The group of giant planets is made up of four planets solar system- Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter. Since these huge planets are much farther away from the Sun than the smaller planets, they have another name - the outer planets.
Can be distributed Interesting Facts about giant planets in several categories. The first takes into account their structure and rotation. The second is devoted to the phenomena observed in their atmospheres. In the third, the presence of rings in the planets is noted. The fourth describes the presence of their satellites.
The structure of the giant planets and their rotation
Basically, the giant planets are formed from a complex mixture of gases - ammonia, hydrogen, methane and helium. According to scientists, these planets have small stone or metal cores.
Due to the huge mass of the object, the pressure in the bowels of the gas planet reaches millions of atmospheres. Its compression by the force of gravity releases significant energy. As a result of this factor, the giant planets release more heat than is absorbed from solar radiation.
Having dimensions much larger than the earth, such gas planets make a daily revolution in 9-17 hours. as for the average density of the giant planets, it is close to 1.4 g/cu. see - approximately equal to the solar.
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, has a mass greater than the total mass of all other planets. Probably, it was for this that he was named after the main god of the Roman Pantheon. Scientists believe that it is the rapid rotation of Jupiter that explains the location of clouds in its atmosphere - we observe them in the form of extended bands.
atmospheric phenomena
Among the interesting facts about the giant planets is the presence of powerful atmospheric shells, where processes that are extraordinary in terms of terrestrial concepts take place.
In the atmospheres of such planets, it is not uncommon strong winds with speeds in excess of 1,000 kilometers per hour.
Long-lived hurricane vortices are also observed there, for example, on Jupiter - a three-hundred-year-old Great Red Spot. The Great Dark Spot existed on Neptune for a long period, and spots of anticyclones are noted on Saturn.
Rings and satellites of the giant planets
The inconspicuousness of the “rim” of Jupiter is explained by its narrowness and the small size of dust particles in its composition.
The ring of Saturn is the most impressive in size - its diameter is 400 thousand kilometers, but the width of the ring is only a few tens of meters. The ring consists of pieces of ice and small stones rotating around the planet. These parts are separated by several gaps, which form several different rings encircling the planet.
Uranus's ring system is the second largest, and its "rim" is red, gray, and blue. It contains pieces of water ice and very dark debris no larger than a meter in diameter.
Neptune's ring contains five sub-rings, which are thought to be ice particles.
Jupiter's satellite system includes almost 70 objects. One of them - Ganymede, is considered the largest satellite in the solar system.
Researchers have discovered more than 60 moons of Saturn, Neptune has 27 moons, Neptune has 14, including Triton. The latter is notable for its retrograde orbit - the only one of all the large satellites of the solar system.
This satellite, as well as two other satellites of the gas planets - Titan and Io, have atmospheres.
Jupiter
Jupiter, the fifth largest planet from the Sun in the solar system, is the largest of the giant planets.
Movement, dimensions, shape
Jupiter moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit close to circular, the plane of which is inclined to the ecliptic plane at an angle of 1 ° 18.3 ". The minimum distance of Jupiter from the Sun is 4.95 AU, the maximum is 5.45 AU, the average - 5.2 AU (1 AU = 149.6 million km).
The equator is inclined to the plane of the orbit at an angle of 3 ° 5 "; due to the smallness of this angle, seasonal changes on Jupiter are very weak. Jupiter, moving around the Sun with average speed 13.06 km / s, makes one revolution in 11, 862 Earth years. The distance of Jupiter from the Earth varies from 188 to 967 million km. At opposition, Jupiter is visible as a slightly yellowish star of magnitude -2.6; of all the planets second in brilliance only to Venus and Mars during the great opposition of the latter.
Jupiter does not have a solid surface, therefore, speaking of its size, they indicate the radius of the upper boundary of the clouds, where the pressure is about 10 kPa; The radius of Jupiter at the equator is 71400 km. In the atmosphere of Jupiter, layers, or zones parallel to the plane of its equator, are clearly visible, rotating around the axis of the planet with different angular velocities. The equatorial zone rotates the fastest - its rotation period is 9 h 50 min 30 s, which is 5 min 11 s less than the rotation period of the polar zones. No other planet in the solar system rotates so fast.
The mass of Jupiter is 1.899 * 10 27 kg, which is 317.8 times the mass of the Earth, but the average density is 1.33 g / cm 3, that is, 4 times less than that of the Earth. The free fall acceleration at the equator is 23.5 m/s 2 .
In the temperate southern latitudes of Jupiter, the oval Great Red Spot slowly moves, the transverse dimensions of which are 30-40 thousand km. In a hundred years, it makes about 3 revolutions. The nature of this phenomenon is not entirely clear.
The structure and composition of Jupiter
Like other giant planets, Jupiter differs significantly in chemical composition from the planets terrestrial group. Absolutely dominant here are hydrogen and helium in a "solar" ratio of 3.4: 1, but in the center of the planet, according to existing models, there is a liquid core of molten metals and silicates, surrounded by a water-ammonia liquid shell. The radius of this core is about 1/10 of the radius of the planet, the mass is ~ 0.3-0.4 of its mass, the temperature is about 2500 K at a pressure of ~ 8000 GPa.
The flow of heat from the bowels of Jupiter is twice the energy it receives from the Sun. Due to the absence of a solid surface, Jupiter does not have an atmosphere as such. Its gas envelope consists mainly of hydrogen and helium, but there is also a small admixture of methane, water molecules, ammonia, etc.
Physical and chemical parameters
Thunderstorms in Jupiter's atmosphere. The presence of an ionosphere was also established, the length of which in height is about 3000 km.
Jupiter has a magnetic field. Its magnetic dipole moment is almost 12,000 times greater than the dipole moment of the Earth, but since the magnetic field strength is inversely proportional to the cube of the radius, and Jupiter has it by two orders of magnitude greater than that of the Earth, the strength near the surface of Jupiter is higher, compared to the Earth, only 5-6 times. The magnetic axis is inclined to the rotation axis by (10.2 ± 0.6)°. Dipole structure magnetic field dominates up to distances of the order of 15 planetary radii. Jupiter has a vast magnetosphere that is similar to Earth's, but magnified by about 100 times. There are radiation belts.
Moons of Jupiter
The first of the Galilean satellites, Io, is larger than the Moon. It has an atmosphere and ionosphere, consisting mainly of sulfur and sodium ions. Its volcanic activity is very active (more than on Earth). The dimensions of volcanic craters reach hundreds of kilometers, exceeding the earth's by tens and even hundreds of times, although the height of the volcanoes is relatively small. Only in the polar regions of Io there are volcanoes about 10 km high. Emissions of sulfur from volcanoes rise to a height of up to 250 km. According to a number of researchers, under the thin hard surface crust of the satellite, covered with a layer of sulfur and its dioxide, there may be liquid sulfur. The temperature near the surface of Io is about -120 ° C at the equator (except for volcanic regions) and another 50 ° lower at the poles. The relative scarcity of impact craters larger than 1-2 km allows us to consider the surface of Io relatively young (less than 1 million years).
However, not all of Jupiter's moons have smooth surfaces. Thus, the density of craters in some areas of Callisto, inferior in size to Ganymede, is close to the limit. In some areas, the edges of the craters are closed. One of the reasons for such a distribution of craters may be the fusibility of surface rocks (in particular, ice).
Jupiter ring
Jupiter has established the existence of a huge flat ring of dust and small stones, which, with a width of 6 km and a thickness of 1 km, extends up to tens of thousands of km from the top of the clouds.
The study of Jupiter and its satellites, which has already yielded many essentially new results, has also led to the formulation of a number of new problems. In particular, research on physical nature intense electric fields near the satellites closest to Jupiter.
Saturn
Saturn, the sixth from the Sun, the second largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter; refers to the giant planets.
Movement, dimensions, shape
Saturn's elliptical orbit has an eccentricity of 0.0556 and a mean radius of 9.539 AU. e. (1427 million km). The maximum and minimum distances from the Sun are approximately 10 and 9 AU. e. Distances from the Earth vary from 1.2 to 1.6 billion km. The inclination of the planet's orbit to the plane of the ecliptic is 2°29.4". The angle between the planes of the equator and the orbit reaches 26°44". Saturn moves in its orbit at an average speed of 2.64 km/s; The period of revolution around the Sun is 29.46 Earth years.
The planet does not have a solid surface, optical observations are hampered by the opacity of the atmosphere. For the equatorial and polar radii, the values of 60 thousand km and 53.5 thousand km are accepted. The average radius of Saturn is 9.1 times that of the Earth. In the earth's sky, Saturn looks like a yellowish star, the brightness of which varies from zero to the first magnitude. The mass of Saturn is 5.68 × 10 26 kg, which is 95.1 times the mass of the Earth; while the average density of Saturn, equal to 0.68 g/cm3, is almost an order of magnitude less than the density of the Earth. The free fall acceleration near the surface of Saturn at the equator is 9.06 m/s 2 . The surface of Saturn (cloud layer), like Jupiter, does not rotate as a whole. Tropical regions in the atmosphere of Saturn rotate with a period of 10 hours 14 minutes of Earth time, and at temperate latitudes this period is 26 minutes longer.
Structure and composition
The temperature in the middle layers of the atmosphere (predominantly hydrogen, although the presence of a small amount of helium, ammonia and methane) is about 100 K.
In terms of internal structure and composition, Saturn strongly resembles Jupiter. In particular, on Saturn in the equatorial region there is a formation similar to the Great Red Spot, although it is smaller than on Jupiter.
Two-thirds of Saturn is made up of hydrogen. At a depth approximately equal to R / 2, that is, half the radius of the planet, hydrogen at a pressure of about 300 GPa passes into the metallic phase. As further increase depth, starting from R/3, the proportion of hydrogen compounds and oxides increases. In the center of the planet (in the core region) the temperature is about 20,000 K.
Satellites of Saturn
All satellites, except for the huge Titan, which is larger than Mercury and has an atmosphere, are composed mainly of ice (with some admixture of rocks at Mimas, Dione and Rhea). Enceladus is unique in brightness - it reflects light, almost like freshly fallen snow. The darkest surface of Phoebe, which is therefore almost invisible. The surface of Iapetus is unusual: its front (in the direction of travel) hemisphere is very different in reflectivity from the back.
Of all the large moons of Saturn, only Hyperion has an irregular shape, possibly due to a collision with a massive body, such as a giant icy meteorite. The surface of Hyperion is heavily polluted. The surfaces of many moons are heavily cratered. So, on the surface of Dione, the largest ten-kilometer crater was discovered; on the surface of Mimas lies a crater whose shaft is so high that it is clearly visible even in photographs. In addition to craters, there are faults, furrows, and depressions on the surfaces of a number of satellites. The greatest tectonic and volcanic activity was found at Enceladus.
Ring of Saturn
Uranus
URANUS (astronomical sign I), planet, average distance from the Sun - 19.18 AU. e. (2871 million km), circulation period 84 years, rotation period approx. 17 hours, equatorial diameter 51,200 km, mass 8.7·10 25 kg, atmospheric composition: H 2 , He, CH 4 . The axis of rotation of Uranus is tilted at an angle of 98°. Uranus has 15 satellites (5 discovered from Earth - Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, and 10 discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft - Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Belinda, Pack ) and a system of rings.
Movement, dimensions, mass
Uranus moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit, the semi-major axis of which (mean heliocentric distance) is 19.182 more than that of the Earth, and is 2871 million km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 0.047, that is, the orbit is quite close to circular. The plane of the orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at an angle of 0.8°. Uranus completes one revolution around the Sun in 84.01 Earth years. The rotation period of Uranus is approximately 17 hours. The existing scatter in determining the values of this period is due to several reasons, of which two are the main ones: the gaseous surface of the planet does not rotate as a whole and, moreover, no noticeable local inhomogeneities have been found on the surface of Uranus, which would help to clarify the duration of the day on the planet.
Composition and internal structure
Like other giant planets, Uranus's atmosphere is primarily composed of hydrogen, helium and methane, although their relative contributions are somewhat lower compared to Jupiter and Saturn.
The theoretical model of the structure of Uranus is as follows: its surface layer is a gas-liquid shell, under which there is an icy (mixture of water and ammonia ice) mantle, and even deeper - a core of solid rocks. The mass of the mantle and core is approximately 85-90% of the total mass of Uranus. The zone of solid matter extends up to 3/4 of the radius of the planet
The temperature in the center of Uranus is close to 10,000 K at a pressure of 7-8 million atmospheres (one atmosphere corresponds approximately to one bar). At the core boundary, the pressure is approximately two orders of magnitude lower (about 100 kilobars). The effective temperature, determined by thermal radiation from the surface of the planet, is approx. 55 K.
Moons of Uranus
History of the discovery of Uranus
For many centuries, Earth astronomers knew only five "wandering stars" - planets. 1781 was marked by the discovery of another planet, named Uranus. This happened when the English astronomer W. Herschel embarked on a grandiose program: compiling a complete systematic survey of the starry sky. On March 13, near one of the stars in the constellation Gemini, Herschel noticed a curious object that was clearly not a star: its apparent size changed depending on the magnification of the telescope, and most importantly, its position in the sky changed. Herschel initially thought he had discovered new comet(his report at a meeting of the Royal Society on April 26, 1781 was called “Comet Report”), but the comet hypothesis soon had to be abandoned. In gratitude to George III, who appointed Herschel as Royal Astronomer, the latter proposed to name the planet "George's Star", however, in order not to violate the traditional connection with mythology, the name "Uranus" was adopted. The first few observations did not yet allow us to accurately determine the parameters of the orbit of the new planet, but, firstly, the number of these observations (in particular, in Russia, France and Germany) increased rapidly, and secondly, a careful study of the catalogs of past observations made it possible to verify that that the planet was repeatedly fixed before, but taken for a star, which also noticeably increased the number of data.
During the 30 years after the discovery of Uranus, the severity of interest in him periodically fell, but only for a while. The fact is that the increase in the accuracy of observations revealed mysterious anomalies in the motion of the planet: it either "lagged behind" the calculated one, then began to "ahead" it. The theoretical explanation of these anomalies led to new discoveries - the discovery of transuranium planets.
Neptune
NEPTUNE (astrological sign J), planet, average distance from the Sun 30.06 AU. e. (4500 million km), circulation period 164.8 years, rotation period 17.8 hours, equatorial diameter 49,500 km, mass 1.03.10 26 kg, atmospheric composition: CH 4, H 2, He. Neptune has 6 moons. It was discovered in 1846 by I. Galle according to the theoretical predictions of W. J. Le Verrier and J. C. Adams. The remoteness of Neptune from the Earth significantly limits the possibilities of its study.Neptune, the eighth largest planet from the Sun, is one of the giant planets.
Movement and parameters of the planet
Neptune moves around the Sun in an elliptical, close to circular (eccentricity - 0.009) orbit; its average distance from the Sun is 30.058 times greater than that of the Earth, which is approximately 4500 million km. This means that the light from the Sun reaches Neptune in a little over 4 hours. The duration of the year, that is, the time of one complete revolution around the Sun, is 164.8 Earth years. The equatorial radius of the planet is 24750 km, which is almost four times the radius of the Earth, moreover, its own rotation is so fast that a day on Neptune lasts only 17.8 hours. Although the average density of Neptune, equal to 1.67 g / cm 3, is almost three times less than that of the earth, its mass, due to the large size of the planet, is 17.2 times greater than that of the Earth. Neptune appears in the sky as a star of magnitude 7.8 (inaccessible to the naked eye); at high magnification, it looks like a greenish disk, devoid of any details. Neptune has a magnetic field that is about twice as strong at the poles as it is on Earth.
Composition and internal structure
Of all the elements on Neptune, hydrogen and helium predominate in approximately the same ratio as on the Sun: there are about 20 hydrogen atoms per helium atom. In the unbound state, there is much less hydrogen on Neptune than on Jupiter and Saturn. There are other elements, mostly light ones. On Neptune, as well as on other giant planets, a multilayer differentiation of matter occurred, during which an extended ice shell was formed, as on Uranus. According to theoretical estimates, there is both a mantle and a core. The mass of the core together with the ice shell, according to computational models, can reach 90% of the entire mass of the planet.
Moons of Neptune
Discovery history
After W. Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 and calculated the parameters of its orbit, rather soon mysterious anomalies were discovered in the motion of this planet - it either “lagged behind” the calculated one, or was ahead of it.
In 1832, in a report from the British Association for the Advancement of Science, J. Erie, who later became Astronomer Royal, noted that in 11 years the error in the position of Uranus had reached almost half a minute of an arc. Shortly after the report was published, Airy received a letter from the British amateur astronomer, the Rev. Dr. Hassey, suggesting that these anomalies were due to the influence of an as yet undiscovered "transuranium" planet. Apparently, this was the first proposal to look for a "disturbing" planet. Erie did not approve of Hassei's idea, and the search was not launched.
And a year before, a talented young student, J. K. Adams, noted in his notes: “At the beginning of this week, the idea arose to engage immediately after graduation in the study of anomalies in the motion of Uranus, which have not yet been explained. We must find whether they can be due to the influence of an undiscovered planet behind it and, if possible, determine at least approximately the elements of its orbit, which can lead to its discovery.
Adams got the opportunity to start solving this problem only two years later, and by October 1843 the preliminary calculations were completed. Adams decided to show them to Erie, but he was unable to meet with the Astronomer Royal. Adams had only to return to Cambridge, leaving for Erie the results of the calculations. For unknown reasons, Erie reacted negatively to Adams' work, at the price of which England lost priority in the discovery of a new planet.
Independently of Adams, W. J. Le Verrier worked on the problem of a transuranium planet in France. On November 10, 1845, he presented the results of his theoretical analysis of the motion of Uranus to the French Academy of Sciences, noting in conclusion about the discrepancy between observational and calculated data: “This can be explained by the influence of an external factor, which I will evaluate in the second treatise.”
Such estimates were made in the first half of 1846. The success of the case was helped by the assumption that the desired planet moves, in accordance with the empirical rule of Titius Bode, along an orbit whose radius is equal to three times the radius of the orbit of Uranus, and that the orbit has a very small inclination to the plane of the ecliptic. Le Verrier gave instructions on where to look new planet. Upon receiving Le Verrier's second treatise, Airy drew attention to the very close agreement between the results of Adams and Le Verrier's research regarding the motion of the supposed planet perturbing the motion of Uranus, and even emphasized this at a special meeting of the Greenwich Board of Inspectors. But he, as before, was in no hurry to start searching and began to bother about them only in July 1846, realizing what indignation his passivity could subsequently cause.
Meanwhile, on August 31, 1846, Le Verrier completed another study, in which the final system of elements of the orbit of the desired planet was obtained and its place in the sky was indicated. But in France, as in England, astronomers did not start searching, and on September 18, Le Verrier turned to I. Galle, an assistant at the Berlin Observatory, who, having received permission from the director of the observatory, on September 23, together with student D "Arre, began searching. In the first the same evening the planet was discovered, it was only 52" from the supposed place.
The news of the discovery of the planet "at the tip of the pen", which was one of the brightest triumphs of celestial mechanics, soon spread throughout scientific world. According to established tradition, the planet was named Neptune in honor of the ancient god.
For about a year, there was a struggle between France and England for the priority of opening, to which, as often happens, the heroes themselves had no direct relationship. In particular, a complete understanding was established between Adams and Le Verrier, and they remained friends until the end of their lives.
Our solar system itself is amazing and beautiful. Each planet is unique in its own way, it seems that we all know about them. But every year technology is getting better and astronomers are still doing interesting discoveries providing new facts about the planets. AT school curriculum information about the planets was included, as well as interesting facts about them. Then there were still 9 planets, but since 2006, the Astronomical Union excluded Pluto from this list. This is explained by the fact that this planet was too small in size and was very far from the sun. Now in its place is the planet Neptune. Oddly enough, the lightest planet is one of the giants - Saturn. There is a theory that if Saturn is placed in water, it will not sink. Of course, this statement cannot be confirmed in any way due to the impossibility of the experiment. There is a very curious fact about the Earth, the movement of the planet slows down every day, because of this, the Moon moves away from the Earth by 4 centimeters annually.
Let's look at each planet separately.
1. If we call the Earth a huge living organism, we will not be mistaken. Our planet is able to independently regulate the temperature, consume energy, renew itself and breathe.
2. The speed of our planet, although imperceptibly, is 107 km per hour.
3. The earth is compared to a metal ball, which is in a stone shell. The moon plays a key role in everything that concerns our planet. It is thanks to her that there are suitable climatic conditions that allows us all to exist.
4. It is very interesting that gravity in some parts of the planet is lower or higher than in others. This will make you feel like you are heavier or lighter in certain parts of the world. For example, in India, gravity is lower than in the southern part of the ocean. Scientists still cannot explain why this happens. This fact became famous when in 2002 NASA launched the GRACE satellite, which measures the gravitational field. It seems that in the future, the Earth will open its secret veils even more.
5. Some researchers claim that the earth once had two satellites, that is, two moons.
Mercury closest to the sun
1. The planet, compared to others, is very fast, which is why it got its name in the name of the Roman fleet-footed god Mercury.
2. The size of the planet did not come out, it is no larger than the moon, the equator is only 4879 km.
3. Some scientists believe that Mercury was once a satellite of Venus, but, as a result of a certain cosmic catastrophe, it "escaped" and acquired its own orbit.
4. 1 day on the planet is equal to 176 Earth days, and the year is only 88 days.
5. An amazing phenomenon can be observed on Mercury: two sunrises and two sunsets. In a certain place you can watch three sunrises and three sunsets.
Planet Venus - Evening Star
1. A day on this planet is longer than a year. One day is 243 ours, and a year is 225 days.
2. During sunset, you can see the shadow of Venus. It can be seen for only a few hours, which is why it was called the Evening Star.
3. It is very cloudy on this planet - that the sun cannot be seen through them. Rain is made up of sulfuric acid.
4. Venus is the hottest planet, the temperature reaches 475 degrees Celsius. For example, lead melts at 327 degrees.
5. Life is impossible on this planet, for one main reason - the atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide.
Red planet - Mars
1. The planet got its name in honor of the Roman god of war Mars, just like the blood and the planet are of the same color.
2. Most high mountain Olympus in the solar system is located on this planet. The height of the mountain reaches 27.4 km.
3. It is impossible to be on Mars without a space suit. Very strong pressure can turn blood into gas bubbles.
4. The lethal doses of radiation to which the planet is exposed also make life on Mars impossible. Radiations occur due to the absence of the ozone layer.
5. Mars once had water. Scientists have discovered dried up riverbeds and some minerals that cannot appear without water.
Gas giant Jupiter
1. If the earth is a cherry tomato, then Jupiter is a watermelon. So you can compare these two planets. Jupiter could fit 1300 planets like our Earth.
2. Despite the fact that Jupiter is a giant planet, it is also a fast planet itself. Jupiter rotates around its axis in 20 hours. But around the sun 12 years.
3. Jupiter has the largest number of satellites, there are only 60 of them, maybe more. All satellites rotate in the opposite direction of the planet.
4. There is a huge red spot on the planet, which is nothing but an anticyclone. It appeared about 400 years ago, and maybe more. It was discovered by astronomer J. Cassini in 1665, then its dimensions are determined by tens of thousands of kilometers in length and width. Now the spot has almost halved.
5. Jupiter knows how to "speak." The planet makes very strange sounds, similar to speech. They are called electromagnetic voices.
Amazing planet - Saturn
1. Telescopes are not needed to see the planet. It is enough to look at the sky on a clear night, the most bright Star is Saturn.
2. Saturn is the most beautiful planet solar system. The surface of the planet has a blue tint, the rings are bright and truly beautiful.
3. Bad weather in Saturn is a frequent guest. They are similar to earth, only much stronger. During bad weather, huge funnels form on the surface of the planet.
4. Spaceship, which was sent to study Saturn, was able to remove the rarest phenomenon - the northern lights. Prior to this, the northern lights were observed on the ground.
5. No matter how beautiful the planet is, it is not suitable for people. Since hydrogen is first in liquid, then goes into solid state, which means terrible death for any person who got there - to be flattened.
Green planet Uranus
1. The planet was named after the Greek god of the sky, and 27 satellites of Uranus were named after the heroes of the works of W. Shakespeare and A. Pope.
2. 80% of the planet is ice, so permafrost -200 degrees is a faithful companion of the planet.
3. The planet is surrounded by 13 rings, gloomy, there is an assumption that they came from the remains of the satellite of Uranus.
4. Due to the small amount of methane in the air of the planet, it has a green tint.
5. Terrible storms are frequent guests on the planet. Their size is equal to our North America.
The giant planets are four planets that cannot be confused with the four terrestrial planets, not only in their size, but also in their chemical components. Look at the photo.
The giant planets are huge, gaseous, rich in hydrogen and rarefied, but the planets of the Earth group, on the contrary, are small, dense, solid and poor in hydrogen. You will learn interesting facts that are known to scientists about the giant planets. All the most interesting and unusual about the mysterious large planets.
Chemical composition
The chemical components of the giant planets are similar to the chemical components of the universe, they are basically composed of helium and hydrogen.
But the planets of the Earth group have a completely different composition - the Earth does not have the wealth of hydrogen that the Universe has.
The most extreme (outer) planet of the sun. system is the giant Pluto. He is a rare exception to general scheme- the chemical components of this planet are close to the Earth group, but its dimensions are closer to the sizes of the giant group. Most likely, it can be compared with satellites of distant planets.
So, the giant planets in our system: Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn.
Such planets are much larger than the planets of our Earth group, many times, for example, the smallest member of this group (Uranus) is almost fifteen times larger than our home planet (to be more precise, fourteen and a half times).
The largest planet is Jupiter
The largest, even among the giant planets, is Jupiter. The name of this planet was coined by ancient astronomers. That was the name ancient chapter the entire Roman pantheon of gods. Jupiter is the fifth planet closest to the sun. Its atmosphere is about eighty-four percent hydrogen and fifteen percent helium. In addition, there are small patches of acetylene, ethane, ammonia, phosphine, methane, and water vapor.
Jupiter is covered by a shell of an ocean of hydrogen. The huge difference between Jupiter and other planets is that Jupiter emits radio emission, which we can register here on Earth.
The surface of the giant planets is neither solid nor liquid.
At the very top of the surface are gases, which, approaching the center of the planet, turn into a liquid state.
By the way, it is precisely this phenomenon that allows us to say that the giant planets do not have a surface, that is, about a state when there is no obvious transition from a gaseous to a solid or liquid state.
In view of the fact that the surface of the planets themselves is not completely solid, the rotation of the planet itself does not occur entirely, but, as it were, in layers. The equatorial zone is subject to the fastest rotation, and the zone of poles is the slowest zone of rotation.
Satellites of the major planets
Each giant planet has its own satellites.
In total, the planet Jupiter is known to date about fifteen satellites.
The planet Saturn has seventeen moons.
The planet Uranus has five satellites.
And Neptune has two moons.
All these satellites are called moons. So, for some of their named moons, the dimensions are the same as those of our Moon, those of the Earth, and sometimes even several times larger than our Moon in area.
The largest satellites of any giant planet (for example, Titan, Io, Ganymede) have a rarefied atmosphere around them. Smaller satellites, the size of which is equal to or smaller than the Moon, have no atmosphere at all. Actually, there are forty-four satellites in total.
The satellite system of any giant planets is similar to the solar system, but in a smaller size. The greatest similarity to our system is the satellite system of the planet Jupiter. By the way, the origin of the satellites themselves is similar to the formation of planetary systems, but meanwhile, there is a theory that some of the satellites used to be independent celestial bodies, which were later simply caught by the gravity (gravity) of other planets, when the satellites just passed close by those same planets.
planetary rings
Most people know that the giant planet Saturn has its own rings.
However, few people know that other giant planets also have rings, which, however, are not as pronounced as those of the planet Saturn. For the rest of the planets, these rings are very poorly distinguishable when viewed with the naked eye and an untrained person.
Each giant planet has its own solid core in the center.
By the standards of the giant planets themselves, this core is quite small, but if we compare these cores with the cores of the terrestrial planets, then any of them is much larger than the cores of the terrestrial planets.
And here is another interesting fact about Jupiter!
The attraction on Jupiter is somewhat different than on Earth. If on our planet a person weighs about one hundred kilograms, then on Jupiter his weight will be two hundred and sixty-four kilograms.
And the planet itself is much larger than the earth - three hundred and eighteen times, and the core of Jupiter is eleven times larger than the Earth's. Jupiter weighs more than the mass of all other planets in the solar system by seventy percent.
Jupiter's rotation speed is much greater than the speed of any other planet in our suns. systems. This is probably why a day on Jupiter lasts only ten hours. However, Jupiter will need twelve Earth years to complete its revolution around the sun.
Surely you managed to notice from the pictures that 1 large reddish spot is visible on Jupiter?
This spot is nothing more than a storm that has been going on for three hundred years.
Do not miss. . .
Are you beckoned by distant stars? Are you looking to the sky with hope? Even if far, far away galaxies, quasars and black holes do not appeal to you, there are many facts about our neighbor, the huge planet Jupiter. And these facts may be of interest to anyone. Did you know that Jupiter could become a second Sun, but for some reason this did not happen? Before you - 25 amazing facts about the twin of our luminary.
One of the brightest
Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the sky (when viewed from Earth). Only the Sun, Moon and Venus are brighter.
The Babylonians were the first to notice him
The inhabitants of ancient Babylon were the first to record the presence of a planet in the sky. This happened in the 8th century BC, that is, almost three thousand years ago.
different name
Although the planet is named after the supreme god of the ancient Roman pantheon, the Greeks called it Zeus, and Germanic tribes- Thor.
The shortest day
Jupiter makes a complete revolution on its axis in 9 hours 56 minutes. Because of this speed, the day on the giant is the shortest in the solar system.
Jupiter shape
Jupiter has a slightly flattened shape due to its rapid rotation.
Slow movement
From the point of view of earthlings, Jupiter moves in orbit very slowly: for a complete revolution around the Sun, Jupiter takes 11 years.
hurricane on the planet
The Great Red Spot is a colossal hurricane on Jupiter that has been raging for three centuries. It can fit three planets, the size of the Earth.
Sulfur and ammonia
Jupiter's upper atmosphere is mostly composed of sulfur and ammonia. If you could breathe it in, it would smell terrible.
What's under the clouds?
Beneath the clouds are hydrogen and helium, which make up Jupiter.
Jupiter core
Little is known about Jupiter's core. Under pressure, the gas becomes a liquid, but there is no evidence that the surface of the planet's core is solid.
Loser Star
Jupiter is called the "Loser Star". The fact is that, like most stars, it consists of hydrogen and helium. However, Jupiter was not large enough to start a thermonuclear reaction.
thermonuclear reaction
In the sun, hydrogen is broken down into atoms and converted into helium. This process requires a lot of internal pressure and mass. A little more, and Jupiter became the second star in our system.
The concentration of water inside the planet
There is water inside Jupiter, but its concentration is extremely low.
gannymede
One of Jupiter's moons, Ganymede, is the largest moon in the solar system. Moreover, it is larger than the planet Mercury.
69 moons
Jupiter has 69 moons. This is more than any other planet. Only Saturn can come close to this figure - it has 62 moons. The amazing thing is that the moons of the gas giants are still being discovered by scientists.
Moons of Galilee
The four largest moons of Jupiter are referred to as the "Moons of Galileo": Io, Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. If they circled the Sun, they would be classified as dwarf planets (like Pluto).
The biggest
Jupiter is twice the size of all the planets in the solar system combined.
Rings of the planet Jupiter
Although the rings of Saturn and Uranus are more visible, the rings of Jupiter are no less interesting: they are at an altitude of 100,000 km above the atmosphere to the mark of 250,000 km. The width of the rings is 12,000 km.
windmill
Jupiter is a very windy place. The wind speed in its atmosphere can reach almost 1000 km/h.
Slightly baked
Although the temperature in Jupiter's upper clouds is about -145°C, the temperature at its core is almost 24,000°C. That's hotter than the surface of the Sun!
Gravity
The force of gravity on the surface of Jupiter is 2.5 times greater than on Earth.
The most powerful magnetic field
Jupiter has the most powerful magnetic field in the solar system. The reason for this is called the ocean of liquid hydrogen, which is located in the thickness of its atmosphere.
About Europa - the satellite of Jupiter
On Jupiter's moon Europa, liquid water has been found under an ice shell. It has more water than the entire planet Earth.
1300 planets instead of one
Jupiter will hold 1,300 Earth-sized planets.
Juno and her mission
From 1979 to 2007, 8 NASA spacecraft visited Jupiter. Now the Juno apparatus is studying the planet and its history.
Jupiter is huge, but it holds its secrets well, and it's safe to say that we still have a lot to learn about it. wonderful world and his companions.
The giant planets include the four planets of the solar system - Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter. They are distinguished from the rest of the terrestrial planets not only by their huge size, but also chemical composition. Read interesting facts about the giant planets in our article.
According to the structure of the giant planets, they are gaseous, they contain a lot of hydrogen and helium, they are rarefied and they are distinguished by their large sizes. the only exception to the four planets mentioned above is Pluto, since chemical elements its shells are close to the terrestrial planets. But among the defining difference between these planets, of course, is the size - even the smallest Uranus is fifteen times larger than the Earth.
All giant planets have a large number of satellites, which are called moons. In comparison to Earth's only moon, Jupiter has over 60 small moons.
Everyone remembers that Saturn is famous for its rings, but not everyone knows about the presence of the same rings in the other four planets, they have a slightly different chemical composition and are less distinguishable, however, when observing giants using astronomical technology, it allows them to be seen .
Like the Earth, the giant planets rotate around their axis and around the solar system, but their rotation has a slightly different character, which is due to the gaseous structure, so the rotation zone is represented by layers, the most fast speed turnover is characterized by the zone of the equator, or the middle, the slowest movement occurs in the zones of the poles.
The largest of the giant planets is Jupiter, named after the famous Roman god. The attraction on this planet is much greater than on our Earth, and the weight of Jupiter exceeds the masses of other planets by 70 percent. It is also characterized by high rotation speeds, if we compare the duration of the day with the Earth, then on Jupiter it is equal to ten hours.
