Planets in our Solar System: Over several years, we have seen how humans have been interested in exploring various planets that are found in our solar system. From the very first launch in the late 1950s till the present, various probes, orbiters, landers & rovers have been sent to every planet in our solar system. The “planet” word is derived from the word “planets,” meaning wanderer.
Planets are celestial bodies that orbit the sun in a fixed orbit; they do not emit their light but reflect sunlight. As they are too close to the Earth, they don’t twinkle like other stars. To date, Earth remains the only planet to support life & have a favorable environment.
This article explores the origin & formation of the solar system, along with all the planets in our solar system in detail.
Planets in Our Solar System
Structure & Composition of Solar System
The solar system consists of the Sun which is an average star in the Milky Way Galaxy & we have bodies orbiting around it: 8 (formerly 9) planets with certain known planetary satellites (moons); countless asteroids, some of which have their own satellites; comets & other icy bodies; & vast reaches of highly tenuous gas & dust known as the interplanetary medium.
The sun is located at the center of the solar system & it influences the motion of all the other bodies through its gravitational force The planets, in order of their distance outward from the Sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune.
Any natural solar system object other than the Sun, a planet, a dwarf planet, or a moon is called a small body which includes asteroids, meteoroids & comets. An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. They are metallic or rocky bodies without atmospheres that are too small to be classified as planets & are basically remnants left over from the early formation of the Solar System. A meteoroid is a small body that moves in the solar system & would have become a meteor had it entered the Earth’s atmosphere. A comet is an icy, small body in the solar system that warms & begins to release gases while passing close to the Sun.
Read in Detail: Formation of Solar System
Origin of the Solar System
Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, discovered that universes are flying away from one another & it looked like chunks of celestial shrapnel in the effects of the titanic surge- Big Bang.
Big Bang Theory reveals that the overall matter in the Universe came into life around 13.8 billion years ago. At the same time, the matter was consolidated into an incredibly tiny ball with vast consistency & intense heat labeled Singularity.
Names of Planets in our Solar System
We have 8 planets in our solar system. These are:-
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus &
- Neptune
- The closest planet to the Sun-Mercury
- Farthest planet to the Sun- Neptune
- Pluto, which was the outermost planet, is now a dwarf planet. Pluto in August 2006, was removed as a planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Names of Planets in our Solar System in Hindi
- Mercury- बुध
- Venus- शुक्र
- Earth- पृथ्वी
- Mars- मंगल
- Jupiter- बृहस्पति
- Saturn- शनि
- Uranus- अरुण
- Neptune- वरुण
Theories of Solar system
There are two major theories related to the Solar System, these are:-
“The Nebular Hypothesis of Laplace” & “The Planetesimal theories of Chamberlin & Moulton.”
- The Nebular hypothesis of Laplace states that the solar system was initially recommended by ‘Pierre Simon de Laplace in 1796’. The widely significant concern is the momentum of the orbit of the Sun. When the nebular theory is achieved based on the familiar orbital velocity of the planets, it anticipates that the Sun must revolve roughly 50 times further faster than it performs. There is similarly more concern that the rings sketched by Laplace would thicken into planets.
- The Planetesimal Hypothesis of Chamberlin & Moulton’s theory is related to the conception of the solar system. It was first formulated by “Forrest R. Moulton & Thomas C. Chamber” in 1900. It claims that the planets were shaped by expanding tiny bits, of course, “planetesimals” that revolved ‘around the sun.’
How to remember the Order of Planets in our Solar System?
The planets in our solar system can be remembered by placing them in an order in various ways. Some of these are:-
- Planets in Order From the Sun
- Planets in Order by Their Size
- Planets with the Most Moons
Planets in Order From the Sun
- Mercury – 0.39 AU from the sun
- Venus – 0.72 AU from the sun
- Earth – 1.00 AU from the sun
- Mars – 1.52 AU from the sun
- Jupiter – 5.20 AU from the sun
- Saturn – 9.54 AU from the sun
- Uranus – 19.20 AU from the sun
- Neptune – 30.06 AU from the sun
One of the common methods that astronomers use to measure distances in the solar system is to see the distance of the planet from the sun. AU stands for astronomical units – it’s the equivalent of the average distance from Earth to the sun.
Planets in our Solar System according to Size
Another way how we can order the 8 planets is by their respective sizes.
- Jupiter (43,441 miles/69,911 kilometers)
- Saturn (36,184 miles/58,232 km)
- Uranus (15,759 miles (25,362 km)
- Neptune (15,299 miles/24,622 km)
- Earth (3,959 miles/6,371 km)
- Venus (3,761 miles/6,052 km)
- Mars (2,460 miles/3,390 km)
- Mercury (1,516 miles/2,440 km)
Planets with the Most Moons
Another way how we can put the planets in order is to see the number of moons they have.
- Saturn (146)
- Jupiter (95)
- Uranus (27)
- Neptune (14)
- Mars (2)
- Earth (1)
- Venus & Mercury (both zero)
Planets in Our Solar System
1. Mercury
- It is the smallest planet in the solar system
- It is closest to the sun
- Completes one revolution in the shortest amount of time 88 days, to be precise 88.97 days.Its size is marginally greater than that of the Earth’s moon.
It has a small number of moons & since it is so closer to the Sun, it has an unfavorable climate for any type of life to survive. At night, its surface temperature is 100 K, & during the day, it reaches 700 K. (this high diurnal range of temperature is because Mercury has no atmosphere to retain & this is the highest among all planets).
Also Read: Smallest Planet in the Solar System
2. Venus
- Second brightest object visible from Earth &
- Rotates on its axis in 243 Earth days, taking 224.7 Earth days to complete 1 revolution (maximum time period taken by any planet to complete 1 rotation). Except Uranus, it rotates counterclockwise to all other planets (from West to East).
Also, a day on Venus corresponds to a year on Earth. As it resembles the Earth in terms of size, shape, mass, proximity to the sun & dense composition, it is called as the Earth’s twin sister. In the atmosphere, it has 96% carbon content making it unsuitable for human settlement. As the average surface temperature is exceptionally high (735K), it becomes the warmest planet.
3. Earth
- Only planet known to support life & is located third from the Sun.
- Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.
One cycle around the Sun takes 365.264 days to complete, & one rotation around its axis takes 24 hours (& after every four complete revolutions 4 years it takes a day longer 366 days to complete a revolution). Its crust is fragmented into various tectonic plates & is 71% submerged by water (lithosphere). Both the liquid outer core & solid inner core of Earth continue to be active & produce its magnetic field.
4. Mars
- Second-smallest planet in the solar system
- Due to the presence of iron oxide, Mars is crimson in colour & is known as the “red planet”.
Phobos & Deimos are the names of its moons. It requires 687 Earth days & a full Martian year to travel there & its gravity is 38% that of the Earth (16,500 hours).
5. Jupiter
- Biggest planet of all & is located five planets away from the Sun.
- Amongst the brightest objects in the sky which can be seen with the naked eye.
Jupiter is a massive gas ball that is one thousand times as massive as the Sun & has no clearly defined surface.
6. Saturn
- Second-largest planet in the solar system & the sixth planet from the Sun.
- A massive gas planet with an average radius nine times that of the Earth.
Its inner core consists of Nickel & Iron. Its magnetic field is a little weaker than Earth’s magnetic field & is created by an electric current flowing through the hydrogen layer.
7. Uranus
- Third-largest planet by radius & the fourth-largest planet by mass.
- Seventh planet from the Sun.
- Also known as the “ice giant”
While its main constituents are comparable to those of Jupiter & Saturn, it also contains additional ices, including traces of hydrocarbons as well as methane, water, & ammonia. Except Venus, Uranus rotates in the opposite direction from all the planets (it rotates from west to east).
8. Neptune
- The Solar System’s farthest planet
- third-most massive, densest,
- In terms of diameter, Neptune is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System.
It is 17 times as massive as Earth & is kind of heavier than Uranus, its closest neighbour.
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Conclusion – Planets in our Solar System
With the Sun as its center, our solar system resembles a huge cosmic neighborhood that is held together by gravity and shines brightly. Think of it as a large family, where every planet has an own personality and backstory. Mercury is the planet that travels the closest to the Sun; Venus is the planet with the thickest, most hostile clouds; Earth is our warm, hospitable planet; Mars is the red, intrepid planet; Jupiter is the enormous protector with the most powerful storms; Saturn is the graceful planet with magnificent rings; Uranus is the slanted, mysterious planet; and Neptune is the frigid, distant traveler.
FAQs on Planets in Our Solar System
What are the names of the 8 planets?
The names of the 8 planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune.
Are there 9 planets now?
No, there are only 8 planets.
Which planet no longer exists?
Pluto doesn’t exist more.
What is the dead planet?
Mercury is a dead planet & the most heavily cratered object in the solar system.
Which planet supports life?
Earth supports life.
Which planet has only gas?
The gaseous planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune
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