The Solar system

Innholdsfortegnelse
What does the solar system consists of?
The terrestrial planets
The Jovian planets
Space history
The Sun
Mercury
Earth
Saturn
Mars
Uranus
Venus
Neptune

Utdrag
Our cosmic neighborhood is centered around a magnificent star known as the sun. Orbiting this star are a group of planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

The sun serves as the primary source of electromagnetic energy in our solar system. In terms of proximity, the closest star to our sun is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, which is situated at a distance of four and a half light years away.

The entirety of our solar system, including the constellations that can be observed on clear nights, constitutes our home in the Milky Way galaxy.

This galaxy is a spiral expanse of roughly 200 billion stars. Not far from our galaxy are two smaller ones, visible from the southern hemisphere, known as the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud.

The nearest large galaxy to our own is Andromeda Galaxy. It is a spiral galaxy akin to the Milky Way, but approximately four times larger and located two million light years away.

What does the solar system consists of?
Our solar system is dominated by the Sun, which holds a staggering 99.85% of all material within its confines.

The remaining 0.135% is dispersed among the planets, with Jupiter alone boasting more material than all of the other planets combined.

The final 0.015% is comprised of smaller celestial bodies such as satellites of the planets, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids.

This material distribution is illustrated in the configuration of our solar system.

SUN: 99.85%

PLANETS: 0.135%

COMETS: 0.01%

SATELLITES: 0.00005%

METEOROIDS: 0.00002%

The terrestrial planets
The four inner planets of our solar system - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars - are commonly referred to as the terrestrial planets due to their similarity to Earth's rocky, dense surface.

These planets possess a solid surface and are distinct from the outer gas giants, which are mostly composed of gas and ice.

While Venus, Earth, and Mars all have atmospheres, Mercury stands out as an exception, with no atmosphere to speak of.

Despite their shared characteristics, each of these terrestrial planets has unique qualities that make them fascinating objects of study in the field of astronomy.

The Jovian planets
The Jovian planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - derive their name from the Latin word "Jovis," which refers to the planet Jupiter.

These four planets are significantly larger than Earth and are often called the "Gas Giants" due to their predominantly gaseous composition.

While they share many characteristics, each of the Jovian planets is unique in its own right.

Their vast size and gaseous nature endow them with distinctive qualities that have captured the attention of astronomers for centuries.

In summary, the Jovian planets are a fascinating group of celestial objects that bear a striking resemblance to Jupiter in both size and sparkle, and are integral to our understanding of the solar system.