Around the Sun star, as well as around trillions and trillions of other, large and small stars of the visible Universe, planets and smaller celestial bodies rotate under the influence of their gravity. The latter include satellites of planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteorites, gas and cosmic dust. But, since the ratio of the sizes of the planets of the solar system and other celestial bodies is incomparable, and the lion’s share of the mass of the material surrounding the star is 8 planets, then we will only talk about them.
List of planets in the solar system
In order of distance from the star, the planets are arranged as follows:
- Mercury;
- Venus;
- Earth;
- Mars;
- Jupiter;
- Saturn;
- Uranium;
- Neptune.
More recently, the last, if we take into account the distance from the Sun and the size of the planets of the solar system, was Pluto, but in 2006 it was demoted from the planets, since several even more massive bodies were found further than it.
Stone planets (inner planets, terrestrial planets)
These include the four closest planets to the Sun:
- Mercury;
- Venus;
- Earth;
- Mars.
But if we take the comparative sizes of the planets of the solar system, then they should be listed as follows: Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth. They are called inner because they are located inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which conditionally divides the solar system into inner and outer. They are called stone because they mainly consist of silicates, minerals and metals, have few satellites or do not have at all, like rings. They have an atmosphere, except for Pluto, which was blown away by powerful solar winds. The solid surface of rocky planets has a stable topography with volcanoes, rift depressions and impact craters.
Giant planets (outer planets)
Beyond the inner asteroid belt are the gas giants:
- Jupiter;
- Saturn;
- Uranium;
- Neptune.
But if you build them, taking into account the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order, you get the following series: Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter. They consist of the lightest hydrogen and helium, but at the same time they contain 99% of the mass of the entire solar system (except the Sun).
Comparative sizes of the planets of the solar system
And here is what the diameters look like in kilometers – the sizes of the planets of the solar system in order (in parentheses, the distance from the Sun in millions of kilometers):
- Mercury – 4900 (58);
- Mars – 6800 (228);
- Venus – 12150 (108);
- Earth – 12750 (150);
- Neptune – 49500 (4500);
- Uranium – 51100 (2900);
- Saturn – 120700 (1400);
- Jupiter – 142800 (778).
Video about the size of the planets of the solar system in ascending order
Mercury
This is the closest planet from the Sun, besides, it is the smallest, which weighs almost 20 times less than the Earth, and is almost as dense as terrestrial rocks. This indicates that there are many metals in the bowels of Mercury. This planet has no satellites, and its year is equal to 88 Earth days.
Mars
Mars is much smaller than Venus and nearly 10 times lighter than Earth. Iron oxides color the surface of the planet in a reddish color, hence its second name "Red Planet". Mars has a very rarefied atmosphere, mainly composed of carbon dioxide, the pressure at the surface of the atmosphere is 160 times less than on Earth. Depending on the location in their orbits, the distance between Mars and the Earth varies from 56 to 401 million kilometers. The climate here also has seasons, and the average temperature is minus 50 degrees.
Venus
The next planet from the Sun, Venus, revolves around the star in 225 days. It is in many ways similar to the Earth, its mass is 80% of the Earth’s. It has the same iron core, a thick silicate crust, and the atmosphere is much more powerful than the earth’s (pressure at the surface is 92 atm.). For an earthly observer, after the Sun and Moon, Venus is the third brightest celestial object. Venus has no satellites and is a very hot planet (almost 500 degrees).
Earth
It is unique in the presence of a hydrosphere, and the presence of life has led to the saturation of its atmosphere with oxygen. The Moon is the only satellite of the Earth.
Neptune
Although Neptune is smaller than Uranus, it is heavier than it, 17 times the mass of the Earth. Recently, it has become the most distant planet from the Sun. It was the only and first of the planets found on the basis of mathematical calculations, and not astronomical observations. It has 14 satellites, one of which, Triton, is the only one that rotates in the opposite direction.
Uranium
If we compare the size of the planets of the solar system located in its outer ring, then Uranus will be the lightest, which is only 14 times heavier than our monastery. This planet was discovered only in 1781, which is somewhat surprising. After all, Uranus can be seen in the sky with the naked eye, however, for many centuries people did not realize that this is not a star, but also a planet, since it moves very slowly, and its brilliance is very dim. The basis of this gas planet is also hydrogen and helium, the presence of ammonia ice and traces of methane have also been noticed. Uranus has the coldest atmosphere (minus 224 degrees), has a magnetosphere, 27 satellites and its own ring system.
Saturn
This giant is famous for its rings. These are very thin concentric disks of ice and dust that orbit the planet’s equatorial plane. The atmosphere and magnetosphere of Saturn as a whole resembles that of Jupiter, and the mass of the planet is 60% of the mass of its older brother. In terms of satellites, Saturn is also only slightly inferior to Jupiter – there are 62 of them. The largest of them is Titan, which is larger than the most modest planet Mercury. It is the only satellite in the solar system that has a dense atmosphere.
Jupiter
This gas giant weighs 2.5 times more than all other planets combined. Its composition is almost the same as that of the Sun – mainly hydrogen and helium, and its magnetic field is second only to that of the sun. Naturally, there is no need to dream of the existence of life understandable to us on the planet, devoid of water and a solid surface. Jupiter has 67 known moons.