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Solar System |
| Our solar system was formed
over 4.5 billion years ago by cosmic gas and dust. Currently eight (8)
planets orbit our sun. These planets are all very different but in
some ways similar. Below is an explanation of these celestial bodies
and how they came to be.
The Sun |
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| At the center of it all is
our sun. It is a star that has been burning for about 5 billion years and
will continue for another 5 billion or more. The sun was born from a
nebula (gas and dust in space). Because of gravity, some of this gas
(hydrogen) started to condense (come together). As it condensed, it began
to heat up. Once the temperature reached in the millions, nuclear
fusion started to occur and a star was born. Fusion is when hydrogen atoms smash together and join to produce helium atoms. This process releases huge amount of energy and it's how all stars are created. |
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| Mercury | ||
| Mercury is a mysterious world because very little is known about it. It's the first planet from the sun and the second smallest behind Pluto. Mercury is composed of mostly iron which is why is has such a strong magnetic field for its size. Because mercury is so small, it has little atmosphere to protect it from wandering meteors on a collision course. This is the reason its surface is riddled with craters much like our moon. Spending the night on Mercury would be quite an experience. At night you would be subjected to temperatures of -200 ºF. As the sun rose over the horizon it would be a balmy 80 ºF. However, at noon you would be torched. The temperatures then reach 800ºF. | ||
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| Venus | |||||
| The second planet from the sun, Venus, is named after the Roman goddess of beauty. Venus is sometimes referred to as Earth's sister because they are comparable in size. However, this is where the similarities end. Venus is a violent world that is blanketed with clouds that house an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide. This creates a green house effect that traps in the sun's heat, creating surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead (Venus is hotter than Mercury even though it's twice as far from the sun). The planet's atmospheric pressure is 92 times greater than Earth's at sea level, and the clouds are composed of sulfuric acid. Venus got its name because it shines brightly in the night sky due to the sun's light reflecting off its thick cloud cover. | |||||
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| Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is a hot topic lately. Evidence of water has recently been discovered on the planet. This opens up the possibility that life exists there or once did. Such a significant discovery could change the way we look at the universe. There are many myths that exist about Mars. One such myth is that an ancient civilization, once living there, built a face on the landscape. Of course, photos taken from different views of the same area reveal no face. |
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| Jupiter | |
  Jupiter
is the fifth planet from the sun and the largest. It is the
first of the gas giants or outer planets. Jupiter is composed of
mostly hydrogen and helium gas, like our sun, and is so big 1,300 Earth's
can fit inside of it. Jupiter has a giant red spot (twice the size of
Earth) which is a violent hurricane that's been raging for 300 years.
The winds in the red spot reach speeds of 250 mph. At the center of
the planet is a rocky core many times the mass of Earth. |
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Saturn
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| Uranus | |
| Uranus is one of the oddest planets. It is extremely tilted on its axis and rotates on its side. Some scientists believe that long ago it was knocked over by a catastrophic collision with a large object. The planet is made of mostly hydrogen and helium like Jupiter, but it has traces of methane gas which gives it its blue appearance. Not much is known about the core of the planet, although one theory suggest that it is small, rocky and surrounded by a thick mantel of water. Temperatures on the planet are a frigid -320ºF. | |
 
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| Neptune | |
| Neptune is now the outermost planet. It is a gas giant like Jupiter and Uranus. The planet is 2.79 billion miles from the sun which is why it takes 163.7 Earth years to complete its orbit. Neptune is made of mostly hydrogen, helium and methane gas, like Uranus. Although little is known about its interior, it is suspected to contain a small rocky core, surrounded by a mantle of water. Neptune experiences winds at speeds of 1,000 mph and temperatures as cold as -330 ºF. | |
  
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| Pluto | |
| Pluto is now called a dwarf planet because of its location in the Kuiper Belt. It is so cold there that nitrogen can be found in its solid state (-380ºF). Pluto has a very strange orbit. It is very elliptical and it's inclined 17 º from the plane of the other planets. This causes Pluto's and Neptune's paths to cross every once in a while, making Neptune the farthest planet. Pluto is so far from the sun (an average of 3.6 billion miles) if you flew a spacecraft from its surface to the surface of the sun traveling at 1,000 mph, it would take around 400 years. Although the planet is very small it does have a very thin atmosphere of nitrogen and methane. | |
  
Our solar system is filled with many more interesting things like our moon, asteroids, comets, meteors, the Kuiper Belt ,the mysterious Oort Cloud, and a wonderful history. If you want to learn more, click on your desired link.
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Mars
experiences seasons like Earth. Its 
