We are not alone in this universe. There is a vast universe that is still unexplored. We are always curious about this outside world.
Let’s know something about one of such heavenly body ‘Planet’
Planets are the celestial bodies which are revolving around the sun in a fixed orbit. At the time of evolution, these were the ball of gases and dust which cool down and form a hard outer covering. Our solar system is consist of the Sun and its eight planets, according to their distance from the sun they are arranged as follows:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
On the basis of their size and properties planets are divided into two groups:
Terrestrial Planets
The first four nearby planets of the sun Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars are called Terrestrial planets that have rocky surfaces and are made up of rocks. They do not have any rings around them. They have very few moons and are relatively small in size.
Mercury is the smallest planet having the smallest orbit. It does not have any atmosphere on mercury days and nights are extremely cold. It completes its one revolution around the sun in 88 days
Venus is the second planet of the solar system which is also known as morning or evening star. It is the hottest planet in the solar system with a temperature of around 867F. It takes 225 days to complete one revolution around the Sun.
Earth is the only habitable planet known till now which is because of the presence of water on it, therefore also known as the blue planet. It takes 365 days to complete one revolution around the sun.
Mars is the fourth planet of solar also known as the red planet because of the presence of red soil rich in iron ore, It is believed it might have supported life 3.7 billion years ago as it has once icy surface. It can be the only planet where life can sustain after Earth. It takes 687 days to complete one revolution.
Jovian Planets
Jovian Planet –Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune are called jovian planets they are bigger in size as compared to terrestrial planets they have a ring system around them.
Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants predominantly made of helium and hydrogen.
Uranus and Neptune are ice giants made up of rock, ice, and a mixture of gases like methane, water, and ammonia.
Jupiter is the fastest spinning planet as well as the largest planet of the solar system. It has multiple moons and a support ring system. It takes 12 years to complete its revolution around the sun.
Saturn-Saturn is the second largest planet of the solar system. It is the only planet with a visible ring. It has a strong magnetosphere. It takes 29 years to complete its revolution around the sun.
Uranus- Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system. It is a big ice gaint Cold winds are blowing on its surface which makes it a cold planet. It rotates on its side. It takes 84 years to complete one revolution around the sun.
Neptune– Neptune is the farthest planet of the solar system. It is having an ice-cold atmosphere also called the coldest planet of the solar system. It takes 165 years to complete one revolution around the sun.
So next time when you look at the night sky trying to look for these neighbors of yours in the sky.
