Which planet is the heaviest in the solar system. What is the largest planet in the solar system
Stars, comets, asteroids and meteorites have fascinated people since the beginning of time. Priests prayed to celestial idols, astrologers predicted fate based on the trajectory of planets, astronomers studied constellations.
The ancient Romans and Greeks showed special respect to Jupiter. IN Ancient Rome he personified supreme god, and among the Greeks he was considered the king of Olympus. Decent place, considering that Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
Gas giant
At the center of our star system is brightest star– The Sun, around which Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Mercury, Mars, Earth, Venus and Jupiter revolve. All planets are very interesting, and each has its own distinctive characteristics. The largest of them is Jupiter.
It has a number unusual features:
- consists entirely of gas. Almost 90% is hydrogen, about 10% is helium, the remaining insignificant part is methane, sulfur, ammonia and water vapor;
- colossal pressure has been recorded in the lower layers of the atmosphere, causing the gas to pass into liquid state, and the core of Jupiter is metallic hydrogen;
- it weighs 2.5 times more than all the other planets of the solar system combined, 318 times heavier than the Earth;
- its diameter is 1.39 thousand km! This means that Jupiter can easily fit 1,300 planets like our native Earth. It’s hard to even imagine such a huge scale;
- force magnetic field This celestial body exceeds the strength of the earth's by 20 thousand times and is the largest in the solar system. This poses, as yet, insurmountable difficulties for a thorough study of the planet, since no aircraft can get close enough;
- Its rotation speed is the highest of all the studied planets in the galaxy. The length of a day on Jupiter is less than 10 Earth hours. This, combined with its incredible size and gaseous state, leads to the flattening of the celestial body;
- the temperature in the lower layer of the troposphere is minus 150°C, and in the upper layers of the atmosphere is plus 730°C;
- The gas giant is known for its endless storms of terrible force. Whirlwinds rush from at breakneck speed 640 km/h! But the most amazing hurricane has been observed by astronomers since the end of the 17th century. It was called the Great Red Spot, has not been interrupted for more than 300 years, and is 3 times larger in size than the Earth’s diameter;
- Jupiter is many millions of kilometers away from Earth, but due to its impressive size, it is visible to the naked eye. With a medium-power telescope, you can see the surface of the giant, the Great Red Spot, rings and satellites.
Jupiter is not only the largest planet in the solar system, but also one of the largest planets in the universe known to scientists today.
The most...
Jupiter is exclusive in its own way. It is the largest planet in the solar system and has the strongest magnetic field. Jupiter is the fastest rotating planet, with the sharpest temperature difference - almost 900°C.
Not only in the Galaxy, but throughout the entire infinite space, it is difficult to find such a celestial body.
Moons and rings of Jupiter
A total of 67 satellites of Jupiter have been discovered. The first 4 - Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede - were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. They are named Galilean in his honor. They are also the largest.
Ganymede is larger than all known satellites, even larger than planets such as Mercury and Pluto. Io is the only satellite in the Universe that has its own magnetic field, and it is also the most volcanically active celestial body known. The entire surface of the Europa satellite is covered with ice. Callisto is incredibly low reflective, leading scientists to believe it is a huge piece of colorless rock.
Also in 1979, the Voyager research probe discovered 3 faint rings around Jupiter.
Jupiter, together with its satellites, is very reminiscent of the Solar System in miniature. Therefore, most scientists in the world agree that after millions of years, Jupiter will be able to regenerate into a Star and become the center of another system in the Universe. Satellites around the planet may turn into celestial bodies with conditions suitable for life.
Other giants of the solar system
In addition to Jupiter, our system has 3 more major planets:
- Saturn. Its diameter is slightly inferior to Jupiter and is 116 thousand km. It is 95 times heavier than the Earth, is in a gaseous state, and the speed of storms on its surface is 1800 km/h. Has 62 satellites.
- Uranus has a diameter of 50.7 thousand km, it is relatively “light” - only 14 times heavier than the Earth, gaseous, winds rush across its surface at a breakneck speed - 900 km/h, the year on Uranus is 84 earthly years, has 27 satellites.
- Neptune is another large planet with a diameter of 49.2 thousand km. It also consists of gases 17 times heavier than Earth. The wind speed here reaches 2100 km/h and is the most significant in the Universe. Has 14 satellites.
All the largest planets in the solar system, in addition to their enormous sizes, have such common features:
- gaseous state (the main components are hydrogen and helium);
- low density;
- Very high speed rotation, which leads to some flattening of the planets from the poles;
- powerful gravitational field;
- a large number of satellites.
Queen of the Universe
Many people are interested in which planet is the largest in the entire vast space. In 2006, scientists at the Lovell Observatory in Arizona, USA, received an answer to this question. In the Hercules system they discovered giant planet. There are not enough epithets in the modern Russian language to describe its size. It's impossible to imagine. She is a huge giantess; compared to her, even Jupiter seems like a baby. They named it succinctly and completely unromantically - TrES-4.
Although the diameter of the newly discovered planet is several times larger than the giant Jupiter, it is inferior in weight to it, which is explained by the very low density of the gaseous substance from which the giantess is “built”. You cannot descend to the planet, you can only literally dive into it. Scientists around the world are at a loss as to how TrES-4 can exist at such a density without being dispersed in interstellar space.
The giant ball of gas is heated to 1300°C and is very similar to the Sun. For some time it was even considered a star, but then it was proven that TrES-4 is a planet. It orbits its star, GSC02620-00648, 1,400 light-years away.
The above facts indicate that the endless expanses of space keep their secrets in silence. While exploring airless space, scientists encounter inexplicable and mysterious phenomena; most questions still remain unanswered.
The solar system is one of the most complex and incredibly interesting structures to study, both by specialists in this field and simply by amateurs. space theme. It is only a small part of the entire galaxy. Not only the history of the appearance of space objects is striking, but also their dimensions. What is the name of the largest planet solar system- not the Sun, it is 300 times larger than the Earth, and its diameter is 11 times larger than the Earth’s.
What is a planet
Before talking about which planet is the largest, it is worth understanding the concept of this object. A planet is a massive celestial body orbiting a star. The heart of the solar system is the Sun, formed about 4.57 billion years ago by the gravitational compression of a cloud of gas and dust. This bright star is the main source of light and heat, both on Earth and other planets.
How many planets are there in the solar system
The system is divided into internal and external groups. The closest to the Sun are the inner planets and small, compared to the stars, asteroids. The closest location is Mercury. It is the fastest moving celestial body in the system. Mars is famous for its red surface. The temperature of Venus reaches 400 degrees, making it one of the hottest. And the planet with the confirmed presence of life is the Earth, which has a natural satellite – the Moon.
Major planets of the solar system
The outer zone consists of larger planets. Among its heavy giants are Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter. They are located at a greater distance from the Sun than the inner group, due to which they have a colder climate and are characterized by icy winds. Astronomers classify the planets Uranus and Neptune into the “Ice Giants” category. All stars in the outer region have their own ring system.
Saturn
Saturn has the most extensive system of rings and belts. Their main components are particles of ice, heavy elements and dust. The planet itself consists of hydrogen with helium, water, methane, ammonia and other elements. Wind speeds on Saturn reach 1,800 kilometers per hour, which can cause whirlwinds. The planet is being studied by a research station whose tasks include analyzing the structure of the rings. Saturn has 62 moons, the most famous of which is Titan.
Uranus
The coldest giant is Uranus. His low temperature associated with a distant location from the Sun. The surface of Uranus is mainly covered with ice and rocks, and the structure of the atmosphere includes hydrogen and helium. Clouds of solid ammonia, hydrogen and ice were also detected. This planet is distinguished by its axis of rotation, with a characteristic position “on its side.” She turns to the Sun, now northern, now south pole, equator and middle latitudes. This object has characteristics seasonal changes in the form of increased weather activity. Uranus has 27 satellites.
Neptune
Large size Neptune possesses and is the fourth largest planet in diameter. The strongest winds rage in its atmosphere, which can reach 2100 kilometers per hour, and the temperature is close to 220 degrees minus. In addition, traces of methane are observed in its atmosphere, giving blue tint. In 1989, the Voyager 2 expedition discovered a large dark spot. Neptune has 13 satellites, including Triton. It was opened in the 20th century. The remaining celestial bodies were discovered later.
Jupiter
When asked which planet has the largest mass, we can safely say Jupiter. The largest planet in the solar system has upper layer, consisting of hydrogen, methane, ammonia and water. A number of phenomena have been recorded in Jupiter's atmosphere, including storms, lightning and auroras. The vortices on the planet rush at incredible speeds - up to 640 kilometers per hour. As a result of a major storm, a large red spot formed on the surface of Jupiter, which became one of the main features of the giant. And due to the huge size of the planet, its parts rotate with at different speeds.
What is the largest planet
Since 1970, 8 spacecraft have been studying the largest and heaviest planet, Jupiter: the National Aeronautics and Research Administration outer space", "Voyagers", "Pioneers", "Galileo" and others. This giant has a heavy mass that is 300 times greater than that of the Earth. The largest planet in the solar system has the largest number of satellites - 69. Among them are the large Galileans - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were discovered by the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610.
Statistical data
Below are the main characteristics of the largest planet in the solar system:
- weight: 1.8981 x 1027 kilograms;
- volume - 1.43128 × 1015 cubic kilometers;
- surface area - 6.1419 x 1010 square kilometers;
- average circumference - 4.39264 x 105 kilometers;
- density 1.326 grams per cubic centimeter;
- conventional orbital speed – 13.07 kilometers per second;
- inclination relative to the ecliptic plane – 1.03 degrees;
- apparent magnitude – 2.94 meters;
- surface pressure - 1 bar.
Is life possible on Jupiter?
Jupiter is a gas giant with virtually no water necessary for the formation of life processes. In addition, it does not have a solid surface, which allows organisms to develop other than microscopic masses. And due to the low temperature, reaching 175 degrees minus, organisms can freeze. The only space on the planet suitable for the development of life is the cloud tops, which are resistant to solar radiation. This may refer to free-floating organisms.
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Those who travel know that if you devote your whole life to this activity, there will still be a piece, a section, or even a huge piece of the Earth that remains unexplored. It seems as if our planet is full of endless spaces. The task of closing your eyes and imagining the whole thing feels like an impossible task. Meanwhile, the Earth belongs to the type of space objects that can be called “small planets of the solar system.” Scientifically, they are designated as terrestrial planets, quite modest on a universal scale. Our Earth would seem even more infinite if its dimensions approached the parameters of the gas giants, which will be discussed below.
Classification
First, let's consider the principle underlying what types of planets astronomy divides. The solar system is divided by the Main into two parts. The first includes Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The second is Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, followed by Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. The first four are the terrestrial planets. In addition to their location, they are united by their structure: they consist of compounds of metals and silicon, have a core, mantle and crust. Earth is the largest planet in the solar system in this group.
The four behind the Asteroid Belt are the so-called gas giants. As the name implies, they are huge, significantly larger in size than the terrestrial planets. However, their most important difference lies in the composition of the substance that forms such space objects. This is a mixture of gases: hydrogen, helium, ammonia, methane. This structure makes the giants fundamentally different from the Earth and planets similar to it.
Ninth
As for Pluto, in 2006 it was “demoted” to a dwarf planet and classified as an object in the Kuiper belt, a structure quite distant from the Earth, which, however, does not yet end with the Solar System. Pluto, according to scientists, does not meet one of the points of the accepted definition of a planet: it does not have enough mass to clear its orbit of other bodies. Apparently, in composition it is close to the bodies of the Kuiper belt, ice blocks formed by frozen methane and nitrogen.
Now in our system there are only eight planets and several more dwarf planets, which will never grow up to become “brothers”.
Which planet is the largest in the solar system?
Obviously, the most impressive should be sought among the gas giants. However, every schoolchild today knows the answer to the question “which planet is the largest in the solar system.” This is Jupiter - the first magnificent giant beyond the Main Asteroid Belt, which probably played a role in the emergence of life on Earth, protecting it from meteorites throughout its existence.
Amazing dimensions
Again, it is extremely difficult to understand how huge Jupiter is if you try to imagine an object 1,300 times the volume of Earth. Comparisons come to the rescue: Jupiter is a planet in the solar system, larger than our house in size, like a pea. The storm that broke out in the atmosphere of the giant is so large that it can cover all the terrestrial planets except Mercury combined.
It is not only the size that is striking, but also the speed of rotation of Jupiter. It makes one revolution around its axis in just 10 hours and moves at a speed of 45,300 km/h. At the same time, the giant’s orbit takes 12 years. And this is also quite fast, considering how far it is from the Sun (five times further than the Earth).
Ephemeral surface
Many schoolchildren, having learned which planet in the solar system is the largest, wondered how long it would be possible to walk and travel around it. And these dreams continued until they learned that no one would ever be able to set foot on the surface of the planet. Jupiter is surrounded by an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium in a ratio of 9:1. It smoothly flows into liquid hydrogen. There is essentially no boundary between the atmosphere and the surface; it is designated conventionally by the level of pressure.
Clouds and spots
If you look closely at photographs of Jupiter, it is easy to notice that the planet has a “characteristic appearance.” The recognizable striped pattern of the upper layers of the atmosphere is made up of stable clouds: light zones alternate with reddish-brown belts. Between them wedge powerful atmospheric flows, or scientifically called jets. Basically it's the winds enormous power. Their direction either coincides with the movement of the planet or is opposite to it. Clouds, light and dark, as well as jets are conventionally designated as geographical objects on the equally conventional surface of the gas giant.
Main sign
The surface of Jupiter is characterized by another phenomenon. This is the Great Red Spot. It can be called a special sign of the planet. There are no similar formations, equally bright and persistent, on other space objects in the Solar System. Scientists suggest that the Great Red Spot is a giant storm in the atmosphere. It moves around the planet, changing longitude, but strictly adhering to the same latitude, for at least the last 350 years. The spot is characterized by changes in size: it either increases to enormous sizes, or is reduced by half.
Spacecraft studies have confirmed the astronomers' hypothesis: the Great Red Spot is a huge anticyclone rotating counterclockwise at a speed of one revolution every six days.
The giant's associates
There are many interesting processes taking place on Jupiter, but it is worth mentioning its “brothers.” The second largest planet is Saturn. There is hardly a person who cannot identify him in the image of all the objects of the Solar System. His distinguishing feature- noticeable rings. By the way, all gas giants have similar formations, like satellites. best known for their impressiveness. They consist of ice particles with a small admixture of heavy elements and dust.
The composition of Saturn is similar to that of Jupiter: hydrogen, helium, methane, ammonia, and various impurities. On the surface of the planet visible from space, formations that are as stable as on Jupiter do not form. Much stronger winds rage here.
Frost giants
Next after Saturn is Uranus, then Neptune. Astronomers combine them into a separate subgroup because in their depths there is no metallic hydrogen, characteristic of Jupiter and Saturn, but there is a lot of ice in high-temperature modifications. Perhaps the most unusual characteristic of Uranus is the tilt of its axis. The planet seems to lie on its side and therefore the Sun illuminates mainly not the equatorial zone, but alternately the North and South Pole.
Neptune has the strongest winds. Its surface is characterized by a formation similar to the Great Red Spot. It was called the "Great Dark Spot".
So, the answer to the question “which planet is the largest in the solar system” sounds simple: it is Jupiter. Hidden behind this short word is a huge mass, strong winds, the Great Red Spot. It is followed by Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, each is unique in its own way, and modern astronomy knows something interesting about each. The entire solar system with all its objects and structures, even compared to the giant Jupiter, is huge. And this corner of the Universe largely remains shrouded in mystery for us. A lot of information, including about gas giants, now remains unexplained; some theories require further development. We can say with confidence that many more discoveries await us, related both to the largest planets of the system, and to more modest ones in size.
Today, scientists know only one large solar system in which our planet is located. It was formed 4.6 billion years ago. Stellar clouds of matter began to thicken in the Galaxy. Because of this, a large amount of thermal energy gradually began to be generated. During education high temperature and density, began to form nuclear reactions, which provoked the formation of various gases and helium. These flows triggered the formation of the star we now call the Sun. The process of its creation took about several tens of millions of years.
Due to the high temperature, star dust accumulated in dense compounds, forming individual planets with its structure. Since the formation of all the planets and satellites of the solar system, no significant changes have been observed.
Heliocentric theory of world construction
In the second century AD, a scientist from Alexandria put forward a hypothesis about the location of our planet. It was from this that all scientists started, until the end of the fifteenth century. According to his theory, our planet was at the very center of the universe, and all other planets, including the Sun, could only rotate around its axis. But only thanks painstaking work Nicolaus Copernicus, this hypothesis was a disastrous failure. His observations were published only after his death, so the astronomer never received world recognition. His observations were able to prove the fact that the Sun 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 much observation and research, it turned out that the planet farthest from the Sun does not rotate along a given trajectory at all. She is constantly in one position and does not move at all. Only with the onset of 2006, at 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 milky way, which is located in our Galaxy. It is located on its outskirts, and is located at a distance of thirty thousand light years from its central point. The solar system includes the Sun itself, as well as numerous planets, satellites and asteroids that 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 the four planets that are closest to the surface of the Sun. This:
Mercury;
Their sizes in relation to other planets are not so large, and the surface is covered with a rocky hard crust.
The second type includes giant planets:
These are those planets that mainly consist of a cluster various gases. They are located almost in the same plane. From the North Pole, you 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, there are always unexplored areas of space in the universe that can hide huge secrets. Perhaps in a few decades, scientists will be able to reach the most hidden corners.
Space is fraught with many mysteries. With the naked eye, we can only see a tiny 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 in size than our home planet. What are they, the largest planets in the solar system?
Diameter: 2,326 km
Opens a list of the largest planets in the Solar System. It is the second largest cosmic object after Pluto and the furthest dwarf planet from the Sun. Previously, Eris was called Xena. For some time it claimed to be the tenth planet in the solar system, but in 2006, along with Pluto, it was classified as a dwarf planet. For a long time It was believed that Eris was larger in size than Pluto, but latest research, taken by the New Horizons spacecraft, proved 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, it was one of the nine planets of the solar system. In 2006, after much debate, by decision of the International Astronomical Union, it was deprived of its status as an ordinary planet. Pluto is now considered the largest dwarf planet. It is one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects. Composed of ice and rock, 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 Nix.
In 2006, automatic space station New Horizons, which aims to study Pluto and Charon. The device safely reached the planet's orbit and transmitted to Earth the collected data and photographs of Pluto and all its satellites.
Diameter: 2,372 km.
Diameter: 4879 km
It occupies 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 length of a day on Mercury is 176 Earth days, and all due to the slow rotation of the planet around its axis.
The 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 all sizes. The planet has no satellites.
Diameter: 4879 km.
Diameter: 6780 km
In 7th place on the list of the largest planets in the solar system is. This is one of the planets most studied by people - spacecraft from Earth visited it more than 30 times. Mars is very interesting. The largest peak in the solar system is located here - Mount Olympus, whose height reaches 27 km. Mars has changing seasons, just like Earth, polar caps of frozen carbon dioxide and ice. A day here lasts 24 hours 40 minutes. Mars is one of the most suitable planets for colonization in the future.
Satellites 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 other poetic names: Evening Star and Morning Star. Venus a little smaller than Earth. Although it belongs to the Earth-like planets, its conditions differ from those of Earth. The atmosphere on the planet consists mainly of carbon dioxide, and its surface is hidden by huge clouds of sulfuric acid. It is assumed that Venus is still experiencing active volcanic activity. The surface temperature is 460 °C.
Diameter: 12103 km.
Diameter: 12742 km
In 5th place on 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 appeared intelligent life. Most of the planet (about 70%) is covered with water. Due to its location and slight tilt of the axis of rotation, the planet created optimal conditions for the origin of life.
The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.
Diameter: 12742 km.
Diameter: 49224 km
One of the largest and most distant planets from the Sun in the Solar System. This is a huge gas giant, the mass of which is 17 times greater than that of Earth. The planet's atmosphere consists of helium and hydrogen. Neptune's core is solid, made of rocks and ice. The planet is interesting because incredible winds are constantly raging on its surface, the speed of which can reach 2100 km/h. Invisible to the naked eye, Neptune was discovered thanks to mathematical calculations.
Neptune is the third most massive planet in the solar system. The spacecraft visited it only once. It was Voyager 2, which flew close to the planet in 1989. It made it possible to obtain images of the most powerful cyclones and storms raging on the planet.
Neptune is surrounded by the most number of satellites - it has 14.
Diameter: 49224 km.
Diameter: 50724 km
The gas giant is a very interesting research object. 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 moons ranging in size from 20 to 1500 km.
Diameter: 50724 km.
Diameter: 116464 km
It takes second place in the list of the largest planets in the solar system. Like Uranus and Neptune, it consists of a mixture of various gases that turn into a liquid state at depth. The mass of this gas giant is 95 times the mass of Earth. Saturn is famous primarily for its rings and huge number of satellites. Today there are 62 of them. Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, is larger than Mercury. Saturn is one of the most studied 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 on 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 greater than the mass of all other planets in the solar system. Enormous 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.
