The 8 planets of the solar system and their characteristics

Understanding what the universe is represents a great challenge for human beings. The human mind is not prepared to represent what happens on an astronomical scale. However, the best known portion of the universe is our solar system, which is where planet Earth is located.

The solar system emerged after a gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud. As a result of this, millions of celestial bodies were formed, and among them stars, planets, asteroids, etc. However, it is about the planets of the solar system and their characteristics that is discussed in this article.

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The 8 planets of the solar system (and their characteristics)

The solar system belongs to the Milky Way, and is in one of his arms called Orion. The solar system is made up of the Sun, the 8 planets that orbit it and other celestial bodies of different types.

For example, between the planets Jupiter and Mars there is an asteroid belt. There are icy, liquid and gaseous materials there, as well as comets and cosmic powders. Below is explained everything there is to know about the planets that make up the solar system has its own characteristics.

1. Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and it is the smallest of the 8 that surround the sun. Its composition is 70% metallic elements and 30% silicates, and it is a planet that receives a large number of meteorite impacts. It receives six times more solar radiation than our planet receives.

Mercury has no atmosphere, so the craters formed by meteorites have remained intact for millions of years. Its orbit has a peculiarity in relation to that of the rest of the planets, and that is that the orbit of Mercury is more inclined with respect to the plane of the ecliptic of the others.

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2. Venus

Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun, and by its size and composition it is similar to the Earth. The fact is that its surface is also rocky, and due to its proximity to our planet, it is sometimes possible to see it at night as a very bright star.

Unlike Earth, however, its atmosphere is very dense and the temperature reaches 460º. The Sun can pass through and heat the surface, but heat cannot escape from there. It has very high mountains, and it is believed that at one time there was water on this planet.

3. Land

Planet Earth is the one that contains the largest amount of water in the entire solar system, and its diameter is 12,756 km. Because 71% of its surface has water, it is the only planet where human life has arisen. Its atmosphere, unlike other planets in the solar system, has very little carbon dioxide.

Its terrestrial layer is divided by tectonic plates. In addition, the Earth has a natural satellite that is the Moon. Its size is less than a third of the width of the earth. It has a very low force of gravity and, although it illuminates, it does not have any type of light and on its surface the temperatures are very cold.

4. Mars

Mars is commonly called the "red planet". It is the second smallest planet, only after Mercury, and its size is 6,794 km. It is known as the "red planet" because it acquires a reddish hue as a result of the high amounts of iron oxide on most of its surface.

For many years it was believed that Mars could be a habitable planet for human life, but now it is known that this is not possible. Among other reasons, its gravity is 40% less than that of Earth. Its surface is very similar to that of the Moon and there are constantly huge dust storms.

5. Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It measures 142,984 km, making it 1,300 times larger than Earth. It is made up mainly of hydrogen and ice. It is also known to be the oldest planet in the system, even older than the sun. It has a very powerful gravitational force that even manages to move comets away from their orbits.

Jupiter has about 16 satellites, and Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are the largest. They are known as the Galilean satellites because it was Galileo Galilei who discovered them. The temperatures recorded on this planet make any type of life impossible, as it reaches 123º C below zero.

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6. Saturn

Saturn is the second largest planet. Its size is 108,728 km and it has its characteristic rings that surround it and that provide it with a lot of shine. Its atmosphere is made up of 96% hydrogen and the remaining 3% is ice.

Saturn is also the planet in the solar system with the most satellites. It has 23 in total, and the largest is the Titan. Another feature of Saturn is its beautiful rings that can be seen through a telescope. They are made up of millions of dust particles and covered with ice.

7. Uranus

Uranus was the first planet seen through a telescope. This planet measures 51,118 km and is characterized because its axis of rotation is on the plane of its orbit around the Sun. Until a few years ago it was thought that Uranus had only 5 satellites, however it is now known that there are at least 15 in total.

Uranus has the lowest temperatures in the entire solar system, reaching up to -224º Celsius. It is made up of half water, one quarter methane, and one quarter of rocky and metallic material.

8. Neptune

Neptune is the planet in the solar system furthest from the Sun, and has a size of 49,532 kms. It is composed of molten rock, water, methane, hydrogen, ice, and liquid ammonia, and is characterized by its intense blue color. It was discovered in 1846, although Galileo Galilei is believed to have observed it before with his telescope.

It has 8 satellites, and the most representative are Nereida and Triton. This planet also has rings just like Saturn. They are not as dense or showy, although some parts are brighter than others. It is the planet least explored by humans, and in fact it was the last to be visited by an interplanetary probe.

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Bibliographic references

• Wetherill, G.W. (1980). Formation of the Terrestrial Planets. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 18 (1), 77-113.