The Solar System

Planetary System

A Planetary System is a gravitationally bounded system of objects orbiting a star or a star system. It has a star or a star system with planets(s). It may or may not contain celestial bodies like dwarf planets, satellites around planets, asteroids, comets, or meteorites. Our Solar System is one of the identified or yet to be identified planetary systems. 

Our Solar System

The gravitationally confined system of 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 200+ moons, 1 million+ asteroids, 3700+ comets,, and a billion meteorites orbiting around a single star, known to us the Sun, is collectively named as our Solar System. It is located in the Local Interstellar Cloud, in the Local Bubble of the Orion-Cygnus Arm in the Milky Way Galaxy. It was formed around 4.6 billion years ago by the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud, possibly due to the shockwave of one or more supernovas. The gravitational force and the high pressure in the interstellar medium force to bind hydrogen into helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy and slowly forming the star, known to us as the Sun. 

The Sun

The sun is a yellow dwarf star. It is a hot ball of plasma heated up to such high temperatures, due to nuclear reactions happening in its core, so that its energy is radiated in the form of electromagnetic waves. It is the heart of the Solar System comprising almost 99.8% mass of the same. The Sun is almost 29,000 light-years away from the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy revoluting around the core at a speed of around 220km/s. The Sun is divided into many parts by the scientists like Center, Photosphere, Radiative Zone, Convection Zone, Transition Region, Corona.

Mercury

Mercury is a terrestrial planet, i.e, made up of rocks. It is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest one to the Sun. It is the second densest inner planet with a metallic core. The quite thin atmosphere of the planet is made up of oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, helium, and potassium. Mercury is quite high at its temperature, being so close to the Sun. The temperature of the planet in its day may reach up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit to -290 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Surprisingly, the one day on Mercury is approximately equal to 176 Earth days but one year on the planet is equal to 88 Earth days, that implies the planet with a scarred surface by many impact craters, completes its revolution around the Sun quite earlier than it completes one rotation on its axis. 

Venus

The second nearest planet to the Sun and sometimes called the twin of Earth due to similar size, mass, and bulk composition, Venus is the second brightest thing in the night sky after the Moon. It is a terrestrial planet consisting of more than 96% carbon dioxide. The beautiful planet completes its one revolution around the Sun in an almost circular orbit in 224.7 Earth days while completes its one rotation over its axis in 243 Earth days which is the longest period among any other planet. The planet rotates east to west, meaning that the Sun rises from the west and sets in the east over Venus. Venus, despite being the second nearest to the Sun, is the hottest planet in the Solar System due to the presence of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. 

Earth

Earth is the fifth largest planet in the Solar System with being the densest of all the inner terrestrial planets. It is the only, yet known, place in the universe where life exists. The nitrogen and the oxygen-dominated atmosphere are quite different from the atmosphere of other planets. The planet completes its rotation over its axis in 23.9 hours, the time period is known as a day; and the revolution around the Sun in 365.5 days, the time period is known as a year. The planet has a natural satellite, known to us as Moon.  

Mars

Mars is the second smallest planet in the Solar System, also known as the 'Red Planet' due to its reddish appearance because of the presence of Iron Oxide over its surface. The planet completes its one rotation every 24.6 hours and one revolution in almost 687 Earth days. The iron, nickel, and sulphur composed of the dense core of the planet has a thin atmosphere whose temperature may rise up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit but may go down up to -225 degrees Fahrenheit. It has two natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos. 

Jupiter

The largest planet in the Solar System, filled with gas and has a mass equal to 2.5 times the mass of all the planets combined together. Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium but it has a rocky core made up of heavy elements. The planet does not have a well-defined solid surface. It is famous for its iconic Great Red Spot, a giant thunderstorm, much bigger than Earth itself. Jupiter's rings are quite faint and made up of dust only. It has 79 moons. Some of them are Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Io.

Saturn

The second-largest planet in our Solar System adorned with a ravishing ring system made up of ice and dust is Saturn. It is mainly made up of hydrogen and helium and is 95 times more massive than Earth. The yellow pale colour of the beautiful planet is due to the presence of ammonia in its upper atmosphere. The large planet gravitationally holds about 82 moons, with a few of them having life potentials like Titan and Enceladus. The planet completes its one rotation on its axis in 10.7 hours and one revolution in about 29 Earth years. 

Uranus 

The first planet found using a telescope, Uranus is known as a sideways planet because it rotates on its side. The planet is inclined at an angle of 90 degrees. Just like Venus, the Sun on Uranus also rises from the west and sets in the east. It is an ice giant and is the fourth largest in the Solar System. Although it is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium, it has icy water, ammonia, and methane which categorize the planet into an 'ice giant'. It is a ringed planet with 27 moons orbiting it. The planet takes 17 hours to rotate on its axis and 84 Earth years to orbit around the Sun. 

Neptune

The beautiful blue planet was first discovered in Mathematics, and centuries later in reality. It is the farthest known planet from the Sun and the third-largest in the Solar System. The blue colour of the planet is due to the presence of methane in its atmosphere which absorbs red light and reflects blue. It takes 165 Earth years to complete one revolution around the Sun and 16 hours to rotate on its axis. It has beautiful faint rings and 14 moons.

Pluto 

With a heart-shaped glacier, blue skies, and red-coloured snow, Pluto is a bit smaller than the moon of Earth, hence is classified as a dwarf planet after the 2006 International Astronomical's Union criteria. A day on Pluto is approximately 6 Earth days long and a year on the planet is almost equalled to 248 Earth years. It has a thin atmosphere, made up of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. 

Ceres 

Although being a member of the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is so much bigger to be classified as an asteroid. It takes 4.6 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. Its axis of rotation is tilted 4 degrees to the plane of orbit around the Sun, because of which, it does not experience any seasons. 

Haumea

Haumea is located in the Kuiper's belt, which is just after the Neptune. The dwarf planet has two moons orbiting it and it requires about 285 Earth years to complete its one revolution around the Sun. Scientists believe that the dwarf planet is made up of rock with a coating of ice over it. It has rings and a very cold temperature. Its atmosphere and magnetosphere are yet to be discovered by scientists. 

Eris 

Eris is the biggest dwarf planet known and is also quite far from the Sun. It takes 557 Earth years to complete one revolution around the Sun and 25.9 hours to rotate on its own axis. It has a rocky surface and its temperature may go down to -405 degrees Fahrenheit. The dwarf planet also has a moon orbiting it. 

MakeMake

Discovered in 2005, MakeMake is the second brightest celestial body in the Kuiper Belt. It takes 305 Earth years to complete it's one year and 22.5 hours to complete its one day. The dwarf planet has a thin atmosphere made up of nitrogen and it has one moon. 

Planet X - The Hypothetical Planet

Researchers have found mathematical evidence stating that a Neptune-sized planet orbits around the Sun far away from Pluto. It may take 10,000 to 20,000 Earth years to complete its one revolution around the Sun. Although, no proof of such a planet is found yet. 

Asteroids

Asteroids are the minor planets or the rocky remnants left after the early formation of the Solar System. Currently, there are 10,83,162 uniquely identified asteroids. They are classified as C-type, S-type, and M-type. C-type asteroids are made up of clay and silicate rocks. S-type asteroids are made up of silicate materials and nickel-iron. M-type asteroids are metallic in nature. Asteroids are mainly found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Trojans are the asteroids that share their orbit with a larger planet but do not collide with them. Also, there are near-Earth asteroids that actually cross Earth's orbital path. 

Comets

Comets are the celestial bodies composed of dust, rock and ice which heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head as they come closer to the Sun while orbiting the yellow dwarf. The glowing head of a comet can be larger than a planet itself and the tail can stretch up to millions of miles. There are 3723 uniquely identified comets yet. 

Meteorites and Meteors

Meteorites are the smaller versions of asteroids. These are known as space rocks. When a meteorite enters a planet's atmosphere and burns up, it is known as a Meteor. Hence, meteors are known as 'Shooting Stars'. 

Kuiper Belt

Quite a lot similar to the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, a thick disk of icy remnants from the Solar System's early history are together called as Kuiper Belt. The belt starts after the planet Neptune and hence its celestial objects are also known as Trans-Neptunian Objects. It is the home place of many dwarf planets and the source of short-period comets. 

Oort Cloud

The Oort cloud is a spherical shell surrounding the Solar System after the Kuiper Belt. It is a big, thick-walled, bubble-shaped cloud consisting of ice debris and icy mountains. The Oort Cloud may contain billion to trillions of celestial bodies. 

Rest is left for the upcoming articles where you will get a complete knowledge of the above discussed. Till then, STAY CONNECTED.