The Solar system
The Sun
The Sun is the one and
only star present in the solar system. It is yellow main sequence G type dwarf
star. It is very much active with many solar flares per year. It pulls whole
solar system towards it with a gravitational acceleration of 274.9 ms-2.
The most of the mass of solar system is in Sun.
The Planets
Inner Planets
Mercury
Mercury is the closest
planet to the sun. It is also the smallest of the planets. It is a rocky planet
with many craters on it. It was bigger and hotter in ancient times. But much of
its crust vaporized. Mercury has virtually no atmosphere. Its temperature rises
and falls from 370 C to -170 C. Its orbital period around the sun is 88 Earth
days. It is partially tidally locked planet. Its rotational period is 58 Earth
days.
Venus
Venus is the evil twin of
the Earth. It is the second closest planet to sun. It is a rocky planet with a
thick atmosphere. In ancient times, Venus used to be a cooler planet with a
normalized atmosphere. Its atmosphere comprises of CO2, CO, N2
and ammonia. Carbon dioxide in its atmosphere forms a greenhouse effect making
Venus hotter than a microwave oven. A day of Venus is longer than its year. Its
takes 224 Earth days. It is tidally locked to sun. It rotates in an anticlockwise
direction and takes 243 Earth days.
Earth
Earth is the only planet
in the solar system or in the universe to harbor life. It is the third planet
from sun to solar system. In very ancient times, Earth had every range of
climates. From the longest and coldest Ice Age, Snowball Earth,
that spanned over time period that is 75 times greater than whole life span of
human race, to Pre Cambrian extinction event that raised the temperature of
Earth hotter than Venus. Earth’s atmosphere is just right for life to form but
this composition is being disturbed due to pollution. Earth’s atmosphere has
oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other inert gases. One year of Earth is
365.25 Earth days. One day is of 23.96 hours. Earth has only one satellite
“Moon”.
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet
from sun. It’s the most likely place to find life other than Earth. Mars used
to be much like Earth in the far past but because of Solar Winds and quickly
cooling core gave Mars its present form. Mars’ atmosphere is composed of CO2,
N2, and Ammonia. Its takes double time period to complete its orbit
around the sun than Earth. It takes 689 Earth days to complete its orbit. It
takes 24.5 hours to complete its rotation. It has two satellites, Deimos and
Phobos.
Asteroid Belt
Asteroid belt is the belt
of the minor planets and the asteroids, it has many icy worlds. The largest of
the asteroids is Apophis.
Outer Planets
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar
system. It is a gas giant. Jupiter has no solid surface. Jupiter in the past
was a lot smaller, but it grew in size rapidly. Jupiter has a dense atmosphere,
constituting hydrogen, helium, ammonium hydrosulfide and ammonia gases. Jupiter
is very far away from sun. Its surface temperature is -210 C. Jupiter takes at
least 8 Earth years to complete its revolution once. It rotates the fastest
among the planets, 10 Earth hours to complete its rotation once. Jupiter has 79
confirmed satellites. Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system,
larger than Mercury.
Saturn
Saturn is the second gas giant and second
largest planet in the Solar System. It boasts an impressive ring system. Its
rings are even and old. Saturn was smaller as compared to now. It has a
relatively calmer atmosphere as compared to Jupiter. Its atmosphere has large
quantities of hydrogen and helium. Atmospheric temperature of Saturn is -210 C.
Saturn takes 29 Earth years to complete its one revolution. It takes 11 hours to
complete its rotation. Saturn has at least 62 satellites. Titan is the largest
moon of Saturn. Saturn is the least dense planet in the solar system, it is so
light that it would float on water.
Uranus
Uranus is the weirdest planet in the solar
system. It rotates at an unusual angle of 98.8. Making it look like a rolling
ball when revolving. Experts believe it was hit with an object twice the size
of Earth. It used to be farthest planet from the sun, and much closer to sun.
Gravitational resonance of Saturn and Jupiter propelled Uranus, Neptune, Kuiper
Belt and Oort cloud farther out in solar system. Uranus takes 84 Earth years to
complete its year. It takes 0.7 days to complete its rotation. It has 25
satellites. The largest is Ariel.
Neptune
Neptune is an ice giant. Its composition is
hydrogen, helium, ices, and other hydrocarbons. Neptune was closer to sun than
before, gravitational resonance of both gas giants propelled it farther. Its
gravity has given Pluto a stable orbit. It takes 164 years to complete its
orbit. It takes 16 hours to rotate fully. Its largest satellite is Triton among
27 satellites.
Kuiper Belt
Kuiper belt is ring of debris of ancient
planets, satellites and other objects. It would take 25 years to reach Kuiper
belt from Earth at speed of Earth’s revolution. Pluto is the largest object of
Kuiper Belt.
Oort Cloud
Oort cloud is the farthest area in solar
system. It is where long orbit comets originate. It takes 21000 years to reach
Oort cloud at speed of Earth.
