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Solar System
The solar system is made up of the Sun and other heavenly bodies. All the planets orbit the sun, which is situated in the centre. Our solar system has eight planets as well as numerous asteroids, comets, and meteors. The planet’s rotation around the sun is maintained by the gravitational attraction between the sun and the other celestial bodies.
Planets are celestial bodies like stars, but unlike stars, they cannot generate their own light, hence the sun is required to illuminate them. There are eight planets in the solar system. The planets are arranged in increasing order from the Sun’s distance as follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Solar System Diagram
Here is the Solar System Diagram for a better understanding of the arrangement of the Planets in our Solar System.
The Sun
It is the nearest star to us. It is the main source of light and heat output. Additionally, it illuminates every planet that revolves around it. As the earth rotates from west to east, it appears to rise in the east and set in the west.
Solar System Planets
The Planets Although planets resemble stars in appearance, they lack the stars’ own brightness. They are constantly shifting their locations in relation to the stars. An orbit is a path in which a planet travels around the sun. The period of revolution is the length of time it takes for a planet to complete one revolution. It gets bigger as the planet gets farther from the Sun.
The planets not only revolve but also spin on their axes. The period of rotation is the length of time it takes a planet to complete one rotation. There are known moons and satellites that orbit some planets. A celestial body’s satellite is any celestial body that orbits another celestial body. Typically, the word “satellite” refers to objects that orbit planets. For instance, the moon is an Earth satellite. There are also artificial satellites revolving around the Earth. These are called artificial satellites.
Solar System Planet Groups
Planets can be divided into two groups i.e., Inner Planets and Outer Planets.
Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the first four planets that make up the inner planets. Compared to the other four planets, these are significantly closer to the Sun. These just have a few moons.
Outer Planets: The term “outer planets” refers to the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune that are not in Mars’ orbit. Compared to the inner planets, these are significantly further away. Their moons are numerous.
Our Solar System
Our solar system is made up of our star, the Sun, and everything gravitationally connected to it, including the moons, asteroids, comets, and millions of asteroids, comets, and asteroids, as well as the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury
The planet that is closest to the Sun is Mercury. It is also our solar system’s smallest planet. Due to the sun’s intense glare, its close proximity to the sun renders it largely undetectable. However, we can see it near the horizon shortly before sunrise or immediately after sunset. The planet Mercury has no satellites.
Venus
Venus is the planet that is closest to Earth, and it is also the one that shines the brightest. Because it can be seen in the morning, just before sunrise, and in the evening, just after sunset, it is also known as the morning and evening star. There are none owned by it. It spins from East to West as opposed to the Earth’s rotation from West to East. Like the moon, it has different phases of appearance.
Earth
The only planet where life is known to exist is the Earth. The continued survival of life on Earth is a result of some unique environmental factors, such as the planet’s distance from the Sun, its moderate temperature range, the availability of water, an atmosphere that is favourable for life, and an ozone layer.90% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, which reflects sunlight and gives the planet a blue-green appearance from space. The moon is the only satellite of the Earth. The earth’s bending at both poles is what causes the seasons to vary.
Mars
Mars was the first planet discovered outside the Earth’s orbit. Due to its reddish colour, it is also known as the “Red Planet.” Two tiny natural satellites are owned by it. On November 5, 2013, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched Mangalyaan, the country’s first Mars orbiter mission. On September 24, 2014, it was successfully positioned into the orbit of Mars. With this, India succeeded in doing so on its first try, making it the first nation to ever do so.
Jupiter
It is the largest planet in the solar system. It is so large that about 1300 Earths can be placed inside this giant planet. It rotates rapidly on its axis. Jupiter owns many satellites. It is surrounded by faint rings.
Saturn
The most beautiful planet in our solar system is Saturn, which has a yellowish appearance. Four invisible rings surround it and are not apparent to the naked eye. Saturn is a satellite-rich planet as well. The least dense planet in our solar system is Saturn. Even less dense than water, it has a low density.
Neptune and Uranus
These are only visible with the aid of powerful telescopes and are situated near the solar system’s farthest orbits. Uranus spins from East to West, just like Venus. The rotating axis of Uranus is significantly inclined. It appears to roll on its side when it orbits because of its tilted rotation axis.
Solar System FAQs
Q) What is the solar system?
Ans. The Sun and the celestial bodies which revolve around it form the solar system. It consists of a large number of bodies such as planets, comets, asteroids and meteors. The gravitational attraction between the Sun and these objects keeps them revolving around it.
Q) What is the hottest planet?
Ans. Venus
Q) Which is the brightest planet?
Ans. Venus, The brightest planet in our Solar System, Venus, is visible to the naked eye from Earth. Venus’s dazzling, constant presence earned it the names “evening star” and “morning star.”
Q) Who named the solar system?
Ans. The sun, moon, and five visible planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—were all given divine names by Sumerian astronomers.
Q) Is the moon a star or not?
Ans. unlike the moon, stars do not contain solid matter. The star, which is the creation of heated gases, energy, light, and heat, does not allude to the characteristics of the moon. The moon is not a star or a planet, therefore. The moon is not a planet since it does not meet the criteria listed below.
Other Indian Geography Topics
Other Fundamental Geography Topics
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