ALL the COMPONENTS of the SOLAR system and their characteristics

The Solar system is he planetary system formed by a central star, the Sun and all those objects that are held together by gravitational forces. It is about eight planets, dwarf planets, dozens of moons and thousands of asteroids, comets and meteorites. All these elements make up a structure that has its origin in the formation of the Sun. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will see what are the components of the solar system and its main characteristics.

The Solar system it is one of the billions of planetary systems that exist in the universe. A planetary system It is made up of one or more central stars and a series of objects that orbit around them. Is located in the middle of the Milky Way. The Milky Way is a spiral-shaped galaxy and the solar system is located in one of its four arms, the so-called Orion arm. The solar system orbits the center of the galaxy and takes 230 million years to complete one orbit around it.

The components of the solar system

The structure of the solar system is the result of the process of

sun formation. Makes 4.5 million years, a dense gas and dust cloud collapsed, probably due to the supernova generated by the explosion of a nearby star. In the center of the nebula, the gravitational forces, attracted towards the center most of the matter that formed part of the cloud (99%), the concentration of matter was increasing the pressure until it was so great that it caused the thermonuclear reaction that produced the birth of the sun.

The nebula material that was not incorporated into the new star (the Sun), continued to orbit around it, and gave rise to the formation of the planets. In the vicinity of the Sun (inner solar system) only rocky materials could withstand the high temperatures of the Sun, for this reason, the first four planets of the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are terrestrial planets, small in size and with a solid and rocky surface. Other materials such as gases and ice, were thrown towards the outermost areas of the system where they were grouped to form four gaseous planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). The planets of the solar system (except Venus and Mercury) have moons orbiting them. The planets of the solar system and even some of its asteroids maintain more than 150 moons in their orbits.

In addition to the eight planets and their innumerable moons, around the Sun, other objects such as Tiny planets, asteroids and meteorites. Many of them are concentrated in two regions of the solar system: the so-called asteroid belts. The main asteroid belt it is situated between the inner and outer solar systems, that is, between Mars and Jupiter. The second asteroid belt, receives the name Kuiper belt and it is located at the outer limit of the solar system.

We are going to analyze, one by one, each of the components of the solar system so that you can better understand our place in the universe.

Sun: The central star

The Sun is the largest object in the solar system that, as we have already commented, concentrates 99% of the total mass of the planetary system. It is not, but a large star. The Sun is a yellow dwarf, like 10% of the stars in the Milky Way. It is a medium-sized dwarf star, its mass is composed of 74% hydrogen and 24% Helium. The Sun is of the G2-V spectral type, which means that it is a hotter star (5,500ºC on its surface) and brighter than average, with a yellow-white color.

Indoor solar system

It is made up of four terrestrial planets and the main asteroid belt. The inner solar system is the area of ​​the solar system closest to the Sun. In this area are the four terrestrial planets, with a solid surface and, at its outermost limit, beyond the orbit of Mars, the main asteroid belt.

Inner planets

The inner planets are another component of the solar system and consist of theterrestrial planets:

• Mercury: It is the smallest planet and closest to the Sun. Its size is slightly larger than our moon and its surface is full of craters. Its atmosphere is very tenuous and it has no moons.
• Venus: The second closest planet to the Sun is, however, the warmest. This is due to its dense atmosphere, which causes a greenhouse effect, which captures the heat from the Sun. It is a planet that rotates in the opposite direction than most of the planets in the solar system. Slightly smaller than Earth, Venus does not have a moon.
• The earth: Third planet from the Sun. It is the only planet in the solar system with liquid water on its surface, this being an essential condition for the appearance of life. It is the largest of the inner planets, although it is only slightly larger than Venus. It has an atmosphere composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen. It is the only planet in the solar system with a single Moon.
• Mars: The last planet in the inner solar system, its size is smaller than that of Earth. It is one of the most studied celestial bodies in the solar system. Its surface is dynamic with abundant volcanic activity, there are ice caps at its poles. It has stations due to its axis of rotation and two moons (Phobos and Demios). Its atmosphere is very fine.

The main asteroid belt

It is the region of the solar system that concentrates a greater number of asteroids (hundreds of thousands). This area is between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. All of these asteroids could have compacted to form a planet, but the influence of the nearby orbits of Mars and Jupiter prevented this. The size range of the asteroids that make up the belt is highly variable. From the 530 km diameter of the largest (Vesta), to asteroids with diameters less than 10 meters.

The main belt is another element of the solar system and also houses one of the dwarf planets of the solar system: the planet Ceres. The only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.

External solar system

The outer solar system is another of the main components of the solar system and is made up of the four outer planets and the Kuiper belt. It is the area of ​​the solar system furthest from the Sun, between the main asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt, which marks the outer limits of the solar system. Within this area are the four giant planets.

Outer planets

Are the gas giant planets. They are large stars. Large spheres of gas and ice that do not have a defined solid surface. Most of them have rings, an atmosphere, and a significant number of moons orbiting them.

• Jupiter: The gas giant Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is twice that of the sum of the other planets. It has more than 75 moons and a very faint ring system.
• Saturn: The sixth planet in the solar system is also a gas giant. It is characterized by its spectacular ring system made up of ice particles. Its atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. It is more than 9 times larger than Earth. It has a total of 82 moons.
• Uranus: This planet has the peculiarity that it rotates on its side, with the axis of rotation at its equator. It is the seventh planet in the solar system; an icy giant four times the size of the earth. It is made up of a fluid mixture of frozen water, ammonia, and methane. It also has a ring system made up of thirteen rings. It has a total of 27 known moons.
• Neptune: It is the farthest planet from the sun. Similar in size and composition to Uranus, it is a dark, cold planet whipped by supersonic winds. It has a very faint ring system and a total of 14 known moons.

The Kuiper Belt: The Outer Limit of the Solar System

The kuiper belt It is the area of ​​the solar system that is beyond Neptune and that concentrates millions of celestial bodies (comets and asteroids) that did not agglomerate to form a planet due to the influence of the gravitational field of Neptune. The largest objects in the Kuiper belt are the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris.