For what purpose 60 years ago people from all over the world peered into the sky on schedule, how thanks to the Nazis in the USSR they won the space race and what scientific results the first artificial satellite of the Earth achieved, read the material on the site.
This simple device surprised the whole world, as it was the first object that mankind put into orbit around the Earth. All three months during which the satellite revolved around the planet (it made 1440 revolutions in total), local newspapers and radio stations from different countries transmitted at what time in their region it would be possible to see a slowly moving bright point in the night sky against the background of fixed stars. People in those places checked their watches and lifted their heads to the sky. Radio amateurs tuned their receivers to one of two frequencies, 20 or 40 megahertz, on which the satellite transmitted its famous “beep-beep”, and then boasted to each other: “I heard the satellite yesterday!”
A copy of the satellite "Sputnik-1"
NASA/Wikimedia Commons
Of course, it was not so much the simple device that caused all the excitement, but how exactly it was put into orbit. This was done by the R-7 intercontinental missile modified for peaceful use. The whole history of preparation for the conquest of space was closely connected with its creation. This story began with Tsiolkovsky and other lone enthusiasts, continued into World War II with Wernher von Braun's V-2 rockets, and after the war ended in the USA with the same Brown, and in the USSR with the defense industry and the team of Sergei Korolev.
Our satellite and their satellite
In the USSR, only the military worked on the rocket. Korolev, who headed the department of ballistic and rocket design tests at NII-88 since 1946, was viewed with skepticism, if not derision, by the authorities. It’s good that the matter was ridiculed, and not something worse, because voices have already been heard asking if those people who are trying to waste the funds so much needed by the country are pests? Research meanwhile continued until 1954, but almost secretly, without publicity.
Intercontinental missile R-7
Wikimedia Commons
Both in the USA and in the USSR, the preparation of the rocket went almost head to head, with only one difference: in the totalitarian Soviet country everything was in the same hands, while in the USA there were many such hands. When the moment came to make a decision there, the wrong hand was chosen.
When it came to rocket launching an artificial Earth satellite, the final choice between the von Braun team and the Naval Research Laboratory, which offered its version of the Vanguard satellite, was not made in favor of von Braun, although he guaranteed that his Explorer could be launched into orbit in January 1956.
It is believed that von Braun's personality played a role here: the Americans did not want a German with a Nazi past to become the father of their companion. One way or another, in the end, their Vanguard completely lost to our Sputnik-1.
In January 1956, when ridicule over the idea of an artificial satellite ended in the USSR, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on the development of "object D" - an artificial satellite weighing 1000–1400 kg and with 200–300 kg of scientific equipment. The launch was scheduled for 1957, but by the end of 1956 it turned out that it was impossible to prepare the “object D” by the deadline, and then it was decided to urgently develop a version with a simpler satellite.
No sooner said than done. And on October 4, Sputnik-1 was launched from the Fifth Research Range of the USSR Ministry of Defense (today known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome) on a Sputnik launch vehicle, converted from R-7.
The American Vanguard was losing to our satellites in all positions. On November 3, 1957, the USSR launched a second satellite into space - a real laboratory, and even with Laika on board. The first launch in the United States took place on December 6, but ended two seconds later with a rocket explosion and destruction of the launch pad. After many attempts, the first American satellite was von Braun's Explorer, which, thanks to the use of transistors, was six times lighter than our Sputnik-1 and weighed only 13.37 kg.
America's first Explorer satellite
NASA/Wikimedia Commons
The design of Sputnik-1 was the most unpretentious: two aluminum hemispheres with a diameter of 58 cm, connected through docking frames with 36 bolts; inside the hemispheres there was a 50-kilogram power supply, a radio transmitter, a fan, a thermal relay, an on-board electrical automation device, temperature and control sensors. Outside, this sphere bristled with four antennas looking in all directions - this was required for stable radio reception, since the satellite was not oriented. All this weighed 83.6 kg.
Politics and literature
The political significance of the launch for the then authorities and for ordinary Soviet citizens can hardly be overestimated. The country, which had just recovered from the horrendous losses of the Second World War, suddenly turned out to be capable of this ... The fact that the Russians, it turns out, has a scientific, industrial and military potential that cannot be ignored, was known all over the world.
Despite the fact that Sputnik did not have any scientific equipment, scientists managed to obtain important data from the analysis of the radio signal and the results of optical observations of the satellite. For example, Swedish researchers were able to use these data to measure the total electronic composition of the ionosphere. Soviet scientists at the State Astronomical Institute named after P.K. Sternberg developed a method for accurately determining the coordinates of a satellite with time reference. These calculations, which are performed in a second on today's computers, then took 30-60 minutes each. The resulting pattern of changes in the orbit of Sputnik-1 made it possible to estimate the density of the atmosphere, and this density was unexpectedly high and greatly surprised geophysicists. Subsequently, these results made it possible to create a theory of satellite deceleration.
October 4, 1957 - exactly 60 years ago - the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial Earth satellite.
This event laid the foundation for the exploration of outer space by mankind, a qualitative leap in the development of science, industry and military equipment.
The official name of this first spacecraft is PS-1 (Simple Sputnik-1). The launch was carried out from the 5th research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the name of the Baikonur cosmodrome, on a Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile.
A large group of scientists headed by S. Korolev, as well as Soviet workers and military personnel, among whom our countryman played a prominent role, a native of the village of Ostretsovo, Rodnikovo District, Ivanovo Region, Colonel General, in the postwar years, worked on the creation and launch of an artificial Earth satellite. Deputy Minister of Medium Machine Building of the USSR V. Ryabikov (pictured).
In 1946, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution on the deployment of large-scale work to develop rocket science. The creation of long-range jet missiles was caused by the need to deliver nuclear warheads. Intercontinental ballistic missiles became the means of launching the first artificial earth satellites.
All this work was coordinated by the country's top leadership headed by I. Stalin and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers L. Beria.
From 1951 to 1957, ballistic missile launches were carried out, strictly speaking, not yet into space, but into the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere, up to the conditional border with outer space.
Then, in August 1957, the first launch of a ballistic (space) rocket was made from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, which rose to a height of more than 200 km and then reached a given area - a test site in Kamchatka.
And, finally, two months later, on October 4, 1957, at 22:28 Moscow time, the USSR launched the world's first artificial Earth satellite, which separated from the launch vehicle and entered low Earth orbit.
The aluminum alloy body of the satellite was only 58 cm in diameter and weighed 83.6 kg in total. He separated from the rocket at a distance of 947 km from the earth's surface, and continued further flight on his own.
"PS-1" was designed as an apparatus with two radio beacons, the frequency ranges of which (20 and 40 MHz) were chosen so that the satellite signal could be received by radio amateurs of all countries using the simplest equipment.
314.5 seconds after launch, the satellite gave its voice. "Beep! Beep! - so sounded his call signs. They were caught at the training ground for 2 minutes, then the satellite went beyond the horizon. People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouting "Hurrah!", rocked the designers and the military.
And even on the first orbit of its flight, a TASS message sounded: "As a result of the great hard work of research institutes and design bureaus in the USSR, the world's first artificial satellite of the Earth was created."
The satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, making 1,440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million km), and its radio transmitters worked for two weeks after launch. Due to friction against the upper layers of the atmosphere, the satellite lost speed, entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned out due to contact with air.
The launch of the satellite was of the greatest international importance, clearly demonstrating the advantages of the Soviet economic and socio-political system, the level of scientific and technological progress achieved just 12 years after the devastating Great Patriotic War.
The whole world saw his flight, the signal emitted by him could be heard by any radio amateur anywhere in the world. This went against the idea of the technical backwardness of the Soviet Union. The launch of the first satellite dealt a heavy blow to the prestige of the United States. The United Press reported: “90 percent of the talk about artificial Earth satellites came from the United States. As it turned out, 100 percent of the case fell on Russia…”.
M. Smetanin
The hottest planet in the solar system
Surely, many people know from school that eight planets revolve around the heavenly body, one of which is the hottest planet in the solar system. And this is not Mercury at all, located close to the Sun. The hottest planet is Venus, which is located second from our heavenly body.
What is the temperature on Venus?
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system due to its surface temperature, which can range from 460 to 480 degrees. On average, it turns out that the temperature on this planet is 475 degrees (enough to easily melt lead or tin). Moreover, on Mercury, which is closer to the celestial body, the average temperature is only 426 degrees. Since there is no atmosphere on the surface of this planet, the temperature regime there can deviate by hundreds of degrees.
To maintain a more or less average temperature on the surface of Venus allows carbon dioxide. The dense atmosphere of the planet allows the surface temperature to be five hundred degrees higher than if such an atmosphere was absent.
How was Venus discovered?
In ancient times, people thought that this planet was two stars that appeared in the morning and in the evening. However, then it became clear that it is one planet revolving around our heavenly body. When the Sun was not yet so bright, Venus was not too hot either. It even had oceans of liquid. However, the life-giving moisture evaporated, contributing to the greenhouse effect. This is now facilitated by solar radiation and carbon dioxide. At present, Venus is very strongly overheated due to this effect, and the process of heating continues. Today, everyone knows that there is no life on the planet, because in the absence of oxygen it is impossible to live.
What does the name of the planet mean?
This planet was named after the ancient Roman goddess of love. That fact is rather curious. that this is the only planet that was named after a woman. Perhaps Venus was named so because it shone much brighter than all the planets known to astronomers at that time. Translated from Latin, the name "Venus" means "Evening Star" or "Lucifer" (Satan in Christianity).
What are the features of the planet?
The second planet Venus in terms of location to the Sun is quite a bit smaller than our planet Earth. Because of the almost identical size, density, mass and composition, these planets are even called twins. However, this is where the similarity ends.
The hottest planet in the solar system is one hundred and eight million kilometers from the sun. There are no satellites around it. A day here lasts approximately 243 Earth days. For 225 such days, the planet makes a revolution around the heavenly body. The surface of Venus is characterized by hardness, a large number of craters and volcanic landscapes. It rotates in the opposite direction, from which it follows that the sunrise occurs in the west, and the sunset in the east.
The atmosphere of Venus is very heavy and even "hellish". The pressure on it exceeds ninety times the pressure present on Earth. The surface of Venus does not have any liquid, but everything is explained by the highest temperature, which causes the process of boiling and evaporation. The planet also has mountain ranges and valleys, which, according to scientists, were formed when hot materials were raised to the surface, which led to surface deformation.
Planet exploration
Since Venus is a hot planet, it may be thought that it is almost impossible to explore it. However, scientists managed to obtain information about the planet - more than forty spacecraft explored Venus. Interesting pictures managed to "get" the Soviet spacecraft, which had the same name with the planet. The device "Venera13" was able to stay on the planet for 127 minutes (this was in 1981). It was used to make color images of the surface of Venus.
All devices that were sent to study Venus could stay on the surface for no more than two hours. After this time, the probes were destroyed by the highest temperature. The idea of 98 percent of the surface of Venus was obtained in the nineties. But even today, the planet creates considerable interest for scientists who continue to explore large objects in the solar system.
In the process of studying the cosmic bodies of our Universe, scientists are discovering more and more amazing facts. Today we will find out which is the hottest planet in the solar system and learn about the existence of a planet that is hotter than the sun.
Space Baby Mercury
Mercury was previously thought to be the hottest planet in our solar system. Indeed, it is closer than the rest of the planets to the Sun, and therefore, scientists logically believed, it heats up from such a neighborhood more than others. The temperature of Mercury is indeed higher than in the hottest spots of our Earth. At noon, its temperature reaches +350°C, and during the removal of the planet from the Sun, it drops to +280°C. The maximum temperature on Mercury rises to 426°C, and drops to -173°C. Such fluctuations are associated with a slow axial rotation.
At the same time, scientists are still trying to answer the seemingly absurd question of whether there can be ice on Mercury. At first glance, it seems that this cannot be. But when studying the surface of the planet, it turned out that some parts of it reflect radio waves more strongly than others. Moreover, these areas are located only in the polar regions of Mercury. However, it is too early to talk about the presence of ice on the planet, because radio waves also reflect rocks, which include a combination of metals with sulfur.
So, is it Mercury? But studies have disproved this fact.
Venus is the hottest planet
As it turned out in the course of more thorough research, the hottest planet in the solar system is Venus. This golden beauty was observed thousands of years ago, because thanks to its brightness it is clearly visible from the Earth, but only in 2006 began a detailed study using more modern technology. The Venera Express apparatus stayed in the orbit of the planet until 2015, although it was originally sent for only 500 days.
Interesting fact! Only 3 planets have a positive temperature in our solar system - these are Venus, Mercury and Earth. The average temperature of the latter is +15°C. All other planets have sub-zero temperatures. At Neptune (now the last official planet of our solar system), it is -200 ° C.
In honor of the goddess of beauty
Venus is the second planet of the solar system. It was not by chance that she was named after the goddess of love and beauty. The fact is that even in ancient Rome, when people knew only four planets, they noticed the degree of brightness and visibility of Venus. This is what played a role in its name.
For a while, people were convinced that Venus and Earth were twin planets. Indeed, they have a similar mass and volume, but on this, which scientists later proved, the similarity ends. So, there are differences in the atmosphere, rotation speed, surface temperature.
Interesting fact! Venus is a lonely planet, it is devoid of satellites.
In the middle of the 20th century, scientists still held the hope that there could be life on Venus, covered with incredible clouds. But studies have proven otherwise - the conditions on its surface are too harsh for living organisms.
Temperature of Venus
The average temperature of Venus is 462°C. This temperature is enough for the lead to begin to melt. In addition, Venus, unlike Mercury, maintains a high temperature constantly. What is it connected with?
It's all about the atmosphere. The atmosphere of Venus is predominantly carbon dioxide, which makes it very dense. It creates a greenhouse effect vacuum around the planet, which greatly increases the temperature of the hottest planet in the solar system.
When the Sun was less bright than it is today, Venus had liquid water on its surface. However, as the brightness of the Sun increased over a million years, it all dissipated into space. Gradually, the surface temperature increased, carbon dioxide was released from the rocks. Solar radiation was absorbed by the planet. And the result was overheating.
On Venus, the pressure is 92 times higher than on Earth. Even in the USSR, attempts to explore the surface of the planet were very difficult. Only on the 13th attempt was it possible to launch ships to Venus, which made a color photograph of its crust at close range.
Interesting fact! The planet Gliese 436 is almost completely covered in ice, but at the same time its temperature is +300°C! Water does not evaporate only due to the powerful force of gravity, which holds the ice in a solid state.
The hottest planet in the universe
The universe, mysterious and immense, is expanding its boundaries more and more. And at a much faster rate than scientists previously thought. It is likely that dark energy, which dark matter must contain, has begun to increase. However, this is not the only concern of scientists.
In the summer of 2017, an article was published entitled "Hell in reality." A very apt title for an article describing the hottest planet in the universe. Or rather, exoplanets. So called cosmic bodies outside the solar system. There are over 3,000 known exoplanets so far.
And one of them is the hottest planet in the solar system - KELT-9b. It is an exoplanet orbiting the star KELT-9. It is located in the constellation Cygnus, at a distance of 650 light years from our Earth. The planet was discovered in 2014, but for 3 years scientists were in no hurry to publish this news, as they were busy studying a new cosmic body. And this year, most of the information is finally collected.
The famous exoplanet KELT-9b
The discovery of this planet belongs to scientists from Ohio State University. Often modern technology is pushed to the limit to detect a celestial body outside the solar system. This task is made more difficult by the fact that planets are much dimmer than stars.
KELT-9b, like our Moon, is turned to its star by only one side. It makes a complete revolution around it in two Earth days.
What is unique about the planet KELT-9b?
The temperature of KELT-9b is 4600 Kelvin, which is higher than in the outer layers of the Sun. The temperature of the photosphere of our celestial body is 5800 kelvins.
In all likelihood, the side of the planet, turned to the star, is surrounded by rarefied atoms, which, due to the high temperature, cannot combine into molecules. In addition, a hot "tail" stretches behind it, like a comet. And since the molecules break up on one side, then on the other, less hot side, all the heavy metals present in the composition of the surface of KELT-9b are concentrated.
If we were to see KELT-9b from Earth with the naked eye, it would appear slightly dimmer and darker than the Sun. At night, the planet would remind us of a red dwarf (red dwarfs are a type of stars; their number prevails in the universe known to us).
Notably, KELT-9b is a very large exoplanet. Its mass is almost 3 times that of Jupiter, and 13 times that of the Sun. Its volume exceeds that of Jupiter by more than 7 times. At the same time, its density is much lower in comparison with the density of the largest planet in the solar system, since due to high temperature it is in a rarefied state.
a>> The hottest planet in the solar system
The hottest planet in the solar system- Venus. Interesting facts about the planet, its temperature, a description of the surface with a photo and why Mercury heats up less.
The Earth occupies the third position in terms of proximity to the Sun. We are lucky to have an atmosphere and favorable climatic conditions. Of course, in some parts it is quite hot, but there are planets that have to endure just a hell of a situation. What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
It looks like it's Mercury. After all, the planet follows an orbital path with an average distance of 58 million km from the Sun and is considered the first planet in the solar system. But its route is so unusual, and the axial rotation is slow, that the surface warms up to 426°C or freezes to -173°C.
Yes, it can be a little hot here, but Venus will easily snatch victory.
Venus is in second place in terms of distance from the Sun, and is 108 million km away. But its average temperature is 462°C. This is enough for the lead to start the melting process. But the difference from Mercury is that here at any point every day and night a single temperature indicator is saved.
How does she do it? It's all about the atmosphere. On Mercury, it's just a thin layer. But on Venus, it consists of a dense ball of CO 2, which creates a kind of thermal trap.
Let's take a look at the Earth. When you are at sea level, you feel the heaviness of the pressure. But on Venus, it would have increased 92 times! Radiation is absorbed by the planet and a greenhouse effect is formed.
It seems that under such conditions it is impossible to conduct reconnaissance. But the USSR succeeded. The Soviets sent several Venus ships parachuted to the surface. Of course, the first attempts were unsuccessful and the devices immediately broke down.
The 13th attempt was successful and the mechanism stayed on the surface for a full 127 minutes, sending color images of the environment.
So the most hellish conditions are set on Venus and it is considered the hottest planet in the solar system. Not only the position is important, but also a warm blanket of carbon dioxide that does not release heat.
