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.