What is the solar system?This is our common home.What is it?How and when was formed?Each is important to know more about what corner of the galaxy in which we live.
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Lesson "solar system" should start with the fact that the latter is part of the vast and boundless universe.The scale of the human mind to comprehend it not.The stronger our telescopes become, the deeper we look into space, the more we see there stars and galaxies.According to the modern view of the universe has a certain structure.And it consists of galaxies and clusters of galaxies.The place where the solar system - Milky Way galaxy.It consists of a hundred billion stars, many of which are similar to the sun.Our light - quite an ordinary yellow dwarf.But it is largely due to the modest size and temperature stability in his system could support life.
emergence of modern theories of the emergence of the solar system is inherently linked to the hypothesis about the evolution of the universe.The appearance of it is still a mystery.There are only different mathematical models.According to the most common of which our universe emerged seventeen billion years ago in the Big Bang.It is believed that our star, 4.7 billion years.At about the same age and the solar system.How old is she to live?After a billion years the sun will go into the next cycle of development and become a red giant.According to the calculations of most scientists, the upper limit of its atmosphere will be just at a distance of Earth's orbit.And if after such a huge amount of time mankind will still, for the people it will be a disaster truly universal scale.But all this is in the distant future.What is the situation today?
Solar System bodies
So, first of all, of course, our star.People since ancient times gave her name and called the sun.It is focused ninety nine percent of all the mass of the system.Only one falls on the planets, their satellites, meteors, asteroids, comets and Kuiper belt bodies.So what is the Solar System?It is the sun and everything around it is drawn.But first things first.
Sun
As mentioned above, the star - is the center of our system.Dimensions of its dazzling.The sun is heavier than the Earth three hundred and thirty thousand times!And its diameter exceeds the earth a hundred and nine times.The average density of the substance of the sun is only 1.4 times higher than the density of water.But it should not be misleading.Indeed, in the central regions of the star density in the one hundred and fifty times greater there because of enormous pressure and begin nuclear reactions.Here, of hydrogen generated helium.
then release the resulting energy is transferred by convection to the outer layers and dissipated in space.According to scientists, our sun is now seventy-five percent consists of hydrogen and about 25% helium, other elements less than 1%.First of all it says that the sun is in full blossom, because a lot more fuel.Typically, the lifetime for a star of this class (yellow dwarf) is ten billion years.We can not say a few words about the structure of the sun.At its center is a massive core, followed by the zone of radiative transfer, convection, photosphere and chromosphere.In the last part there are protuberances.Sunspots - a zone on the surface of the star where the temperature is much lower, because they look darker.Our star rotates around its axis with a period of twenty-five Earth days.It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the state of the star depends on the entire solar system.Photographic laboratories for the study of her set, even in orbit.
Mercury
This is the first cosmic body that we encounter, moving away from the sun.And as a consequence of its proximity to the surface very hot and almost no atmosphere.It belongs to the so-called terrestrial planets.Their common characteristics: relatively high density, the presence of gas-water atmosphere, the small number of satellites, the presence of the core, mantle and crust.However, as mentioned above, the atmosphere of Mercury is virtually deprived - it blows away the solar wind.Recall that protects the Earth from a strong magnetic field and the distance.But despite this, a gas shell on Mercury can still be detected, it consists of metal ions, which evaporate from the surface of the planet.There there (in small amounts) of oxygen, nitrogen and inert gases.
Mercury moves around the sun on an elongated orbit.Its circulation period is 88 Earth days.But to turn around the axis of the planet takes almost 59 days.Largely because of this on Mercury observed large difference in temperature from minus 1830 to 4270 plus Celsius.
surface of the planet is covered with craters, mountains and low valleys.There are traces Mercury compression (due to cooling of the metal core) - in the form of elongated ledges).Scientists suggest the presence of water ice in some shaded areas of the planet.
Venus
sophomore Earth-like planet from the sun.The size considerably exceeds Mercury, but slightly less than the Earth as a mass and diameter.Satellites are absent.But in the presence of a dense atmosphere, which is almost completely hidden from our eyes the surface of Venus.Thanks to the temperature on the surface thereof is much higher on Mercury: average values reach 4750 centigrade, without major daily fluctuations.Another feature of the atmosphere - the strongest winds at an altitude of several kilometers (up to one hundred and fifty meters per second), these hurricanes.What causes them - is unclear.Atmosphere consists of ninety-six percent of the carbon dioxide.Oxygen and water vapor is negligible.Because of the flight to the planet several spacecraft, scientists have managed to create a rather detailed map of Venus.The planet's surface is divided into plains and hills.There are two major mainland.There are numerous impact craters.
Earth
dwelling on our planet, we will not, because it is still the most studied and well known to the reader.But what is the solar system without the Earth? .. I must say that our house is still fraught with many mysteries.In addition, the Earth - the planet of the solar system, which is second only to the mass of the gas giants, and the only available water shell.The period of revolution around the star is 365 days, and the distance to it - 150 million kilometers - is taken as the astronomical unit.Say also that the Earth - the planet of the Solar System that has a substantial size only companion, and go on.
Mars
And here in front of us the red planet - a dream of science fiction and a celestial body, which people do not stop to think.Who is running Mars surface spacecraft.And after ten years they are going to have to send a manned spacecraft.Why are people so interested in Mars?Because of the conditions of this planet is closest to Earth.Astronomers of the past generally assumed that Mars has water channels and plant life.The search for the latter, incidentally, is still going on.Perhaps this will be the first planet to which a person begins to study the solar system.
On Mars mass twice the size of Earth.Its atmosphere is quite sparse and consists mainly of carbon dioxide.The average surface temperature - minus 60 degrees Celsius.However, in some parts of the equator, it can be raised to zero.Martian year lasts six hundred eighty-seven Earth days.And as the planet's orbit is quite stretched, her seasons are different in length.The poles of the planet are covered with thin ice caps.The surface of Mars is rich in craters and hills.On the red planet is the highest mountain in the solar system - Olympus.Its height is about 12 kilometers.And Mars has two small moons - Phobos and Deimos.
asteroid belt located between the orbits He Mars and Jupiter.In fact, this is a very extensive and interesting area.It is possible to detect various objects million, mostly small - up to several hundred meters.But there are giants, such as Ceres (diameter - 950 km), West or palladium.At first they were also considered asteroids, but in 2006 acknowledged the dwarf planets, like Pluto.All these objects were formed at the time of formation of the solar system.Perhaps all the asteroids - that has not become a planet because of the strong influence of the rapid formation of Jupiter.There are many different types and families of asteroids.Among them are composed of different metals, so that in the distant future, they can be used in industry.
giant planets
In contrast to this celestial body, like the Earth, the planets of the solar system beyond the asteroid belt, have a much greater mass.First and foremost, of course, Jupiter and Saturn.These giants have a lot of satellites, some of which even resemble the size of the terrestrial planets.Saturn is known for its rings, which are in fact made up of many small objects.The density of these planets much smaller than the Earth.The substance of Saturn, in general, lighter than water.Almost all the Giants have a solid core.Their atmosphere composed of hydrogen, helium, ammonia, methane and small amounts of other gases.Moreover, the composition of Jupiter and Saturn in many respects similar to the composition of our sun.
therefore not surprising that they are considered unformed stars.They just did not have enough weight.
True gas giants Uranus and Neptune can be considered only conditionally, because they have a powerful atmosphere.But, apparently, they still have a hard surface.And that's where begins that of the Jupiter - hard to say.It is believed that at the core of the largest planet of the Solar System consists of metallic hydrogen.Almost all of the giants emit its own energy (heat), and in quantities greater than they receive from the sun.We all have rings and many moons.Their atmospheres are raging on the unprecedented power of hurricanes (the farther planet from the Sun, the stronger).
Kuiper Belt
It was quite backyard solar system.There is the former planet Pluto (in 2006, it was deprived of that status), as well as comparable with her weight and size of Makemake, Eris, Huamea.This so-called new planets in the solar system.And thousands, if not millions of other smaller bodies.Apparently, the Kuiper Belt does not extend beyond 100 astronomical units.By assumption, scholars, here comes a short-periodic comet.Oort cloud the solar system ends.Photo-report from these places, it is possible, we will soon get to the spacecraft, "New Horizons."
So, in a nutshell, we have shown that a solar system, and what elements it is composed.Now it is composed of five major planets, our star, and many smaller objects.However, modern science is rapidly developing.And probably tomorrow we will be able to know that discovered new planets of the solar system.
