What is the largest planet in the solar. What is the largest planet in the solar system

To date, scientists know only one large solar system in which our planet is located. It was formed 4.6 billion years ago. Star clouds of matter began to thicken in the Galaxy. Because of this, a large amount of thermal energy gradually began to be generated. With the formation of high temperature and density, nuclear reactions began to form, which provoked the formation of various gases and helium. These streams provoked the formation of a star, which we now call the Sun. The process of its creation took about several tens of millions of years.

Due to the high temperature, stellar dust accumulated in dense compounds, forming separate planets with its structure. Since the formation of all the planets and satellites of the solar system, no special changes have been observed.

Heliocentric theory of world building

In the second century AD, a scientist from Alexandria put forward a hypothesis about the location of our planet. It was from her that all scientists repelled, until the end of the fifteenth century. According to his theory, our planet was in the very center of the universe, and all other planets, including the Sun, could only rotate around its axis. But only thanks to the painstaking work of Nicolaus Copernicus, this hypothesis suffered a crushing failure. His observations were published only after his death, so the astronomer did not wait for world recognition. His observations were able to prove the fact that it is the Sun that is the center of the system, and all other planets can revolve around it along a given trajectory.

Number of planets in the solar system

Everyone knows that at the moment, there are eight planets in the solar system. But until recently, it was believed that Pluto, which was discovered in early 1930, was also part of the solar system. But after long observations and research, it turned out that the planet farthest from the Sun does not rotate at all along a given trajectory. She is constantly in one position and does not move at all. Only with the onset of 2006, at a meeting of the International Assembly in Prague, was it possible to prove that the dwarf planet is not part of the solar system at all.

The principle of the largest solar system

It is worth noting that the solar system is part of the Milky Way, which is located in our Galaxy. It is located on its outskirts, and is located at a distance equal to thirty thousand light years from its central point. The solar system includes the Sun itself, as well as numerous planets, satellites and asteroids, which constantly move along a given trajectory.

Planet placement

All planets are divided into two different types. These are the inner and outer planets. The first type includes four planets that are closest to the surface of the Sun. It:

Mercury;

Their sizes in relation to other planets are not so great, and the surface is covered with a stone hard crust.

The second type includes the giant planets:

These are the planets that are mainly composed of accumulations of various gases. They are located almost in the same plane. From the North Pole, one can clearly see that the planets move around the Sun, in a direction that is opposite to the clockwise movement.

But be that as it may, in the universe there are constantly unexplored sections of space that can hide huge secrets. Perhaps in a few decades, scientists will be able to get to the most intimate corners.

Space holds many mysteries. With the naked eye, we can see only a negligible fraction of celestial objects, large and small. In addition to the Earth, other large cosmic bodies also revolve around the Sun. Some of them are much larger than our home planet. What are the largest planets in the solar system?

Diameter: 2,326 km

Opens the list of the largest planets in the solar system. It is the second largest space object after Pluto and the farthest dwarf planet from the Sun. Eris was previously called Xena. For a time, it claimed the title of the tenth planet in the solar system, but in 2006, along with Pluto, it was classified as a dwarf planet. For a long time, Eris was thought to be larger than Pluto, but recent studies by the New Horizons spacecraft have proven that Pluto is still slightly larger than Eris.

The surface of this dwarf planet, like that of Pluto, consists of rocks, ice and methane snow.

Diameter: 2,326 km.

Diameter: 2,326 km

Until recently, he was among the nine planets of the solar system. In 2006, after a long debate, by decision of the International Astronomical Union, he was deprived of the status of an ordinary planet. Now Pluto is considered the largest dwarf planet. It is one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects. Consisting of ice and rocks, Pluto is relatively small. For comparison: its volume is three times less than the volume of the moon. The surface of this dwarf planet is an icy desert covered with many craters. Pluto has five moons: Kerberos, Styx, Hydra, Charon and Nyx.

In 2006, the automatic space station "New Horizons" was launched, the purpose of which is to study Pluto and Charon. The device safely reached the orbit of the planet and transmitted to Earth the collected data and photographs of Pluto and all its satellites.

Diameter: 2,372 km.

Diameter: 4879 km

Takes eighth place in the ranking of the largest planets in the solar system. It is interesting because it is closest to the Sun, so the Mercury year lasts only 88 Earth days. At the same time, the duration of a day on Mercury is 176 Earth days, and all because of the slow rotation of the planet around its axis.

Proximity to the Sun leads to the fact that on the side of the planet facing the sun, the temperature reaches 349.9 ° C.

The surface of Mercury is bleak - it is a lifeless desert, covered with craters of various sizes. The planet has no satellites.

Diameter: 4879 km.

Diameter: 6780 km

In 7th place in the list of the largest planets in the solar system is located. This is one of the planets most studied by people - spacecraft from Earth have visited it more than 30 times. Mars is very interesting. Here is the largest peak in the solar system - Mount Olympus, whose height reaches 27 km. Mars has seasons, just like Earth has polar caps of frozen carbon dioxide and ice. A day here lasts 24 hours and 40 minutes. Mars is one of the most suitable planets for colonization in the future.

Moons of Mars: Deimos and Phobos.

Diameter: 6780 km.

Diameter: 12103 km

Continues the list of the largest planets in the solar system. Named after the Roman goddess of love, Venus, the second planet from the Sun has several more poetic names: the Evening Star and the Morning Star. Venus is not much smaller than Earth. Although it belongs to the earth-like planets, its conditions differ from those of the earth. The atmosphere on the planet is mainly composed of carbon dioxide, and its surface is hidden by huge clouds of sulfuric acid. It is assumed that there is still active volcanic activity on Venus. The surface temperature is 460 °C.

Diameter: 12103 km.

Diameter: 12742 km

On the 5th place in the list of the largest planets in the solar system is. This is one of the most unique planets in the observable universe, on which intelligent life has appeared. Most of planet (about 70%) is covered with water. Due to its location and a slight inclination of the axis of rotation on the planet, optimal conditions were created for the origin of life.

The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.

Diameter: 12742 km.

Diameter: 49224 km

One of the largest and farthest planets in the solar system from the Sun. This is a huge gas giant, whose mass is 17 times greater than the earth. The planet's atmosphere is made up of helium and hydrogen. At the same time, the core of Neptune is solid, formed from rocks and ice. The planet is interesting in that incredible winds constantly rage on its surface, the speed of which can reach 2100 km / h. Invisible to the naked eye, Neptune was discovered through mathematical calculations.

Neptune is the third largest planet in the solar system. The spacecraft visited it only once. It was Voyager 2, which flew close to the planet in 1989. He made it possible to obtain images of the most powerful cyclones and storms raging on the planet.

Neptune is surrounded by the largest number of satellites - it has 14 of them.

Diameter: 49224 km.

Diameter: 50724 km

The gas giant is a very interesting object of research. It was visited only once by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which transmitted images of Uranus to Earth. In the future, a full-scale study of the planet and its satellites is planned.

Uranus has a ring system and 27 satellites ranging in size from 20 to 1500 km.

Diameter: 50724 km.

Diameter: 116464 km

The second place in the list of the largest planets in the solar system is occupied. Like Uranus with Neptune, it consists of a mixture of various gases, passing at depth into a liquid state. The mass of this gas giant is 95 times the mass of the Earth. Saturn is famous primarily for its rings and a huge number of moons. Today there are 62 of them. Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, is larger than Mercury. Saturn is one of the most explored giant planets. It was visited by the Pioneer, Voyager and Cassini spacecraft.

Diameter: 116464 km.

Diameter: 139822 km

The gas giant, named after the supreme Roman deity, ranks first in the list of the largest planets in the solar system. Its atmosphere consists of hydrogen, ammonia and methane. The mass of the giant is 2.5 times the mass of all other planets in the solar system. Great storms and storms rage on the surface of Jupiter. One of them, the Great Red Spot, has been observed by scientists for several centuries. Jupiter has about 69 moons. The largest of them are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Diameter: 139822 km.

Our solar system is made up of the sun, planets orbiting it, and smaller celestial bodies. All of these are mysterious and amazing, because they are still not fully understood. Below will be indicated the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order, and briefly talk about the planets themselves.

There is a well-known list of planets in which they are listed in order of their distance from the Sun:

Pluto used to be in last place, but in 2006 it lost its status as a planet, as larger celestial bodies were found farther away. These planets are divided into stone (inner) and giant planets.

Brief information about the stone planets

The inner (stone) planets include those bodies that are located inside the asteroid belt that separates Mars and Jupiter. They got their name "stone" because they consist of various hard rocks, minerals and metals. They are united by a small number or even the absence of satellites and rings (like Saturn). On the surface of the stone planets there are volcanoes, depressions and craters formed as a result of the fall of other cosmic bodies.

But if we compare their sizes and arrange them in ascending order, the list will look like this:

Brief information about the giant planets

The giant planets are located beyond the asteroid belt and therefore they are also called outer. They consist of very light gases - hydrogen and helium. These include:

But if you make a list by the size of the planets in the solar system in ascending order, then the order changes:

A little information about the planets

In modern scientific understanding, a planet means a celestial body that revolves around the Sun and has enough mass for its own gravity. Thus, there are 8 planets in our system, and, importantly, these bodies are not similar to each other: each has its own unique differences, both in appearance and in the very components of the planet.

- This is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest among the rest. It weighs 20 times less than the Earth! But, despite this, it has a sufficiently high density, which allows us to conclude that there are a lot of metals in its depths. Due to its close proximity to the Sun, Mercury is subject to sharp temperature changes: at night it is very cold, during the day the temperature rises sharply.

- This is the next planet close to the Sun, in many ways similar to the Earth. It has a more powerful atmosphere than the Earth, and is considered a very hot planet (its temperature is above 500 C).

is a unique planet due to its hydrosphere, and the presence of life on it led to the appearance of oxygen in its atmosphere. Most of the surface is covered with water, and the rest is occupied by the continents. A unique feature is the tectonic plates, which move, albeit very slowly, which leads to a change in the landscape. The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.

Also known as the "Red Planet". It gets its fiery red color due to the large amount of iron oxides. Mars has a very rarefied atmosphere and much lower atmospheric pressure than Earth. Mars has two satellites - Deimos and Phobos.

- this is a real giant among the planets of the solar system. Its weight is 2.5 times the weight of all the planets combined. The surface of the planet is made up of helium and hydrogen and is similar in many ways to the sun. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no life on this planet - no water and no solid surface. But Jupiter has a large number of satellites: 67 are known at the moment.

- this planet is famous for the presence of rings, consisting of ice and dust, revolving around the planet. With its atmosphere, it resembles that of Jupiter, and is slightly smaller in size than this giant planet. In terms of the number of satellites, Saturn is also slightly behind - it knows 62 of them. The largest satellite, Titan, is larger than Mercury.

- the lightest planet among the outer ones. Its atmosphere is the coldest in the entire system (minus 224 degrees), it has a magnetosphere and 27 satellites. Uranus is made up of hydrogen and helium, and ammonia ice and methane have also been noted. Due to the fact that Uranus has a large axial tilt, it seems that the planet is rolling rather than rotating.

- despite being smaller than y, it is heavier than it and exceeds the mass of the Earth. This is the only planet that was found through mathematical calculations, and not through astronomical observations. On this planet, the strongest winds in the solar system were recorded. Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton, is the only one that rotates backwards.

It is very difficult to imagine all the scales of the solar system within the studied planets. It seems to people that the Earth is a huge planet, and, in comparison with other celestial bodies, it is. But if you put giant planets next to it, then the Earth already takes on tiny sizes. Of course, next to the Sun, all celestial bodies seem small, so to represent all the planets in their full scale is a difficult task.

The most famous classification of the planets is their distance from the Sun. But a listing that takes into account the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order will also be correct. The list will be presented as follows:

As you can see, the order has not changed much: the first lines are the inner planets, and the first place is occupied by Mercury, and the other positions are the outer planets. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all in what order the planets are located, from this they will not become less mysterious and beautiful.

- then you will certainly be very interested.

Today we will find out what is the largest planet in the solar system. But let's start with the basic concepts.

The largest planets in the solar system

In relation to other celestial bodies, it belongs to the category of "minor planets" of the solar system. We are talking about the largest space objects.

Right now you will learn the most interesting facts about the unique features of the planets of the solar system, which you probably have not heard about before.

planet classification

First of all, you should understand what types of planets are divided into. The solar system is divided into two parts by the main asteroid belt:

• To the first belong , and ;
• The second group includes , and ;
• At the very end is the Kuiper belt.

Astronomers have designated the first four celestial bodies as "terrestrial planets".

In addition to their location in outer space, they are similar to each other in the presence of a core, metals and silicon, as well as a mantle and crust. Land in this list is in first place in terms of volume.

Astronomers call the second four planets "Gas giants". They significantly exceed the dimensions of the planets of the terrestrial group. The uniqueness of the largest planets lies in the fact that they are rich in the presence of various gases: hydrogen, methane, ammonia and helium.

Is Pluto a planet or not?

In 2006, scientists decided that Pluto should be classified as dwarf planets, including it in the Kuiper belt. According to astronomers, Pluto does not meet any of the conditions by which it is customary to determine full-fledged planets.

The main argument is that Pluto lacks the mass to clear its orbit of other objects. As a result of these scientific studies in the solar system, instead of the traditional 9 planets, there was one less.

The largest planet in the solar system

The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter, which belongs to the category of gas giants. According to astronomers, he has repeatedly protected our Earth from meteorites.

Planet Jupiter

Since we found out that Jupiter has the status of "The largest planet", let's look at some interesting facts about him.

Striking dimensions

Jupiter is 1300 times larger than Earth. To make it easier to understand, the following comparison should be made: if the Earth could be reduced to the size of a pea, then Jupiter in relation to it would have the size of a basketball.

Also amazing is the speed of rotation of this giant planet. Jupiter makes 1 revolution around its axis in 10 hours at a speed of 13.07 km/s.

In order for the largest planet to manage to pass once in its orbit, 12 Earth years must pass. However, this is quite a bit, considering that Jupiter is 5 times farther from the Sun than our Earth.

ephemeral surface

Did you know that no one will ever be able to set foot on the surface of Jupiter? And all due to the fact that the atmosphere of the largest planet consists of helium and hydrogen in proportions of 1:9.

In fact, it flows into hydrogen. In simple terms, as such, there is simply no distinction between the atmosphere and the surface of this giant. The boundaries of Jupiter are very blurry and abstract, and are determined only by the difference in pressure.

Clouds and spots

Looking at images of Jupiter, it is easy to notice specific striped patterns on them. In fact, these are clouds: light zones alternate with red-brown belts.

Between them pass strong wind currents, which are called jets. They can move in completely different directions.

The main feature of Jupiter

Another unique feature of Jupiter is the Great Red Spot (GRS). It is the largest atmospheric vortex in the solar system.

Such formations in terms of brightness and persistence have not been found on any other planet. Interestingly, the BKP can move around Jupiter, changing only the longitude. Latitude has remained unchanged for more than 350 years.

In addition, at times the spot either increases or decreases. But in general, the trend is decreasing.

According to the latest data from researchers: The Great Red Spot is a huge anticyclone that makes 1 revolution in 6 days.

The second largest planet in the solar system

The second largest among the planets is Saturn. He is very easy to recognize in photographs due to his remarkable rings.

By the way, all gas giants have exactly such rings, they are just not so noticeable. In their composition, along with heavy elements and cosmic dust, there are ice particles.

Saturn also contains methane, helium, hydrogen and ammonia, and continuous winds rage on the surface.

Ice giants

Following Saturn in descending magnitude are Uranus and Neptune. Scientists classify these planets as ice giants, due to the absence of metallic hydrogen in them, and a huge amount of ice.

The uniqueness of Uranus lies in the tilt of its axis. This planet literally lies on its side, which is why the sun's rays alternately illuminate only its poles.

Strong winds constantly rage on Neptune. You can also find a characteristic formation on it, in many ways similar to the Great Red Spot. Astronomers have named this area the Great Dark Spot (also known as GDS-89).

So, now you know that the largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter. However, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are also giant planets and have their own unique features.

Speaking frankly, it still has very modest knowledge about what is happening in our solar system, not to mention the universe as a whole.

One thing is for sure: there will be many interesting discoveries in the future.

The planet Jupiter was first seen 400 years ago. Then only the first telescopes appeared, and through them it was possible to see this planet. The planet Jupiter conquers with its volume, scale. It is the largest planet in the solar system in terms of volume, mass, and area.

By the way, there are planets that are 15 times larger than Jupiter, but this is only in theory. The planet was named Jupiter by the Romans, in honor of the supreme deity.

The largest planet in the solar system: interesting facts about Jupiter

It is one of the largest gas giants. Divided into the inner space, and the atmospheric layer. The air is filled with 90% hydrogen and 10% helium. The planet also has methane, silicon and ammonia. Small amounts of carbon, oxygen, neon, phosphine are present.

The interior of the planet houses dense materials. A mixture of liquid hydrogen with helium and an outer layer of molecular hydrogen is called the core. It's not clear yet, but some believe the core could be rocky.

Even 20 years ago, the question of the core was raised. It was assumed that it can reach from 12 to 45 Earth masses and cover from 4 to 14% of the mass of Jupiter. The closer you are to the core, the higher the temperature and pressure become. Near the core, the temperature reaches 35700 degrees and about 4000 GPa, on the very surface it is 67 degrees and 10 BAR.

Near Jupiter there is a family of 67 moons. Galileo Galilei discovered 4 of the largest in the distant past. It:

• Io (active volcanoes);
• Europa (subsurface ocean);
• Ganymede (largest moon);
• Callisto (underground ocean).

Auroras are observed near the north and south poles.

The largest planet in the solar system: top 8 planets

• Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. But it is closest to the Sun. There is no season change on this planet, because the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the rotation of the Sun. It is somewhat similar to the moon, the surface is rocky, covered with craters, such as on the moon. Like the Moon, Mercury has no atmosphere. This planet occupies the 8th place;
• Mars - Unlike Mercury, Mars is in 4th place from the Sun. She is also rocky like Mercury. This planet has been visited many times by terrestrial spacecraft. By the way, Mars rovers are working there now. The average temperature on Mars is -153 degrees. This planet occupies the 7th place;
• Venus - she is also called the "sister of the Earth." It is closer to the Sun than the Earth, but this is not very important. The average temperature is +470 degrees. Carbon dioxide is used instead of oxygen. This planet occupies the 6th place;
• The Earth is in 3rd place from the Sun. The only planet where life boils. 70% of the planet is covered with water. This planet occupies the 5th place;
• Neptune is the most distant of all the largest planets. Neptune is 17 times heavier than Earth and has a larger diameter. In 1846, astronomers calculated this planet, and then looked at it through a telescope. This planet occupies the 4th place;
• Uranus is the 3rd planet of all the big ones. The average temperature is -220 degrees. It is named after an ancient Greek god, not a Roman god like most others. It has 27 satellites in its orbit. This planet occupies the 3rd place;
• Saturn - this planet is also one of the largest. Saturn has the largest number of satellites, about 62. This planet occupies 2nd place;
• Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Gas giant. The average temperature is about -140 degrees. Jupiter has many moons that can be seen with any binoculars, the most popular being Europa, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto.