Our solar system is made up of the sun, planets orbiting it, and smaller celestial bodies. All of these are mysterious and amazing, because they are still not fully understood. Below will be indicated the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order, and briefly talk about the planets themselves.

There is a well-known list of planets in which they are listed in order of their distance from the Sun:

Pluto used to be in last place, but in 2006 it lost its status as a planet, as larger celestial bodies were found farther away. These planets are divided into stone (inner) and giant planets.

Brief information about the stone planets

The inner (stone) planets include those bodies that are located inside the asteroid belt that separates Mars and Jupiter. They got their name "stone" because they consist of various hard rocks, minerals and metals. They are united by a small number or even the absence of satellites and rings (like Saturn). On the surface of the stone planets there are volcanoes, depressions and craters formed as a result of the fall of other cosmic bodies.

But if we compare their sizes and arrange them in ascending order, the list will look like this:

Brief information about the giant planets

The giant planets are located beyond the asteroid belt and therefore they are also called outer. They consist of very light gases - hydrogen and helium. These include:

But if you make a list by the size of the planets in the solar system in ascending order, then the order changes:

A little information about the planets

In modern scientific understanding, a planet means a celestial body that revolves around the Sun and has enough mass for its own gravity. Thus, there are 8 planets in our system, and, importantly, these bodies are not similar to each other: each has its own unique differences, both in appearance and in the very components of the planet.

- This is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest among the rest. It weighs 20 times less than the Earth! But, despite this, it has a sufficiently high density, which allows us to conclude that there are a lot of metals in its depths. Due to its close proximity to the Sun, Mercury is subject to sharp temperature changes: at night it is very cold, during the day the temperature rises sharply.

- This is the next planet close to the Sun, in many ways similar to the Earth. It has a more powerful atmosphere than the Earth, and is considered a very hot planet (its temperature is above 500 C).

is a unique planet due to its hydrosphere, and the presence of life on it led to the appearance of oxygen in its atmosphere. Most of the surface is covered with water, and the rest is occupied by the continents. A unique feature is the tectonic plates, which move, albeit very slowly, which leads to a change in the landscape. The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.

Also known as the "Red Planet". It gets its fiery red color due to the large amount of iron oxides. Mars has a very rarefied atmosphere and much lower atmospheric pressure than Earth. Mars has two satellites - Deimos and Phobos.

- this is a real giant among the planets of the solar system. Its weight is 2.5 times the weight of all the planets combined. The surface of the planet is made up of helium and hydrogen and is similar in many ways to the sun. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no life on this planet - no water and no solid surface. But Jupiter has a large number of satellites: 67 are known at the moment.

- this planet is famous for the presence of rings, consisting of ice and dust, revolving around the planet. With its atmosphere, it resembles that of Jupiter, and is slightly smaller in size than this giant planet. In terms of the number of satellites, Saturn is also slightly behind - it knows 62 of them. The largest satellite, Titan, is larger than Mercury.

- the lightest planet among the outer ones. Its atmosphere is the coldest in the entire system (minus 224 degrees), it has a magnetosphere and 27 satellites. Uranus is made up of hydrogen and helium, and ammonia ice and methane have also been noted. Due to the fact that Uranus has a large axial tilt, it seems that the planet is rolling rather than rotating.

- despite being smaller than y, it is heavier than it and exceeds the mass of the Earth. This is the only planet that was found through mathematical calculations, and not through astronomical observations. On this planet, the strongest winds in the solar system were recorded. Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton, is the only one that rotates backwards.

It is very difficult to imagine all the scales of the solar system within the studied planets. It seems to people that the Earth is a huge planet, and, in comparison with other celestial bodies, it is. But if you put giant planets next to it, then the Earth already takes on tiny sizes. Of course, next to the Sun, all celestial bodies seem small, so to represent all the planets in their full scale is a difficult task.

The most famous classification of the planets is their distance from the Sun. But a listing that takes into account the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order will also be correct. The list will be presented as follows:

As you can see, the order has not changed much: the first lines are the inner planets, and the first place is occupied by Mercury, and the other positions are the outer planets. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all in what order the planets are located, from this they will not become less mysterious and beautiful.

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

Brief information about the planets of the solar system

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

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

Rice. 1. Planets of the solar system.

The list of planets in the solar system in order from the sun is as follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. By listing the planets from largest to smallest, this order changes. The largest planet is Jupiter, followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars and finally Mercury.

All planets revolve around the Sun in the same direction as the Sun's rotation (counterclockwise as viewed from the north pole of the Sun).

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

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

TOP 2 articleswho read along with this

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

Planet	Distance from the Sun	Period of circulation	Rotation period	Diameter, km.	Number of satellites	Density g / cu. cm.
Mercury

Terrestrial planets (inner planets)

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

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

Venus is the hottest planet in our system, with surface temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius. The most likely reason for such a high temperature is the greenhouse effect due to the dense atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide.

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

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

Outer region of the solar system

The outer region of the solar system is the location of the gas giants and their satellites.

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

Rice. 3. Planet Saturn.

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

What have we learned?

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

Topic quiz

Report Evaluation

Average rating: 4.5. Total ratings received: 606.

The solar system consists of eight planets and more than 63 of their satellites, which are being discovered more and more often, as well as several dozen comets and a large number of asteroids. All cosmic bodies move along their clear directed trajectories around the Sun, which is 1000 times heavier than all the bodies in the solar system combined.

How many planets revolve around the sun

How the planets of the solar system originated: approximately 5-6 billion years ago, one of the gas and dust clouds of our large Galaxy (the Milky Way), which has the shape of a disk, began to shrink towards the center, gradually forming the current Sun. Further, according to one of the theories, under the influence of powerful forces of attraction, a large number of dust and gas particles rotating around the Sun began to stick together into balls - forming future planets. According to another theory, the gas and dust cloud immediately broke up into separate clusters of particles, which compressed and condensed, forming the current planets. Now 8 planets revolve around the sun constantly.

The center of the solar system is the Sun, the star around which the planets revolve in orbits. They do not emit heat and do not glow, but only reflect the light of the Sun. There are currently 8 officially recognized planets in the solar system. Briefly, in order of distance from the sun, we list them all. And now some definitions.

Planet satellites. The solar system also includes the Moon and the natural satellites of other planets, which all of them have, except for Mercury and Venus. More than 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 moon, Leda, is only 10 km across.

The Sun 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. The age is about 5 billion years. It has a diameter at the equator equal to 1,392,000 km, 109 times larger than the 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 332950 times the mass of the Earth. The temperature inside the core is about 15 million degrees Celsius. The surface temperature is about 5500 degrees Celsius.

According to the chemical composition, the Sun consists of 75% hydrogen, and of the other 25% of the elements, most of all helium. Now, in order, let's figure out how many planets revolve around the sun, in the solar system and the characteristics of the planets.

Solar system planets in order from the sun in pictures

Mercury is the 1st planet in the solar system

Mercury. The four inner planets (nearest to the Sun) - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - have a solid surface. They are smaller than four giant planets. Mercury moves faster than other planets, being burned by the sun's rays during the day and freezing at night.

Characteristics of the planet Mercury:

Period of revolution around the Sun: 87.97 days.

Diameter at the equator: 4878 km.

Rotation period (turn around the 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.

Venus is the 2nd planet in the solar system

Venus is more similar to Earth in size and brightness. Observation of it is difficult because of the clouds enveloping it. The surface is a hot, rocky desert.

Characteristics of the planet Venus:

Period of revolution around the Sun: 224.7 days.

Diameter at the equator: 12104 km.

Rotation period (turn around the axis): 243 days.

Surface temperature: 480 degrees (average).

Atmosphere: dense, mostly carbon dioxide.

How many satellites: 0.

The main satellites of the planet: 0.

Earth is the 3rd planet in the solar system

Apparently, the Earth was formed from a gas and dust cloud, like other planets in the solar system. Particles of gas and dust, colliding, gradually "raised" the planet. The temperature on the surface reached 5000 degrees Celsius. Then the Earth cooled down and became covered with a hard stone crust. But the temperature in the bowels is still quite high - 4500 degrees. Rocks in the bowels are molten and pour 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 to receive the necessary heat and light, but far enough away so as not to burn out.

Characteristics of the planet Earth:

Period of revolution around the Sun: 365.3 days.

Diameter at the equator: 12756 km.

The period of rotation of the planet (rotation around the axis): 23 hours 56 minutes.

Surface temperature: 22 degrees (average).

Atmosphere: mostly nitrogen and oxygen.

Number of satellites: 1.

The main satellites of the planet: the Moon.

Mars is the 4th planet in the solar system

Due to the similarity with the Earth, it was believed that life exists here. But the spacecraft that landed on the surface of Mars found no signs of life. This is the fourth planet in order.

Characteristics of the planet Mars:

Period of revolution around the Sun: 687 days.

Diameter of the planet at the equator: 6794 km.

Rotation period (rotation around the axis): 24 hours 37 minutes.

Surface temperature: -23 degrees (average).

Atmosphere of the planet: rarefied, mostly carbon dioxide.

How many satellites: 2.

Main moons in order: Phobos, Deimos.

Jupiter is the 5th planet in the solar system

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are made up of hydrogen and other gases. Jupiter is more than 10 times larger than Earth 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 much planet Jupiter does it take to become a star? It is necessary to increase its mass by 75 times!

Characteristics of the planet Jupiter:

The period of revolution around the Sun: 11 years 314 days.

Diameter of the planet at the equator: 143884 km.

Rotation period (turn around the 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.

Saturn is the 6th planet in the solar system

This is the number 2 largest of the planets in the solar system. Saturn draws attention to itself thanks to a system of rings formed from 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.

Characteristics of the planet Saturn:

The period of revolution around the Sun: 29 years 168 days.

Diameter of the planet at the equator: 120536 km.

Rotation period (turn around the axis): 10 hours 14 minutes.

Surface temperature: -180 degrees (average).

Atmosphere: mostly hydrogen and helium.

Number of satellites: 18 (+ rings).

Main satellites: Titan.

Uranus is the 7th planet in the solar system

Unique planet in the solar system. Its peculiarity is that it revolves 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 64,000 km and had six hours to take photos, which it successfully completed.

Characteristics of the planet Uranus:

Orbital period: 84 years 4 days.

Diameter at the equator: 51118 km.

The period of rotation of the planet (rotation around the axis): 17 hours 14 minutes.

Surface temperature: -214 degrees (average).

Atmosphere: mostly hydrogen and helium.

How many satellites: 15 (+ rings).

Main satellites: Titania, Oberon.

Neptune is the 8th planet in the solar system

At the moment, Neptune is considered the last planet in the solar system. Its discovery took place by the method of mathematical calculations, and then they saw it through a telescope. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew by. He took amazing photographs of the blue surface of Neptune and its largest moon, Triton.

Characteristics of the planet Neptune:

The period of revolution around the Sun: 164 years 292 days.

Diameter at the equator: 50538 km.

Rotation period (turn around the axis): 16 hours 7 minutes.

Surface temperature: -220 degrees (average).

Atmosphere: mostly hydrogen and helium.

Number of satellites: 8.

Main moons: Triton.

How many planets in the solar system: 8 or 9?

Previously, for many years, astronomers recognized the presence of 9 planets, that is, Pluto was also considered a planet, like the others already known to everyone. But in the 21st century, scientists were able to prove that it is not a planet at all, which means that there are 8 planets in the solar system.

Now, if you are asked how many planets are in the solar system, answer boldly - 8 planets in our system. It has been officially recognized since 2006. When lining up the planets of the solar system in order from the sun, use the finished picture. What do you think, maybe Pluto should not have been removed from the list of planets and these are scientific prejudices?

How many planets in the solar system: video, watch for free

Our planetary system of known planets and other objects was formed during the formation of the Sun and the entire solar system. In the same way, during the process of formation of other stars, some of them formed objects that formed their planetary system.

As of the end of April 2013, 692 such planetary systems around stars are known to contain planets from other solar systems, with 132 such systems having more than one planet.

If detecting and studying a distant star becomes not such an insoluble problem for modern science, then it is still quite difficult to detect a planet near this bright star, therefore, most often the planets found in other solar systems are large gas giants like our Jupiter and Saturn. Such planets outside our solar system are called exoplanets. Now it is already known about the existence of 884 planets that have their own stars-Suns, and in the Milky Way galaxy itself, according to some data, there should be over 100 billion planets, from 5 to 20 billion of which, possibly, have characteristics similar to our Earth.

Known planetary systems

PSR 1257 + 12 is the very first planetary system, a pulsar that transmits pulses of radio emission in the form of periodically repeating bursts, which were discovered in 1991 by the Polish astronomer Alexander Wolshchan.

The pulsar PSR 1257+12 is located 1000 light-years from our solar system. Four planets have been discovered in a single system B, C and D that resemble our Mercury, Venus and Earth, as well as an unconfirmed fourth dwarf planet like our Pluto.

The planets, indeed, are similar to the terrestrial planets of our system. Thus, the circulation around the other Sun of planet B is 25.262 days; planet C - 66.5419 days; planet D - 98.2114 days. True, despite the fact that 2 of them are planets close in mass and some parameters to the Earth, the living conditions for humans on the planets are unacceptable due to the strong microwave radiation of the pulsar, the strongest magnetic field, and besides, constant acid rains are likely to occur on the planets .

If at least some organic life can exist on the planets, it is only under the depth of protective ice and water. On the surface, the doses of radiation are too strong for the development of organisms, but it is believed that the so-called bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, found on Earth, can survive even stronger doses of radiation, which means that it is possible that evolution on other planets can create organisms for life in conditions pulsar.

Upsilon Andromedae is a yellow star similar to our Sun in which a planetary system has been discovered. This star is 43.9 light years away and is visible to the naked eye. Four planets were found in its rays.

Planet B has an orbital period of only 4.617 days and bears a resemblance to our hot giant, Jupiter; planet C - the gas giant revolves around its star for 241.5 days; planet D - equal to 10 masses of Jupiter with a circulation of 1284 days, and the orbit of the fourth planet E, which is much further than the other planets of its system, is also calculated.

A yellow dwarf star, visible to the naked eye in good skies, closely similar in parameters to the Sun in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of 50.1 light years.

The discovered planet b, according to the characteristics of an exoplanet that has an orbit around its Sun, is most likely a gas giant and has a short orbital period of 4.23 days

A Sun-like star in the constellation of Cancer that has a Planet f in its planetary system that could theoretically have water.

In total, the system is known about 5 planets, but there are assumptions about the existence of 2 more planets. Planet e is interesting - a hot super-Earth, the mass of which exceeds the mass of our Earth and contains a large proportion of carbon, and the period of revolution is 17 hours 41 minutes. The fifth planet discovered was planet f, which is 45 times more massive than Earth but has a slightly warmer surface temperature than Earth because its star is dimmer and cooler than our Sun. The presence of water in large quantities on the surface of this fifth planet is assumed.

A very young, still forming new solar system, UX Taurus, is located 450 light-years from our Sun. It was discovered using a spacecraft with a powerful infrared telescope Spitzer, which operates in orbit of the planet Earth. A gas and dust disk with a huge gap was discovered around the star of this new solar system, and since this is not observed in other protoplanetary disks of young stars, astronomers agreed that we have an amazing picture of the formation of a new system from the Sun and the planets surrounding it.

Exoplanets of other solar systems

An exoplanet in the constellation of Ophiuchus, located 40 light-years from Earth, on which an ocean is theoretically possible. The planet is 2.5 times larger and 6.5 times heavier than the Earth, and the year lasts only 36 hours, according to some calculations and assumptions, the planet may consist of 75% water and 25% rocky materials, and hydrogen must be present in the atmosphere and helium. A unique phenomenon of properties on the planet, due to the composition of the planet's atmosphere from thick watery vapor at a high temperature of 200 ° C, researchers believe that the water on the planet is in a state uncharacteristic for our Earth, such as "hot ice" and "super liquid water".

The planet discovered by the Kepler telescope of the same name is the smallest of the exoplanets, judging by its density, it is an iron planet, has a mass 1.4 times that of the earth and revolves around itself almost like our planet in 0.84 Earth days. True, the surface temperature of the planet is most likely very hot 1527 ° C.

Gliese 667 Cc

Gliese 667 C c- the second in a row from the red dwarf star Gliese 581 planet in the constellation Libra, which is 20 light years from us. The temperature of the atmosphere, like the earth's, on the surface of the planet can be +27 ° C, given the presence of 1% CO2 in the composition with a greenhouse effect.

The parent star around which the planet revolves is not bright, because it is a red dwarf, but due to its proximity to it, it receives up to 90% of the energy from it (about the same amount the Earth receives from the Sun), which means that the conditions for the existence of life on this planet are quite acceptable. Due to its close proximity to its sun and the huge size of the star, the sky above the planet's surface will scatter a reddish color.

Gliese 581d

The third planet from its red dwarf star Gliese 581, which may be habitable. This is a very large planet, twice the size of our Earth. Interestingly, modeling of the planet for habitability has shown that it may have an atmosphere with very high clouds of dry ice, where precipitation is possible at lower altitudes.

The planet is located very close to the star, but since its sun is a red dwarf, it receives heat from its star not so hot and the temperature on the planet's surface is not much more than 0 ° C. During the daytime, a huge orb of a dimly glowing star looms over the planet, painting the landscape a gloomy orange-red color.

Gliese 581g

But on this planet, located in the system of the red dwarf star Gliese 581 at a distance of 20 light years from us, the conditions are the most suitable for the existence and development of life from all currently known exoplanets. The planet, which is fourth from its red dwarf sun, may have an atmosphere and liquid water, and a surface of rocky mountains and rock formations. There is an interesting assumption that the planet always faces only one side of its star, which means that on one hot half of the planet it is always daytime, where the temperature rises to +71 ° C, and on the other eternal night, where theoretically there can be snow at a temperature -34 °С. While the planet may have a dense atmosphere, the distribution of heat could warm the entire planet, making some areas quite habitable.

By the way, the Australian scientist Ragbir Bhatal, who is a member of the SETI project to search for extraterrestrial civilizations, claimed that in December 2008 he discovered sharp flashes from the surface of the planet, reminiscent of a laser action. Unfortunately, some scientists have refuted this version.

The closest exoplanet in size to our Earth, but due to its very close location to its sun, the temperature on the surface can be 760 ° C, and the year can run very quickly - in just 6 days.

A planet that enters the habitable zone, where conditions could theoretically become suitable for life. The planet, located in the constellation Sail at a distance of 36 light-years from us, is warmed by the moderate rays of its warm orange dwarf star HD 85512. the value will already be +78 °C. The planet is more likely to have water in liquid form. The parent sun of this planet shines 8 times weaker than our Sun, coloring the surface with a moderate orange color, but due to its proximity to the star, the planet receives the heat and light necessary for the emergence of organic life.

An ocean planet located at a distance of about 620 light years from our Earth. The period of revolution of the planet around its star Kepler is 290 days, and the temperature, if it turns out that the planet has an atmosphere, will be about + 22 ° C, which is beneficial for life on it. The only thing is that this planet most likely belongs to the class of mini-Neptunes, its entire surface most likely consists of the ocean, so if there is life on the planet, then it is most likely water.

GD 66b

GD 66b- probably a helium exoplanet orbiting the white dwarf GD 66. The planet most likely has very low temperatures and twilight reigns on it, which is associated with the low luminosity of its native sun - the white dwarf.

Planet with 3 suns in the constellation Cygnus. An exoplanet located in an amazing system consisting of three stars. From the surface of this planet, one can see the main bright star HD 188753 A, which is a powerful source of light and heat, as well as the much less bright orange dwarf HD 188753 B and the dim red dwarf HD 188753 C. The planet belongs to the class of gas giants and has an orbit around its main star 3.35 days.

Alpha Centauri, the closest planet to Earth in another solar system, is about 4.37 light-years from our Sun. It has its own star of the solar type Alpha Centauri B and is a planet of the super-Earth type classification and rotates very close to its star at a distance of about 6 million km, so the surface temperature is very high 1200 ° C, and if you could imagine a view of the starry sky from this planet , then (image by the artist in the picture) from the planet you can see a huge hot native star and a small luminous dot (in the upper right corner of the picture) - our Sun.

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

What is the solar system

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

Solar system planets in order

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

Features of the terrestrial planets

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

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

Features of the giant planets

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

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

The first planet is Mercury

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

Venus

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

Third planet from the Sun

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

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

The planet Mars

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

What is Jupiter famous for?

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

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

Planet Saturn

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

- Uranus

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

Neptune: the invisible planet

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

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

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