Solar system planets around the sun. Scientists have estimated how many planets are in our galaxy and how many of them are potentially habitable. The largest planet in the solar system

On January 20, 2016, a 99.993% probability of the existence of a new Ninth Planet of the Solar System was theoretically calculated, the orbit of which is located much further than the 8 currently known counterparts.

Who discovered the new 9th planet

With the help of mathematics, it was predicted by 2 scientists: the American Michael Brown and the Russian Konstantin Batygin. They figured out how to move space bodies in the solar system, and it turned out that there are multiple inconsistencies between the real trajectories of the movement of bodies from the theoretically predicted ones.


In particular, there are 6 objects far from the Sun, whose movement raised questions. Therefore, astrophysicists have suggested the existence of a large cold Planet X, whose gravity affects everything around. This is evidenced by computer simulation data.

It turned out that new ninth the planet moves in an elongated orbit, the closest distance to the star of which is equal to 200 distances from the Sun to the Earth. By size space object estimated to be slightly smaller than Neptune.

Prospects for finding Planet X

The authors of the discovery themselves call the probability of error in their calculations 0.007%. Given that M. Brown is known as the initiator of the impeachment of Pluto from the 9th planet to a dwarf planet in 2006, we can consider his opinion authoritative.

The only telescope currently capable of detecting Nibiru is the 8.2 meter diameter Japanese Subaru Telescope. However, due to problems with accurately predicting the current location of Planet X, Subaru will have to explore a huge area in search, which slows down the discovery until probably 2018-2020.

By this time, by the way, the LSST survey telescope, specially adapted for this kind of observations, will be built in Chile. His field of vision is estimated to be 7 times that of a Japanese.

Secrets of the 9th planet of the solar system

It is not yet clear how the 9th Planet X came into being. The most promising hypothesis is the opinion that even at the stage of the formation of the solar system, the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune “threw out” the fifth “Nibiru” to the outskirts of our space house with their gravity.


Most likely, Protoplanet X is similar in composition to its former neighbors and is an ice giant with a solid core inside. Calculations suggest that the mass of the Ninth planet is 16 times that of the Earth.

All this suggests that people are still far from fully understanding the origin of the solar system, and the discovery of many secrets lies ahead. In particular, the future visit by the spacecraft to the most promising place for the existence of extraterrestrial life, Saturn's moon Enceladus, is very interesting. This will put a dot at .

We wrote about this in about possible contact with an alien mind. Other interesting place is Jupiter's moon Europa with its subsurface ocean.

On March 13, 1781, English astronomer William Herschel discovered the seventh planet in the solar system - Uranus. And on March 13, 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ninth planet in the solar system - Pluto. By the beginning of the 21st century, it was believed that the solar system included nine planets. However, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided to strip Pluto of this status.

There are already 60 known natural satellites of Saturn, most of which have been discovered using spacecraft. Most of the satellites are rocks and ice. The largest satellite, Titan, discovered in 1655 by Christian Huygens, is larger than the planet Mercury. The diameter of Titan is about 5200 km. Titan orbits Saturn every 16 days. Titan is the only satellite to have a very dense atmosphere, 1.5 times the size of Earth's, and consisting mostly of 90% nitrogen, with a moderate amount of methane.

The International Astronomical Union officially recognized Pluto as a planet in May 1930. At that moment, it was assumed that its mass was comparable to the mass of the Earth, but later it was found that the mass of Pluto is almost 500 times less than the Earth's, even less than the mass of the Moon. The mass of Pluto is 1.2 times 1022 kg (0.22 Earth masses). The average distance of Pluto from the Sun is 39.44 AU. (5.9 by 10 to the 12th degree km), the radius is about 1.65 thousand km. The period of revolution around the Sun is 248.6 years, the period of rotation around its axis is 6.4 days. The composition of Pluto supposedly includes rock and ice; the planet has a thin atmosphere composed of nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Pluto has three moons: Charon, Hydra and Nyx.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, many objects were discovered in the outer solar system. It has become clear that Pluto is only one of the largest Kuiper belt objects known to date. Moreover, at least one of the objects of the belt - Eris - is a larger body than Pluto and 27% heavier than it. In this regard, the idea arose to no longer consider Pluto as a planet. On August 24, 2006, at the XXVI General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), it was decided to henceforth call Pluto not a "planet", but a "dwarf planet".

At the conference, a new definition of the planet was developed, according to which planets are considered to be bodies revolving around a star (and not being a star themselves), having a hydrostatically balanced shape and "clearing" the area in the region of their orbit from other, smaller, objects. Dwarf planets will be considered objects that revolve around a star, have a hydrostatically equilibrium shape, but have not "cleared" the nearby space and are not satellites. Planets and dwarf planets are two different classes of solar system objects. All other objects revolving around the Sun and not being satellites will be called small bodies of the solar system.

Thus, since 2006, there have been eight planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Five dwarf planets are officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

On June 11, 2008, the IAU announced the introduction of the concept of "plutoid". It was decided to call plutoids celestial bodies, which revolve around the Sun in an orbit whose radius is greater than the radius of the orbit of Neptune, whose mass is sufficient for gravitational forces to give them an almost spherical shape, and which do not clear the space around their orbit (that is, many small objects orbit around them).

Since it is still difficult to determine the shape and thus the relation to the class of dwarf planets for such distant objects as plutoids, scientists recommended temporarily assigning to plutoids all objects whose absolute asteroid magnitude (brilliance from a distance of one astronomical unit) is brighter than +1. If it later turns out that the object assigned to the plutoids is not a dwarf planet, it will be deprived of this status, although the assigned name will be left. The dwarf planets Pluto and Eris were classified as plutoids. In July 2008, Makemake was included in this category. On September 17, 2008, Haumea was added to the list.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The planets of the solar system are in order in the following sequence:
1 - Mercury. The smallest of the real planets in the solar system
2 - Venus. The description of hell was taken from her: terrible heat, sulfur evaporation and eruptions of many volcanoes.
3 - Earth. The third planet in order from the Sun, our home.
4 - Mars. The most distant of the planets terrestrial group solar system.
Then the Main Asteroid Belt is located, where the dwarf planet Ceres and the minor planets Vesta, Pallas, etc. are located.
Next in order are the four giant planets:
5 - Jupiter. The largest planet in the solar system.
6 - Saturn with its famous rings.
7 - Uranus. The coldest planet.
8 - Neptune. It is the furthest "real" planet in order from the Sun.
And here's what's interesting:
9 - Pluto. A dwarf planet that is usually listed after Neptune. But, Pluto's orbit is such that it is sometimes closer to the Sun than Neptune. For example, this was the case from 1979 to 1999.
No, Neptune and Pluto cannot collide :) - their orbits are such that they do not intersect.
The location of the planets of the solar system in order in the photo:

How many planets are in the solar system

How many planets are in the solar system? This is not so easy to answer. For a long time it was believed that there were nine planets in the solar system:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

But, on August 24, 2006, Pluto ceased to be considered a planet. This was caused by the discovery of the planet Eris and other small planets of the solar system, in connection with which it was necessary to clarify which celestial bodies can be considered planets.
Several signs of "real" planets were identified and it turned out that Pluto does not fully satisfy them.
Therefore, Pluto was transferred to the category of dwarf planets, which include, for example, Ceres - the former asteroid No. 1 in the Main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

As a result, when trying to answer the question of how many planets are in the solar system, the situation is even more confused. Because in addition to the "real" now there are also dwarf planets.
But there are also small planets, which were called large asteroids. For example Vesta, asteroid number 2 in the mentioned Main asteroid belt.
AT recent times the same Eris, Make-Make, Haumea and several other small planets of the solar system, data on which is insufficient and it is not clear what to consider them - dwarf or small planets. Not to mention that some small asteroids are mentioned in the literature as minor planets! For example, the asteroid Icarus, which is only about 1 kilometer in size, is often referred to as a minor planet...
Which of these bodies should be taken into account when answering the question "how many planets are there in the solar system"???
In general, "we wanted the best, but it turned out as always."

Curiously, many astronomers and even simple people act "in defense" of Pluto, continuing to consider it a planet, sometimes arrange small demonstrations and diligently promote this idea on the Web (mainly abroad).

Therefore, when answering the question "how many planets in the solar system" it's easiest to say "eight" briefly and not even try to discuss something ... otherwise it will immediately turn out that there is simply no exact answer :)

The giant planets are the largest planets in the solar system.

There are four giant planets in the solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Since these planets are located outside the main asteroid belt, they are called the "outer" planets of the solar system.
In size, two pairs clearly stand out among these giants.
The most big giant planet- Jupiter. Saturn is quite a bit inferior to him.
And Uranus and Neptune are sharply smaller than the first two planets and they are located farther from the Sun.
Look at the comparative sizes of the giant planets relative to the Sun:

The giant planets protect the inner planets of the solar system from asteroids.
Without these bodies in the solar system, our Earth would be hundreds of times more likely to be hit by asteroids and comets!
How do the giant planets protect us from the fall of intruders?

You can learn more about the largest planets in the solar system here:

terrestrial planets

The terrestrial planets are four planets in the solar system that are similar in size and composition: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Since one of them is the Earth, all these planets were assigned to the terrestrial group. Their sizes are very similar, and Venus and the Earth are generally almost the same. The temperatures are relatively high, which is explained by the proximity to the Sun. All four planets are formed by rocks, while the giant planets are gas and ice worlds.

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the solar system.
It is generally accepted that Mercury is very hot. Yes, it is, the temperature on the sunny side can reach +427°С. But, there is almost no atmosphere on Mercury, so on the night side it can be up to -170 ° С. And at the poles, because of the low Sun, a layer of underground permafrost is generally assumed ...

Venus. For a long time, it was considered the "sister" of the Earth, until Soviet research stations landed on its surface. It turned out to be a real hell! Temperature +475°C, pressure of almost a hundred atmospheres and an atmosphere of toxic compounds of sulfur and chlorine. To colonize it - you have to try very hard ...

Mars. The famous red planet. It is the most distant of the terrestrial planets in the solar system.
Like Earth, Mars has moons: Phobos and Deimos
Basically it is a cold, rocky and dry world. Only at the equator at noon can it get warmer up to +20°C, the rest of the time - a fierce frost, up to -153°C at the poles.
The planet does not have a magnetosphere and cosmic radiation mercilessly irradiates the surface.
The atmosphere is very rarefied and not suitable for breathing, however, its density is enough to occasionally cause powerful dust storms on Mars.
Despite all the shortcomings. Mars is the most promising planet for colonization in the solar system.

Read more about the terrestrial planets in the article The largest planets in the solar system

The largest planet in the solar system

The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter. This is the fifth planet from the Sun, its orbit is beyond the main asteroid belt. Look at the size comparison of Jupiter and Earth:
Jupiter is 11 times the diameter of Earth and 318 times its mass. because of large sizes planets, parts of its atmosphere rotate at different speeds, so the belts of Jupiter are clearly visible in the picture. Below, on the left, you can see Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot, a huge atmospheric vortex that has been observed for several centuries.

The smallest planet in the solar system

Which planet is the smallest planet in the solar system? This is not such a simple question...
Today it is generally accepted that the smallest planet in the solar system is Mercury, which we mentioned a little above. But, you already know that until August 24, 2006, Pluto was considered the smallest planet in the solar system.

More attentive readers may recall that Pluto is a dwarf planet. And there are five known. The smallest dwarf planet is Ceres, with a diameter of about 900 km.
But that's not all...

There are also so-called minor planets, the size of which starts at only 50 meters. Both the 1-kilometer Icarus and the 490-kilometer Pallas fall under this definition. It is clear that there are many of them, and it is difficult to choose the smallest one due to the complexity of observations and calculation of sizes. So, when answering the question "what is the name of the smallest planet in the solar system", it all depends on what exactly is meant by the word "planet".

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a > > How many planets in the solar system

How many planets in the solar system: 8 or 9? Background, description of objects with photos, disputes in the IAU classification of dwarf planets and the place of Pluto.

This question seems rather banal to many, but scientists are still arguing about how many planets there are in the solar system. However, the correct answer is: 8!

When we were children, there were 9 planets in the solar system. And this figure is firmly rooted in our heads. But in 2005, Michael Brown's team finds the object Eridu, which was comparable in size to Pluto. And this is where the controversy began. Is Eris now considered a planet, or is Pluto not who it claims to be?

Scientists are divided into two arguing camps. The IAU had to call a meeting in 2006 and put forward new demands. Some voted to increase the number of planets to 12, while others simply suggested dropping Pluto.

The new rules stated that the planet must:

  • make revolutions around the sun;
  • have the necessary gravity to form a sphere;
  • clear the orbital path of unnecessary objects;

Pluto failed on the last point. This led to the downgrading of the 9th planet into the category of a dwarf. But do not be sad, because he is not alone there.

Only after scientists gave an accurate description of the planet as an object, it was possible to answer with 100% certainty that there are only 8 of them. Let's list the planets of the solar system in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

What about dwarf planets? This group is home to Ceres, the first asteroid and dwarf planet found. The surface layer is covered with rocks and ice. It is believed that it is capable of having a liquid subsurface ocean.

Haumea was named after the Hawaiian fertility deity. By mass, it reaches 1/3 of Pluto and was formed in the form of a sphere. Despite its tinyness, it has its own companions.

Makemake is a large body in the Kuiper belt, with a diameter of 2/3 of Pluto. It was found in 2005. There are no moons nearby.

Eris is the most massive dwarf planet that has broken the tradition. 27% more mass than Pluto. Has a companion called Dysnomia.

Our pet Pluto closes the chain of dwarf planets. Do not write angry letters to Brown. Pluto has not disappeared anywhere and is also of interest to scientists. Now you know that our system has 8 planets and 5 dwarfs.

What is the solar system in which we live? The answer will be as follows: this is our central star, the Sun and all the cosmic bodies that revolve around it. These are large and small planets, as well as their satellites, comets, asteroids, gases and cosmic dust.

The name of the solar system was given by the name of its star. In a broad sense, "solar" is often understood as any star system.

How did the solar system originate?

According to scientists, the solar system was formed from a giant interstellar cloud of dust and gases due to gravitational collapse in a separate part of it. As a result, a protostar formed in the center, then turned into a star - the Sun, and a huge protoplanetary disk, from which all the components of the solar system listed above were subsequently formed. The process is believed to have begun about 4.6 billion years ago. This hypothesis has been called the nebular one. Thanks to Emmanuel Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant and Pierre-Simon Laplace, who proposed it back in the 18th century, it eventually became generally accepted, but over the course of many decades it was refined, new data was introduced into it, taking into account knowledge modern sciences. So, it is assumed that due to the increase and intensification of collisions of particles with each other, the temperature of the object grew, and after it reached a value of several thousand kelvins, the protostar acquired a glow. When the temperature indicator reached millions of kelvins, a thermonuclear fusion reaction began in the center of the future Sun - the conversion of hydrogen into helium. It turned into a star.

The sun and its features

Our luminary scientists refer to the type of yellow dwarfs (G2V) according to the spectral classification. This is the closest star to us, its light reaches the surface of the planet in just 8.31 seconds. From Earth, the radiation appears to have a yellow tint, although in reality it is almost white.

The main components of our luminary are helium and hydrogen. In addition, thanks to spectral analysis, it was found that iron, neon, chromium, calcium, carbon, magnesium, sulfur, silicon, and nitrogen are present on the Sun. Thanks to the thermonuclear reaction continuously going on in its depths, all life on Earth receives the necessary energy. sunlight- an integral part of photosynthesis, as a result of which oxygen is formed. Without sunlight, it would be impossible, therefore, an atmosphere suitable for a protein life form could not form.

Mercury

This is the closest planet to our star. Together with the Earth, Venus and Mars, it belongs to the planets of the so-called terrestrial group. Mercury got its name because of the high speed of movement, which, according to myths, distinguished the fleet-footed ancient god. The Mercury year is 88 days.

The planet is small, its radius is only 2439.7, and it is smaller in size than some of the large satellites of the giant planets, Ganymede and Titan. However, unlike them, Mercury is quite heavy (3.3 10 23 kg), and its density is only slightly behind the earth's. This is due to the presence of a heavy dense core of iron in the planet.

There is no change of seasons on the planet. Its desert surface resembles that of the Moon. It is also covered with craters, but even less habitable. So, on the day side of Mercury the temperature reaches +510 °C, and on the night side -210 °C. These are the sharpest drops in the entire solar system. The planet's atmosphere is very thin and rarefied.

Venus

This planet, named after the ancient Greek goddess of love, is more similar to the Earth than others in the solar system in terms of its physical parameters - mass, density, size, volume. For a long time they were considered twin planets, but over time it turned out that their differences are huge. So, Venus has no satellites at all. Its atmosphere is carbon dioxide by almost 98%, and the pressure on the planet's surface exceeds the earth's by 92 times! Clouds above the surface of the planet, consisting of sulfuric acid vapor, never dissipate, and the temperature here reaches +434 °C. Acid rains are falling on the planet, thunderstorms are raging. There is high volcanic activity here. Life, in our understanding, cannot exist on Venus; moreover, descent spacecraft cannot withstand such an atmosphere for a long time.

This planet is clearly visible in the night sky. This is the third brightest object for an earthly observer, it shines with white light and surpasses all stars in brightness. The distance to the Sun is 108 million km. It completes a revolution around the Sun in 224 Earth days, and around its own axis - in 243.

Earth and Mars

These are the last planets of the so-called terrestrial group, the representatives of which are characterized by the presence of a solid surface. In their structure, the core, mantle and crust are distinguished (only Mercury does not have it).

Mars has a mass equal to 10% of the mass of the Earth, which, in turn, is 5.9726 10 24 kg. Its diameter is 6780 km, almost half that of our planet. Mars is the seventh largest planet in the solar system. Unlike Earth, which has 71% of its surface covered by oceans, Mars is completely dry land. Water has been preserved under the surface of the planet in the form of a massive ice sheet. Its surface has a reddish tint due to high content iron oxide in the form of maghemite.

The atmosphere of Mars is very rarefied, and the pressure on the surface of the planet is 160 times less than we are used to. On the surface of the planet there are impact craters, volcanoes, depressions, deserts and valleys, and at the poles there are ice caps, just like on Earth.

The Martian day is slightly longer than the Earth day, and the year is 668.6 days. Unlike the Earth, which has one moon, the planet has two satellites. irregular shape- Phobos and Deimos. Both of them, like the Moon to the Earth, are constantly turned to Mars by the same side. Phobos is gradually approaching the surface of its planet, moving in a spiral, and is likely to eventually fall on it or fall apart. Deimos, on the other hand, is gradually moving away from Mars and may leave its orbit in the distant future.

Between the orbits of Mars and the next planet, Jupiter, there is an asteroid belt consisting of small celestial bodies.

Jupiter and Saturn

What planet is the largest? There are four gas giants in the solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Largest dimensions of which Jupiter has. Its atmosphere, like that of the Sun, is predominantly hydrogen. The fifth planet, named after the god of thunder, has an average radius of 69,911 km and a mass exceeding that of the earth by 318 times. The planet's magnetic field is 12 times stronger than Earth's. Its surface is hidden under opaque clouds. So far, scientists find it difficult to say exactly what processes can occur under this dense veil. It is assumed that on the surface of Jupiter there is a boiling hydrogen ocean. Astronomers consider this planet a "failed star" due to some similarity in their parameters.

Jupiter has 39 satellites, 4 of which - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - were discovered by Galileo.

Saturn is somewhat smaller than Jupiter, it is the second largest among the planets. This is the sixth, next planet, also consisting of hydrogen with helium impurities, a small amount of ammonia, methane, water. Hurricanes rage here, the speed of which can reach 1800 km / h! Saturn's magnetic field is not as strong as Jupiter's, but stronger than Earth's. Both Jupiter and Saturn are somewhat flattened at the poles due to rotation. Saturn is 95 times heavier than earth, but its density is less than that of water. It is the least dense celestial body in our system.

A year on Saturn lasts 29.4 Earth days, a day is 10 hours 42 minutes. (Jupiter has a year - 11.86 Earth, a day - 9 hours 56 minutes). It has a system of rings consisting of solid particles of various sizes. Presumably, these may be the remains of the collapsed satellite of the planet. In total, Saturn has 62 satellites.

Uranus and Neptune are the last planets

The seventh planet of the solar system is Uranus. It is 2.9 billion km away from the Sun. Uranus is the third largest among the planets of the solar system (average radius is 25,362 km) and the fourth largest (14.6 times larger than the earth). A year here lasts 84 Earth hours, a day - 17.5 hours. In the atmosphere of this planet, in addition to hydrogen and helium, a significant volume is occupied by methane. Therefore, for an earthly observer, Uranus has a pale blue color.

Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system. The temperature of its atmosphere is unique: -224 °C. Why Uranus has a lower temperature than planets farther from the Sun is unknown to scientists.

This planet has 27 moons. Uranus has thin, flat rings.

Neptune, the eighth planet from the Sun, ranks fourth in size (average radius - 24,622 km) and third in mass (17 Earth). For a gas giant, it is relatively small (only four times the size of the Earth). Its atmosphere is also mainly composed of hydrogen, helium and methane. Gas clouds in its upper layers move at a record speed, the highest in the solar system - 2000 km / h! Some scientists believe that under the surface of the planet, under the thickness of frozen gases and water, hidden, in turn, by the atmosphere, a solid stone core can hide.

These two planets are close in composition, and therefore they are sometimes classified as a separate category - ice giants.

Minor planets

Small planets are called celestial bodies, which also move around the Sun in their own orbits, but differ from other planets in insignificant sizes. Previously, only asteroids were included in them, but more recently, namely, since 2006, Pluto, which was previously included in the list of planets in the solar system and was the last, tenth, belongs to them. This is due to changes in terminology. Thus, the minor planets now include not only asteroids, but also dwarf planets - Eris, Ceres, Makemake. They were named plutoids after Pluto. The orbits of all known dwarf planets are beyond the orbit of Neptune, in the so-called Kuiper belt, which is much wider and more massive than the asteroid belt. Although their nature, as scientists believe, is the same: it is the "unused" material left after the formation of the solar system. Some scientists have suggested that the asteroid belt is the debris of the ninth planet, Phaeton, which died as a result of a global catastrophe.

Pluto is known to be composed primarily of ice and solid rock. The main component of its ice sheet is nitrogen. Its poles are covered with eternal snows.

This is the order of the planets of the solar system, according to modern ideas.

Parade of planets. Types of parades

This is a very interesting phenomenon for those who are interested in astronomy. It is customary to call a parade of planets such a position in the solar system, when some of them, continuously moving along their orbits, for a short time occupy a certain position for an earthly observer, as if lining up along one line.

The visible parade of planets in astronomy is a special position of the five brightest planets of the solar system for people who see them from Earth - Mercury, Venus, Mars, as well as two giants - Jupiter and Saturn. At this time, the distance between them is relatively small and they are clearly visible in a small sector of the sky.

There are two types of parades. A big one is its appearance when five celestial bodies line up in one line. Small - when there are only four of them. These phenomena can be visible or invisible from different areas. the globe. At the same time, a large parade is quite rare - once every few decades. The small one can be observed once every few years, and the so-called mini-parade, in which only three planets participate, is almost every year.

Interesting facts about our planetary system

Venus, the only one of all the major planets in the solar system, rotates around its axis in the opposite direction to its rotation around the Sun.

The most high mountain on the major planets of the solar system - Olympus (21.2 km, diameter - 540 km), an extinct volcano on Mars. Not so long ago, on the largest asteroid in our star system, Vesta, a peak was discovered that somewhat exceeds Olympus in terms of parameters. Perhaps it is the highest in the solar system.

Jupiter's four Galilean moons are the largest in the solar system.

In addition to Saturn, all gas giants, some asteroids and Saturn's moon Rhea have rings.

What system of stars is closest to us? The solar system is closest to star system triple star Alpha Centauri (4.36 light years). It is assumed that planets similar to Earth can exist in it.

To kids about planets

How to explain to children what the solar system is? Her model, which can be made with the kids, will help here. To create planets, you can use plasticine or ready-made plastic (rubber) balls, as shown below. In this case, it is necessary to observe the ratio between the sizes of the "planets" so that the model solar system really helped to form in children the correct ideas about space.

You will also need toothpicks to hold our heavenly bodies, and as a background, you can use a dark sheet of cardboard with small dots imitating stars applied with paint. With the help of such an interactive toy, it will be easier for children to understand what the solar system is.

The future of the solar system

The article described in detail what the solar system is. Despite its apparent stability, our Sun, like everything in nature, is evolving, but this process, by our standards, is very long. The supply of hydrogen fuel in its bowels is huge, but not infinite. So, according to the hypotheses of scientists, it will end in 6.4 billion years. As it burns out, the solar core will become denser and hotter, and the outer shell of the star will become wider and wider. The luminosity of the star will also increase. It is assumed that in 3.5 billion years, because of this, the climate on Earth will be similar to Venusian, and life on it in the usual sense for us will no longer be possible. There will be no water left at all; under the influence of high temperatures, it will evaporate into outer space. Subsequently, according to scientists, the Earth will be absorbed by the Sun and dissolved in its depths.

The outlook is not very bright. However, progress does not stand still, and, perhaps, by that time, new technologies will allow mankind to master other planets, over which other suns shine. After all, how many "solar" systems in the world, scientists do not yet know. There are probably countless of them, and among them it is quite possible to find one suitable for human habitation. Which "solar" system will become our new home is not so important. human civilization will be saved and another page will start in its history...