g / cm 3.
5. Composition. The satellite consists mainly of stony rocks and regolith. The atmosphere is absent.
6. The acceleration of gravity is 0.004 m / s 2.
7. Temperature - -40 ° С.

Callisto is one of the many moons of Jupiter. It is the second largest in the satellite category and ranks first among the celestial bodies for the number of craters on the surface.

Callisto's characteristics:

• The shape is round.
• Diameter - 4820 km.
• Weight - 107.600.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
• Density - 1.834 g / cm 3.
• Composition - carbon dioxide, molecular oxygen.
• The acceleration of gravity is 1.24 m / s 2.
• Temperature - -139.2 ° C.

Oberon or Uranus IV is a natural satellite of Uranus. It is the 9th largest in the solar system. It has no magnetic field and no atmosphere. Numerous craters have been found on the surface, which is why some scientists consider it a rather old satellite.

Consider the characteristics of Oberon:

1. The shape is round.
2. Diameter - 1523 km.
3. Weight - 3.014.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
4. Density - 1.63 g / cm 3.
5. Composition - stone, ice, organic matter.
6. The acceleration of gravity is 0.35 m / s 2.
7. Temperature - -198 ° C.

Characteristics of asteroids in the solar system

Asteroids are large boulders. Mostly located in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. They can go out of their orbits towards the Earth and the Sun.

A prominent representative of this class is Hygea, one of the largest asteroids. This celestial body is located in the main asteroid belt. You can even see it with binoculars, but not always. It is well distinguishable during the perihelion period, i.e. at the moment when the asteroid is at the point of its orbit closest to the Sun. Has a dull dark surface.

Main characteristics of Hygea:

• Diameter - 4 07 km.
• Density - 2.56 g / cm 3.
• Weight - 90.300.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
• The acceleration of gravity is 0.15 m / s 2.
• Orbital speed. The average value is 16.75 km / s.

Asteroid Matilda is located in the main belt. It has a fairly low speed of rotation around its axis: 1 revolution occurs in 17.5 Earth days. It contains many carbon compounds. The study of this asteroid was carried out using spacecraft... The largest crater on Matilda is 20 km long.

The main characteristics of Matilda are as follows:

1. The diameter is almost 53 km.
2. Density - 1.3 g / cm 3.
3. Weight - 103.300.000.000.000.000 kg.
4. The acceleration of gravity is 0.01 m / s 2.
5. Orbit. Matilda takes 1572 Earth days to complete a revolution in orbit.

Vesta is a representative of the largest asteroids of the main asteroid belt. It can be observed without using a telescope, i.e. with the naked eye, because the surface of this asteroid is bright enough. If the shape of Vesta were more rounded and symmetrical, then it could be attributed to dwarf planets.

This asteroid has an iron-nickel core covered with a stone mantle. The largest crater on Vesta is 460 km long and 13 km deep.

We list the main physical characteristics of Vesta:

• Diameter - 525 km.
• Weight. The value is in the range of 260.000.000.000.000.000.000 kg.
• The density is about 3.46 g / cm 3.
• Free fall acceleration - 0.22 m / s 2.
• Orbital speed. The average orbital speed is 19.35 km / s. One revolution around the Vesta axis takes 5.3 hours.

Characteristics of comets of the solar system

A comet is a small celestial body. The orbits of comets pass around the Sun and have an elongated shape. These objects, approaching the Sun, form a trail consisting of gas and dust. Sometimes it remains in the form of a coma, i.e. a cloud that stretches over a huge distance - from 100,000 to 1.4 million km from the comet's nucleus. In other cases, the trail remains in the form of a tail, the length of which can reach 20 million km.

Halley is the celestial body of a group of comets, known to mankind since ancient times, because it can be seen with the naked eye.

Halley characteristics:

1. Weight. Approximately equal to 220.000.000.000.000 kg.
2. Density - 600 kg / m 3.
3. The period of revolution around the Sun is less than 200 years. Approximately 75-76 years later it will approach the star.
4. Composition - frozen water, metal and silicates.

Comet Hale-Bopp has been observed by mankind for almost 18 months, which indicates its long period. It is also called the "Big Comet of 1997". Distinctive feature This comet has 3 types of tails. Along with gas and dust tails, a sodium one stretches behind it, the length of which reaches 50 million km.

The composition of the comet: deuterium (heavy water), organic compounds (formic, acetic acid, etc.), argon, crypto, etc. The period of revolution around the Sun is 2534 years. Reliable data on physical characteristics this comet does not exist.

Comet Tempel is famous for being the first comet to the surface of which a probe was delivered from Earth.

Characteristics of Comet Tempel:

• Weight - within 79.000.000.000.000 kg.
• Dimensions. Length - 7.6 km, width - 4.9 km.
• Composition. Water, carbon dioxide, organic compounds, etc.
• Orbit. Changes during the passage of a comet near Jupiter, gradually decreasing. Latest data: one revolution around the Sun is 5.52 years.

Over the years of studying the solar system, scientists have collected a lot interesting facts about heavenly bodies. Consider those that depend on chemical and physical characteristics:

• The largest celestial body in terms of mass and diameter is the Sun, in second place is Jupiter, and in third place is Saturn.
• The greatest gravity is inherent in the Sun, the second place is occupied by Jupiter, and the third is Neptune.
• Jupiter's gravity contributes to the active attraction of space debris. Its level is so high that the planet is capable of pulling debris from the Earth's orbit.
• The hottest celestial body in the solar system is the sun - this is no secret to anyone. But the next indicator of 480 degrees Celsius is recorded on Venus - the second most distant planet from the center. It would be logical to assume that the second place should be at Mercury, which orbit is closer to the Sun, but in fact the temperature indicator there is lower - 430 ° С. This is due to the presence of Venus and the absence of an atmosphere in Mercury, which is able to retain heat.
• The coldest planet is Uranus.
• When asked which celestial body has the highest density within the solar system, the answer is simple - the density of the Earth. In second place is Mercury, and in third is Venus.
• The trajectory of the orbit of Mercury provides the duration of a day on the planet, equal to 58 Earth days. The duration of one day on Venus is equal to 243 Earth days, while the year lasts only 225.

Watch a video about the celestial bodies of the solar system:

The study of the characteristics of celestial bodies allows mankind to make interesting discoveries, substantiate certain patterns, and also expand general knowledge about the Universe.

Then the new words did not fit in my head. It also happened that a natural history textbook set before us a goal - to remember the location of the planets of the solar system, and we were already looking for means to justify it. Among the many options for solving this problem, there are several interesting and practical.

Mnemonic in its purest form

The ancient Greeks invented a way out for modern students. No wonder the term "mnemonics" comes from a consonant Greek word that literally means "the art of remembering." This art gave rise to a whole system of actions aimed at memorizing a large amount of information - "mnemonics".

They are very convenient to use if you just need to memorize a whole list of any names, a list of important addresses or phone numbers, or remember the sequence of the location of objects. In the case of the planets of our system, such a technique is simply irreplaceable.

We play associations or "Ivan gave birth to a girl ..."

This rhyme is remembered and known by each of us since primary school... This is a mnemonic rhyme. We are talking about that couplet, thanks to which it becomes easier for the child to remember the cases of the Russian language - "Ivan gave birth to a Girl - He told to drag the diaper" (respectively - Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Creativity and Prepositional).

Can we do the same with the planets of the solar system? - Certainly. A rather large number of mnemonics has already been invented for this astronomical educational program. The main thing to know is that they are all based on associative thinking. It is easier for someone to imagine an object similar in form to a memorized one, for someone it is enough to present a chain of names in the form of a kind of "cipher". Here are just a few tips on how best to memorize their location, taking into account the distance from the central star.

Funny pictures

The order in which the planets of our star system are removed from the Sun can be remembered through visual images. First, associate an image of an object or even a person with each planet. Then present these pictures one by one, in the order in which the planets are located within the solar system.

1. Mercury. If you have never seen images of this ancient Greek god, try to remember the late lead singer of the Queen group - Freddie Mercury, whose surname is consonant with the name of the planet. It is unlikely, of course, that the children would know who this uncle is. Then we propose to come up with simple phrases where the first word would begin with the syllable MEP, and the second with KUR. And they must necessarily describe specific objects, which will then become a "picture" for Mercury (this method can be used as the most extreme option for each of the planets).
2. Venus. Many have seen the statue of Venus de Milo. If you show it to the children, they can easily remember this "armless aunt." Plus, educate the younger generation. You can ask them to remember some acquaintance, classmate or relative with that name - suddenly there are such people in the social circle.
3. Earth. Everything is simple here. Everyone should imagine himself, an inhabitant of the Earth, whose "picture" stands between two planets in space before and after ours.
4. Mars. Advertising in this case can become not only the "engine of trade", but also scientific knowledge. We think you understand that you need to present a popular imported chocolate bar on the planet.
5. Jupiter. Try to imagine some landmark of St. Petersburg, for example, Bronze Horseman... Yes, even if the planet begins on the south, the locals call the "Northern Capital" Peter. Children may not be benefiting from this association, so come up with a phrase with them.
6. Saturn. Such a "handsome" does not need any visual image, because everyone knows him as a planet with rings. If you still have difficulties, imagine a sports stadium with a treadmill. Moreover, such an association has already been used by the creators of one space-themed animated film.
7. Uranus. The most effective in this case will be a "picture" in which someone is very happy about some achievement and, as it were, shouts "Hurray!" Agree - every child is capable of adding one letter to this exclamation.
8. Neptune. Show the children the cartoon "The Little Mermaid" - let them remember Dad Ariel - the King with a mighty beard, impressive muscles and a huge trident. It doesn't matter that according to the plot, His Majesty is called Triton. Neptune also had this instrument in its arsenal.

And now - once again mentally imagine everything (or everyone) that reminds you of the planets of the solar system. Flip through these images, like pages in a photo album, from the first "picture" closest to the Sun, to the last, whose distance from the star is the greatest.

"Look, what kind of poems turned out ..."

Now - to the mnemonics, which are based on the "initials" of the planets. Remembering the order of the planets of the solar system is really easiest to do by the first letters. This kind of "art" is ideal for those who are not so brightly developed imaginative thinking, but with its associative form, everything is in order.

The most striking examples of versification in order to fix the sequence of planets in memory are the following:

"The Bear Goes Behind Raspberries - The Lawyer Manages to Escape the Lowlands";
“We All Know: Yulia’s Mom Was On Stilts in the Morning”.

You can, of course, not add a rhyme, but just pick up words for the first letters in the names of each of the planets. A little advice: in order not to confuse the places of Mercury and Mars, starting with the same letter, put the first syllables at the beginning of your words - ME and MA, respectively.

For example: In PLACES Golden Machines, Julia were Seen As if Seeing Us.

You can come up with such proposals endlessly - as far as imagination is enough. In short, try, train, remember ...

Article author: Mikhail Sazonov