Interesting facts about the terrestrial planets

In our solar system, there are four objects, which are called terrestrial planets: Mercury (the smallest), Venus and Mars and Earth (the greatest).They are called internal, solid-state, opposing the outer gas giant planets.

General characteristics

Facts about terrestrial planets, primarily related to their objective, visual characteristics, due to the fact that the physical presence of a person is possible only on one of those space objects - Earth.

known that these celestial bodies have a density substantially consist of iron and silicates, as well as oxygen, silicon, magnesium, aluminum.The known facts about the terrestrial planets is that all these objects have a certain structure.In the center - a core containing iron and nickel.Then, it is the mantle, which includes silicates.It covers the bark, also consisting of silicate rocks, but enriched with other elements.Mercury has no bark, which was, as scientists assume, the result of meteorite bombardment of the space object.Earth and Mars have moons.Mercury and Venus have none.

Terrestrial

Most scientists believe that the most favorable conditions for the emergence of biological life on the planet, there is this group.That is why the search for a comprehensive study and data space objects attracted attention of scientists of all countries.An example of the terrestrial planets are so-called super-Earths.As of 2012 they discovered more than fifty.On each of them, according to scientists, it is theoretically possible to the origin of life.

Facts about terrestrial planets

But back to the solar system.Native land - the third one from the sun.It is the largest of the solid planets, density, diameter and weight.We learn a few facts about our planet:

  • Today it is the only known person of cosmic bodies, which found biological life.
  • Earth was formed a long time - more than four and a half billion solar years ago.And life on the planet appeared, according to most scientists, about half a billion years after that.
  • Together with the magnetic field of the ozone layer weakens harmful solar radiation.This is one of the conditions for the possibility of life on the planet.
  • The Earth's crust is made up of tectonic plates, moving at a rate of several centimeters per year!
  • More than 70 percent of the planet's surface occupied by bodies of water.The share of land accounts for less than 30 percent.Water is vital for all known life forms.
  • poles of the planet are covered with ice and the Arctic Antarctic ice shield.
  • According to some scientists, the living conditions for biological organisms, the Earth can save even over a fairly long period of time: more than two billion years.Unless, of course, do not try to artificially disrupt these conditions (due to harmful and reckless human activity and its effects on the biosphere).
  • Our planet is wrapped around the Sun in about 365.26 days, which is the sidereal year.
  • moon, satellite, causing the phenomenon of the tide, and also stabilizes the Earth's axis, gradually slowing the rotation of our planet.
  • asteroid has repeatedly caused the extinction of various species of organisms, leading to significant changes in the biosphere.These and other facts about the terrestrial planets were known through the work of scientists who are constantly studying the processes taking place in the solar system.

Mars

  • Everyone knows that the so-called god of war.Another common name - the Red Planet (due to shade the surface, which gives the iron oxide).
  • rarefied atmosphere of Mars.The surface has volcanoes, valleys, deserts.At the poles - ice caps.
  • There are two satellites of the terrestrial planets.Interesting facts associated with Phobos and Deimos: so called sons of the god of war (which means "fear" and "horror").Their dimensions compared to, for example, Moon, - small.Both have an irregular shape.
  • What other interesting facts about the terrestrial planets?The Egyptians called Mars - Red Mountains, in Babylon, he was known as the Death Star, the Jews called the planet - one who blushes.The reason in all cases was a bloody shade of the celestial body.
  • Mars is named in honor of the month of March.
  • Interestingly, the water can not exist on this planet in a liquid form because of the rarefied atmosphere.But it is here in the form of ice.This enabled the scientists to suggest that once existed on Mars life.
  • Man caught on Mars without a special suit, would have died instantly, because at a very low pressure, all of the oxygen in the blood would turn into bubbles.
  • in the planet's atmosphere ozone layer is absent.There's a very strong radiation, deadly for humans.
  • Wind speed in dust storms on the planet up to 200 kilometers per hour.
  • Some scientists believe that crossing canyons on the planet are man-made origin.

Venus

This celestial body also belongs to the class, called "the terrestrial planets."Interesting facts about the research of its composition and the surface attract the attention of many scientists of all time.Consider the major ones:

  • Venus - the brightest of the planets.In clear moonless night it can cast a shadow on the Earth's surface.
  • Venus has no satellites, like Mercury.The scope of its almost ideal, unlike earth, flattened.
  • from the surface of Venus can not see the sun because of the constant clouds.Also, there is not, as such, the change of seasons.
  • Scientists suggest that the earlier Venus are large reserves of water, but it has long vanished as a result of increased solar radiation.
  • life on Venus is not possible due to very high temperatures.
  • Day on the planet lasts a little less than a year the Earth!

Mercury

Consider another interesting fact about 2-3 terrestrial planets.

  • Mercury - the smallest (as of 2006, when Pluto lost planet status) and closest to our main luminary planet in the solar system.
  • This body is the least studied.For example, scientists in 2009 alone amounted to a full map of the surface of the celestial body.
  • day on the planet twice as long as a year!

give 2-3 interesting facts about the terrestrial planets:

  • Deimos, moon of Mars, rises and sets twice a day.
  • When Mars suited on a short distance to the Earth, record the highest number of UFO sightings.

That's how you can describe the terrestrial planets.All the facts about space, provided by scientists to cause the recent great interest and the general public.This is connected with the possibility of biological life on other planets, and with ever-increasing human ability to comprehend the mysteries of the universe.