The solar system It is immense in size, and we couldn't explore its entire surface in our lifetime. Not only is there one solar system in the universe, but there are millions of galaxies like ours. The solar system belongs to the Milky Way galaxy. It is made up of the Sun and nine planets with their respective satellites. A few years ago, it was decided that Pluto was not considered a planet because it didn't meet the definition of a planet.
Do you want to know the solar system in depth? In this post we are going to talk about its characteristics, what it is made of and what its dynamics are. If you want to learn about it, keep reading
Composition of the solar system
As an Pluto is no longer considered a planetThe solar system is composed of the Sun, eight planets, one planetoid, and their satellites. Not only are these bodies present, but there are also asteroids, comets, meteorites, interplanetary dust, and gas. To better understand the relationship between the components of the solar system and its formation, you can read about How did the solar system form.
Until 1980 it was thought that our solar system was the only one in existence. However, some stars could be found relatively close and surrounded by an envelope of orbiting material. This material has an indeterminate size and is accompanied by other celestial objects such as brown or brown dwarfs. With this, scientists think that there must be numerous solar systems in the universe similar to ours.
In recent years, numerous studies and investigations have led to the discovery of some planets orbiting a type of Sun. These planets have been discovered indirectly. That is, in the midst of an investigation, the planets have been found and diagnosed. The deductions suggest that none of the planets found can harbor intelligent life. These planets, found far from our solar system, are called exoplanets.
Our solar system is located on the outskirts of the Milky Way. This galaxy is made up of many arms and we are in one of them. The arm where we are is called the Arm of Orion. The center of the Milky Way is about 30.000 light years away. Scientists suspect that the center of the galaxy is made up of a giant supermassive black hole. It is called Sagittarius A.
Planets of the solar system
Planetary bodies vary greatly in size. Jupiter alone contains more than twice the amount of matter as all the other planets combined. Our solar system emerged from the attraction of the elements in a cloud containing all the chemical elements we know from the periodic table. The attraction was so strong that it eventually collapsed, and all the materials expanded. Hydrogen atoms fused into helium atoms through nuclear fusion. This is how the Sun formed.
Currently, we have eight planets and the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Planets are divided into two types: the interior or terrestrial and the exterior or Jovian. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Earth are terrestrial. They are the closest to the Sun and are solid. On the other hand, the rest are considered planets farther from the Sun and are considered "Gaseous Giants".
Regarding the planets' orbits, it can be said that they rotate in the same plane. However, dwarf planets rotate at significant angles of inclination. The plane in which our planet and the rest of the planets orbit is called the ecliptic plane. Furthermore, all planets rotate in the same direction around the Sun. Comets, like Halley's, rotate in the opposite direction. If you are interested in more information about the planets and their characteristics, you can visit the colors of the planets of the solar system.
We can know what they are like thanks to space telescopes, like Hubble:
Natural satellites and dwarf planets
The planets of the solar system have satellites like our planet. They are called "moons" to better represent them. The planets that have natural satellites are: Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Mercury and Venus do not have natural satellites.
There are numerous dwarf planets that are smaller in size. Are Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake and HaumeaThis may be the first time you've heard of them, since these planets aren't included in high school curriculum. In schools, they focus on studying the predominant solar system. That is, all the most representative elements. The smaller planets required new technologies and digital cameras to be discovered. If you'd like to learn more about how many moons the planets in the solar system have and their importance, you can read more about the moons of the planets in the solar system. how many moons do the planets have.
Main regions
The solar system is divided into different regions where the planets are located. We find the region of the Sun, that of the Asteroid Belt located between Mars and Jupiter (containing the majority of asteroids in the entire solar system). We also have the Kuiper Belt and the Scattered Disc. All objects beyond Neptune are completely frozen due to their low temperatures. Finally, we find the oort cloud, which is a fundamental part of the study of the solar system, is a hypothetical spherical cloud of comets and asteroids located at the edge of the solar system.
From the beginning, astronomers have divided the solar system into three parts:
- The first is an inner zone where the rocky planets are found.
- Then we have an outdoor area that houses all the gas giants.
- Finally, the objects that are beyond Neptune and that are frozen.
Solar wind
On many occasions you have heard about the possible electronic errors that can be caused by the solar wind. It is a river of particles that are leaving the Sun continuously and at high speed. Its composition is of electrons and protons and covers the entire solar system. As a result of this activity, a bubble-shaped cloud forms that covers everything in its path. It has been called the heliosphere. The zone beyond the heliosphere is called the heliopause, since there is no solar wind. This zone is 100 astronomical units away. To give you an idea, one astronomical unit is the distance from Earth to the Sun. If you'd like to learn more about how the solar wind can affect climate and other aspects, you can check out What would happen if a solar storm hit the Earth?.
As you can see, our solar system is home to many planets and objects that are part of the universe. We are just a small speck of sand in the middle of a huge desert.
