Solar System
Facts about the Sun and Planets
Sun
- The only star in our solar system and powerhouse of the solar system.
- Composed of Hydrogen (73%), Helium (25%) gases and other metals. Sun carries almost 99% of the mass of our solar system.
- Approximately 15 crore Kilometres further away from Earth. It takes around 8 minutes 30 seconds for light at the speed of 3 lakh Km/sec to reach the earth.
- The temperature at surface= 5800 K or 5600 degree Celsius.
- The temperature at the centre= 15.7 million K
Planets
- Mercury
- The closest planet to the Sun and a very hot planet.
- The smallest planet in the solar system with a diameter of 4900 Km.
- Fastest Planet with the speed of 172500 Km per hour to complete revolution around Sun in 88 days.
- The planet with no water and gases like Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.
- Venus
- The hottest planet in the solar system with the surface temperature of 478 degree Celsius.
- Also known as “Earth’s Twin”. It is because of the similarity in size and mass between Venus and Earth.
- One of the two planets in the solar system which rotate around the axis in a Clockwise direction.
- Brightest Star in the Solar system. It can be seen in the morning and evening with open eyes. So known as “Evening Star” and “Morning Star”.
- Earth
- The only Planet to support life with a pleasant atmosphere.
- Also known as “Blue Planet” because of the presence of water on it.
- It has one natural satellite named “Moon”.
- Mars
- Known as “Red Planet” because of Iron-rich red soil.
- The second smallest planet in the solar system after Mercury.
- Has two natural moons “Phobos” and “Deimos”.
- Has a thin atmosphere and surface with valleys, craters, deserts and ice caps etc.
- “Olympus Mons” – Largest volcano and the tallest mountain in the solar system lies on Mars.
- Jupiter
- The largest planet of the solar system with the shortest rotation
- Has an atmosphere filled with Hydrogen, Helium and other gases
- The third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus.
- Great Red Spot, a giant storm in the solar system exists on this planet.
- Has at least 69 moons, including 4 large Galilean Moons “Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto” which were discovered by Galileo. “Ganymede” is the largest among them.
- It has an unclear ring around it.
- Saturn
- The second-largest planet in the solar system and a gas giant.
- Has bright and concentric rings around it which are made up of tiny rocks and pieces of Ice.
- Saturn can float on water because it has less density than water.
- Has at least 62 moons and Titan is the largest among them.
- Uranus
- Has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar system.
- Greenish in colour.
- Discovered by William Herschel in 1781.
- Known as “Ice Giant”. The atmosphere of Uranus is composed of Hydrogen and Helium primarily, but it also contains more water, ammonia etc.
- Has the coldest planetary atmosphere in the solar system.
- Rotates clockwise on its axis like Venus but unlike other planets
- Has at least 25 moons. Famous moons- Miranda, Ariel and Umbriel
- Neptune
- The farthest planet from the Sun.
- It is also “Ice Giant”. Atmosphere primarily composed of Hydrogen and Helium.
- Bluish in colour because of Methane.
- The fourth-largest planet and the third most- massive planet in the solar system
- Discovered by Johann Galle and Urbain Le Verrier in 1846. The only planet in the solar system found by Mathematical Predictions.
- Has known 14 satellites. Famous moon – Triton
Other
Pluto
- As per the new definition of Planets determined by International Astronomical Union (IAU), Pluto has been omitted from the list of planets in 2006.
- Pluto is considered as a dwarf planet (size between planets and asteroids) now and it is a member of Kuiper Belt.
Kuiper Belt
- It is a spherical boundary outside the orbit of Neptune containing a number of asteroids, rocks, and comets.
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