If you are interested in seeing the photo, what do all the planets look like solar system, the material in this article is just for you. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune in the photo look extremely diverse and this is not surprising, because each planet is a perfect and unique “organism” in the universe.
So, short description planets, as well as photos, see below.
What Mercury looks like in the photo
Mercury
Venus is more similar in size and emitted brightness to Earth. Observing it is extremely difficult due to the densely enveloping clouds. The surface is a rocky, hot desert.
Characteristics of the planet Venus:
Diameter at the equator: 12104 km.
Average surface temperature: 480 degrees.
Orbit around the Sun: 224.7 days.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 243 days.
Atmosphere: dense, mostly carbon dioxide.
Number of satellites: no.
The main satellites of the planet: none.
What does the Earth look like in the photo?
Earth
Mars is the 4th planet from the sun. For some time, due to its similarities to Earth, it was assumed that life existed on Mars. But the spacecraft launched onto the surface of the planet did not detect any signs of life.
Characteristics of the planet Mars:
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 6794 km.
Average surface temperature: -23 degrees.
Orbit around the Sun: 687 days.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 24 hours 37 minutes.
The planet's atmosphere: thin, mostly carbon dioxide.
Number of satellites: 2 pcs.
The main satellites in order: Phobos, Deimos.
What Jupiter looks like in the photo
Jupiter
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are composed of hydrogen and other gases. Jupiter by size more than Earth 10 times in diameter, 1300 times in volume and 300 times in mass.
Characteristics of the planet Jupiter:
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 143884 km.
Average surface temperature of the planet: -150 degrees (average).
Orbit around the Sun: 11 years 314 days.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 9 hours 55 minutes.
Number of satellites: 16 (+ rings).
The main satellites of the planets in order: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto.
What Saturn looks like in the photo
Saturn
Saturn is considered the second largest planet in the solar system. A system of rings formed from ice, rocks and dust rotates around the planet. Among all the rings, there are 3 main rings with a thickness of about 30 meters and an outer diameter of 270 thousand km.
Characteristics of the planet Saturn:
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 120536 km.
Average surface temperature: -180 degrees.
Orbit around the Sun: 29 years 168 days.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 10 hours 14 minutes.
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 18 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titan.
What does Uranus look like in the photo?
UranusNeptune
Currently, Neptune is considered the last planet of the solar system. Pluto has been removed from the list of planets since 2006. In 1989, unique photographs of the blue surface of Neptune were obtained.
Characteristics of the planet Neptune:
Diameter at the equator: 50538 km.
Average surface temperature: -220 degrees.
Orbit around the Sun: 164 years 292 days.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 16 hours 7 minutes.
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 8.
Main satellites: Triton.
We hope you saw what the planets look like: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and found out
how great they all are. Their view, even from space, is simply mesmerizing.
Also see "Planets of the solar system in order (in pictures)"
Diametermass Sun Mercury0.380.05 Venus0.950.81 Earth11 Mars0.530.11 Jupiter11.2318 Saturn9.595.2 Uranus4.114.5 Neptune3.917.1 Diameters and masses of the Sun and planets in comparison with the Earth Comparative sizes of the Sun and planets
Mercury The planet closest to the Sun The planet closest to the Sun The smallest planet (diameter - 4880 km (1/3 of the Earth's diameter), mass 20 times less than the Earth's) The smallest planet (diameter - 4880 km (1/3 of the Earth's diameter), mass of 20 times less than the Earth's) There is no atmosphere There is no atmosphere Temperature ranges from up to 500 degrees Temperature ranges from up to 500 degrees A day is approximately 60 Earth days, and a year is about 30. A day is approximately 60 Earth days, and a year is about 30. Mercury's diameter is 4880 km
Venus The closest planet to Earth Surrounded by a powerful atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide (96%) A day is about 117 Earth days The temperature of the planet's surface and lower atmosphere is about 480 degrees Constant winds The period of rotation around its axis is about 243 days (clockwise)
Mars A planet adjacent to the Earth A planet adjacent to the Earth Smaller than the Earth, approximately Smaller than the Earth, approximately 2 times in diameter and approximately 9 times in mass 2 times in diameter and approximately 9 times in mass Orbital period around the Sun is about 2 Earth years, Orbital period around the Sun about 2 Earth years, and around its axis approximately like on Earth and around its axis approximately like on Earth Temperature fluctuates Temperature fluctuates from 0 to -100 degrees from 0 to -100 degrees Has 2 satellites - Phobos (fear) and Deimos ( horror) Has 2 satellites - Phobos (fear) and Deimos (horror)
Jupiter The largest planet (1310 times larger than the Earth in diameter and 318 times the mass) The largest planet (1310 times larger than the Earth in diameter and 318 times the mass) Temperature is about -140 degrees Temperature is about -140 degrees Atmosphere consists of a mixture of gases of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia The atmosphere consists of a mixture of gases of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia A day is approximately 9 hours 55 minutes. A day is approximately 9 hours 55 minutes. It is hotter in the shade than in a sunlit place. It is hotter in the shade than in a sunlit place. Has 16 satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto - the largest) Has 16 satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto - the largest)
Saturn Surrounded by 7 rings consisting of individual particles and dust Surrounded by 7 rings consisting of individual particles and dust A day is about 10 hours 15 minutes A day is about 10 hours 15 minutes The temperature of the planet's surface is about -170 degrees The temperature of the planet's surface is about -170 degrees Has 23 satellites Has 23 satellite The largest satellite - Titan - is surrounded by a dense atmosphere The largest satellite - Titan - is surrounded by a dense atmosphere
Uranus A year is approximately 84 years A year is approximately 84 years Rotates as if lying on its side Rotates as if lying on its side Temperature about -130 degrees Temperature about -130 degrees Like other giant planets, Uranus is surrounded by a thin ring of dust and small particles. It has 15 satellites (the largest: Miranda, Ariel, Titania). Like other giant planets, Uranus is surrounded by a thin ring of dust and small particles. Has 15 satellites (the largest: Miranda, Ariel, Titania)
Neptune A day is about 16 hours Surface temperature is about -210 degrees Has 8 satellites (Triton moves in reverse side) Left: Neptune and its largest moon Right: Like other giant planets, Neptune is surrounded by a thin ring of dust and small particles.
In ancient times, people knew only five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, the only ones that can be seen with the naked eye.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered using telescopes in 1781, 1846 and 1930. For a long time, astronomers studied the planets by observing them from Earth. They determined that all the planets, except Pluto, move in circular orbits in the same plane and in the same direction, calculated the sizes of the planets and the distances from them to the Sun, formed their idea of the structure of the planets, and even assumed that Venus and Mars could be similar Earth, and there may be life on them.
The launch of automatic space stations to the planets made it possible to significantly expand, and in many ways revise, ideas about the planets: it became possible to see photographs of the surface, explore the soil and atmosphere of the planets.
Mercury.
Mercury is a small planet, slightly larger than the Moon. Its surface is also dotted with craters from collisions with meteorites. No geological processes have erased these dents from his face. Mercury is cold inside. It moves around the Sun faster than other planets, but around its axis very slowly. Having circled the Sun twice, Mercury only has time to turn around its axis three times. Because of this, the temperature on the sunny side of the planet exceeds 300 degrees, and on the unlit side there is darkness and severe cold. Mercury has virtually no atmosphere.
Venus.
Exploring Venus is not easy. It is shrouded in a thick layer of clouds, and under this serene exterior hides a real hell, the pressure is a hundred times higher than on Earth, the temperature on the surface is about 500 degrees, which is caused by “ greenhouse effect" The Soviet automatic station “Venera - 9” for the first time managed to transmit to Earth images of a surface filled with lava and covered with stones. In the conditions of Venus, the apparatus lowered to the surface of the planet quickly breaks down, so American scientists decided to obtain data on the planet’s topography in a different way.
The Magellan robotic probe, having flown around Venus many times, probed the planet with radar, resulting in a comprehensive picture of the surface. In some places, the relief of Venus is similar to that of Earth, but mostly the landscapes are strange: high mountainous round areas surrounded by mountain ranges 250 - 300 km in diameter, the entire area of which is occupied by volcanoes; other volcanic formations resemble cakes with steep edges and a flat top. The surface of the planet is cut by channels laid by lava. Traces of active volcanic activity are visible everywhere. Meteor craters on the surface of Venus are distributed evenly, which means that its surface took shape at the same time. Scientists cannot explain how this could happen; Venus seemed to boil and be flooded with lava. Now volcanic activity is not detected on the planet.
The atmosphere of Venus is not at all similar to that of Earth; it mainly consists of carbon dioxide. The thickness of the gas shell of Venus, compared to the earth's, is monstrously large. The cloud layer reaches 20 km. The presence of concentrated aqueous solution sulfuric acid. Sunlight does not reach the surface of Venus, twilight reigns there, sulfur rain falls, and the landscape is constantly illuminated by flashes of lightning. High in the planet's atmosphere, constant winds rage, driving clouds at tremendous speed; the upper layer of the Venusian atmosphere makes a complete revolution around the planet within four Earth days. The solid body of Venus, on the contrary, rotates around its axis very slowly and in a different direction than all the other planets. Venus has no satellites.
Mars.
In the 20th century, the planet Mars was chosen by science fiction writers; in their novels, the Martian civilization was incomparably higher than the earthly one. The mysterious, inaccessible Mars began to reveal its secrets when Soviet and American automatic spacecraft began to be sent to study it.
The Mariner 9 station, orbiting Mars, took photographs of all parts of the planet, which made it possible to create detailed map surface relief. Researchers have discovered traces of active geological processes on the planet: huge volcanoes, the largest of them, Olympus Mons, 25 km high, and a huge fault in the Martian crust, called Valles Marineris, which crosses an eighth of the planet.
Gigantic structures grew in the same place for billions of years, unlike the Earth with its drifting continents, the surface of Mars did not move. The geological structures of the Earth, compared to those on Mars, are dwarfs. Are volcanoes active on Mars now? Scientists believe that geological activity on the planet is obviously a thing of the past.
Martian landscapes are dominated by reddish rocky deserts. Light transparent clouds float above them in the pink sky. Blue sky becomes at sunset. The atmosphere of Mars is very thin. Every few years there are dust storms that cover almost the entire surface of the planet. A day on Mars lasts 24 hours 37 minutes, the inclination of the axis of rotation of Mars to the orbital plane is almost the same as that of the Earth, so the change of seasons on Mars is quite consistent with the change of seasons on Earth. The planet is poorly heated by the Sun, so its surface temperature even on a summer day does not exceed 0 degrees, and in winter, frozen carbon dioxide settles on the rocks due to the severe cold, and the Polar Caps are mainly made of it. No traces of life have yet been found.
From Earth, Mars is visible as a reddish star, which is probably why it bears the name of the god of war, Mars. His two companions were named Phobos and Deimos, which translated from ancient Greek means “fear” and “horror.” The satellites of Mars are space “rocks” of irregular shape. Phobos measures 18km x 22km, and Deimos measures 10km x 16km.
The planets are giants.
In 1977, American scientists and engineers launched an automatic interplanetary station towards Jupiter as part of the Voyager program. Once every 175 years, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto are positioned in such a way relative to the Earth that a launched spacecraft can examine all these planets in one flight. Scientists have calculated that, under certain conditions, a spacecraft, approaching a planet, falls into a gravitational slingshot, and the planet itself sends the apparatus further to another planet. The calculations turned out to be correct. Earthlings were able to see these distant planets and their satellites through the “eyes” of space robots, and unique information was transmitted to Earth.
Jupiter.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It does not have a solid surface and consists mainly of hydrogen and helium. Due to the high speed of rotation around its axis, it is noticeably compressed at the poles. Jupiter has a huge magnetic field; if it became visible, it would look the size of the solar disk from Earth.
In the photographs, scientists were able to see only clouds in the planet’s atmosphere, which create stripes parallel to the equator. But they moved with great speed, bizarrely changing their shape. Numerous vortices have been detected in the cloud cover of Jupiter, auroras and flashes of lightning. On the planet, wind speeds reach one hundred kilometers per hour. The most amazing formation in the atmosphere of Jupiter is a large red spot 3 times the size of the Earth. Astronomers have observed it since the 17th century. It is possible that this is the tip of a gigantic tornado. Jupiter releases more energy than it receives from the Sun. Scientists believe that in the center of the planet, gases are compressed to the state of a metallic liquid. This hot core is the power plant that generates winds and a monstrous magnetic field.
But the main surprises for scientists were not presented by Jupiter itself, but by its satellites.
Satellites of Jupiter.
There are 16 known satellites of Jupiter. The largest of them, Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, were discovered by Galileo; they are visible even with strong binoculars. It was believed that the satellites of all planets are similar to the Moon - they are cold and lifeless. But Jupiter's moons surprised researchers.
And about- the size of the Moon, but it is the first celestial body other than Earth on which active volcanoes have been discovered. Io is completely covered in volcanoes. Its surface is washed by multi-colored lava flows, volcanoes emit sulfur. But what is the reason for the active volcanic activity of such a small cosmic body? Revolving around the huge Jupiter, Io either approaches it or moves away.
Under the influence of either increasing or decreasing gravitational force, Io either contracts or expands. Friction forces heated its inner layers to enormous temperatures. Io's volcanic activity is incredible, its surface changing before our eyes. Io moves in Jupiter's powerful magnetic field, so it accumulates a huge electric charge, which discharges onto Jupiter in the form continuous flow lightning, causing storms on the planet.
Europe has a relatively smooth surface, virtually without relief. It is covered with a layer of ice, and it is likely that the ocean is hidden underneath it. Instead of molten rocks, water oozes from cracks here. This is a completely new type of geological activity.
Ganymede- the largest satellite in the solar system. Its size is almost the same as that of Mercury.
Callisto dark and cold, its surface, pockmarked with meteorite craters, has not changed for billions of years.
Saturn.
Saturn, like Jupiter, does not have a solid surface - it is a gas giant planet. It also consists of hydrogen and helium, but it is cooler, since it produces less heat itself and receives less of it from the Sun. But on Saturn the winds are faster than on Jupiter. Stripes, vortices and other formations are observed in the atmosphere of Saturn, but they are short-lived and irregular.
Naturally, scientists' attention was directed to the rings that surround the planet's equator. They were discovered by astronomers back in the 17th century, and since then scientists have been trying to understand what they are. Photos of rings transmitted to the ground automatically space station, surprised the researchers. They were able to identify several hundred rings nested inside one another, some intertwined with each other, dark stripes were found on the rings that appeared and disappeared, they were called knitting needles. Scientists were able to see the rings of Saturn from a fairly close distance, but they had more questions than answers.
In addition to the rings, 15 satellites move around Saturn. The largest of them is Titan, slightly smaller than Mercury. Titan's dense atmosphere is much thicker than Earth's and consists almost entirely of nitrogen; it did not allow us to see the surface of the satellite, but scientists suggest that internal structure Titan's structure is similar to that of the Earth. The temperature at its surface is below minus 200 degrees.
Uranus.
Uranus differs from all other planets in that its axis of rotation lies almost in the plane of its orbit, all planets look like a toy top, and Uranus rotates as if “lying on its side.” Voyager was able to “see” little in the atmosphere of Uranus; the planet turned out to be very monotonous in appearance. There are 5 satellites orbiting Uranus.
Neptune.
It took Voyager 12 years to get to Neptune. How surprised the scientists were when, on the outskirts of the solar system, they saw a planet very similar to Earth. She was intense blue color, white clouds were moving in different directions in the atmosphere. The winds on Neptune blow much stronger than on other planets.
There is so little energy on Neptune that the wind, once it picks up, cannot stop. Scientists have discovered a system of rings around Neptune, but they are incomplete and represent arcs; there is no explanation for this yet. Neptune and Uranus are also giant planets, but not gas, but ice.
Neptune has 3 satellites. One of them is that Triton rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of Neptune itself. Perhaps it did not form in Neptune's gravitational zone, but was pulled toward the planet when it came close to it and fell into its gravitational zone. Triton is the coldest body in the solar system, its surface temperature is slightly above absolute zero (minus 273 degrees). But nitrogen geysers were discovered on Triton, which indicates its geological activity.
Pluto
Now Pluto is officially no longer a planet. It should now be considered a "dwarf planet", one of three in the Solar System. Pluto's fate was determined in 2006 by a vote of members of the International Astronomical Society in Prague.
To avoid confusion and not clutter maps of the Solar System, the International Astronomical Union has prescribed that fairly large celestial bodies that are not among the eight previously defined planets be classified as dwarf planets. In particular, Pluto, Charon (a former satellite of Pluto), the asteroid Ceres, orbiting between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, as well as the so-called Kuiper belt objects Xena (object UB313) and Sedna (object 90377) received a new status.
The planets of the Jupiter group include giant fluid planets (,), which have a powerful thermal reserve in their depths. According to the composition of the fluid shells, the planets of the Jupiter group are divided into peripheral ones with shells for the most part water composition(Uranus, Neptune) and hydrogen planets occupying an internal position in the solar system (Jupiter, Saturn), with a composition not significantly different from the solar one.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth largest planet from the Sun and the largest planet in the Solar System. Jupiter looks like a golden ball, barely flattened perpendicular to the poles. This planet is 5.2 times farther from the Sun than and spends almost 12 years on one orbital revolution. Jupiter's equatorial diameter is 142,600 km (11 times the diameter of Earth). The period of Jupiter's revolution around its axis in the equatorial region is 9 hours 50 minutes, near the poles - 9 hours 55 minutes.
Photo of Jupiter (taken spacecraft Juno, NASA).
Thus, Jupiter, like , does not rotate like solid, since the speed of its rotation is not the same at different latitudes. Due to its rapid rotation, this planet is strongly compressed at the poles. Jupiter's mass is equal to 318 Earth masses. The average density of its substance is close to the density of the Sun - 1.33 g/cm 3 .
Jupiter's rotation axis is almost perpendicular to the plane of its orbit (inclination 87°). Jupiter's fluid envelope consists mainly of helium (74%) and helium (26%), as well as methane (0.1%) and small amounts of ethane, acetylene, phosphene and water vapor. The atmospheric layer is about 1000 km thick.
The planet is shrouded in a layer of clouds, but all the details on the surface of Jupiter constantly change their appearance, since violent movements occur in this layer associated with the transfer of large amounts of energy. Jupiter consists of crystals and drops of ammonia.
The most revealing feature of the planet is the Great Red Spot, which has been observed for more than 300 years. This is a huge oval formation, measuring about 35,000 x 14,000 km, located between the southern tropical and southern temperate zones. Its color is red, but undergoes changes. Probably, the Great Red Spot is supported by convective cells, through which its substance and internal heat are carried from the depths to the visible surface of Jupiter.
In 1956, radio emission from Jupiter was discovered at a wavelength of 3 cm, which corresponds to thermal radiation with a temperature of 145 K. According to measurements in the infrared range of the outer clouds of Jupiter, it was 130 K. It has already been reliably established that Jupiter emits heat, the amount of which is more than twice that thermal energy it receives from the Sun. Perhaps heat is released due to the fact that the giant planet is constantly shrinking (1 mm per year).
In the center of the planet is a huge iron-stone core that generates a powerful magnetic field. The planet’s magnetic field turned out to be complex and consists of two fields: a dipole (similar to Earth’s), extending up to 1,500,000 km from Jupiter, and a non-dipole, occupying another part of the magnetosphere. Tension magnetic field surface is 20 times larger than on Earth. In addition, Jupiter is also a source of radio bursts (sharp jumps in radiation power) at wavelengths from 4 to 85 m; they occur with a period from a fraction of a second to several minutes or even hours. Long bursts include a whole series of disturbances consisting of peculiar noise storms and thunderstorms. According to modern hypotheses, these bursts are explained by plasma oscillations in the planet’s ionosphere.
Jupiter has 15 satellites. The first 4 satellites were discovered by Galileo (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto). They, as well as the inner, closest satellite Amalthea, move almost in the plane of the planet’s equator. In size, Io and Europa can be compared with the Moon, and Ganymede and Callisto are larger than Mercury, but are significantly inferior to it in mass.
The outer satellites rotate around the planet along highly elongated orbits with large inclination angles to the equator (up to 30°). These are small bodies (from 10 to 120 km), obviously of irregular shape. Jupiter's four outer satellites orbit the planet in the opposite direction. In the equatorial region, Jupiter is surrounded by a system of rings. The rings are located at a distance of 50,000 km from the surface of the planet, the width of the rings is about 1000 km.
Saturn
Saturn is the second largest, but rather light (with an average density of 0.69 g/cm 3) planet in the Solar System. The low density is explained by the fact that giant planets consist predominantly of hydrogen and helium. At the same time, in the depths of Saturn the pressure does not reach such high values as on Jupiter, so the density of matter there is less. Like Jupiter, it rotates very quickly on its axis (with an orbital period of about 10 hours) and is therefore noticeably oblate.
Saturn. Photo taken by the Cassini spacecraft (NASA) Spectroscopic studies have made it possible to find some molecules in the atmosphere of Saturn. The planet's interior contains powerful thermal energy, which it emits (2.5 times more than it receives from the Sun). The surface temperature of clouds on Saturn is close to the melting point of methane (-184 ° C), the solid particles of which are most likely contained in the cloud layer of the planet.
Saturn is surrounded by rings (about 3 km thick), which are clearly visible through a telescope in the form of “ears” on both sides of the planet’s disk. They were noticed back in 1610 by Galileo. The plane of the rings practically coincides with the plane of the planet's equator and has a constant inclination to the orbital plane of approximately 27°.
Photo of Saturn's rings taken by Cassini in 2008. The rings of Saturn are one of the most amazing and interesting formations in the solar system. A flat system of rings encircles the planet around the equator and does not touch the surface anywhere. The rings are divided into three main concentric zones, delimited by narrow gaps: the outer ring A (with a diameter of about 275 thousand km), the middle B (the brightest) and the inner ring C, which is relatively transparent. The barely visible parts of the inner ring closest to the planet are designated by the symbol D. The existence of another, almost transparent outer ring has also been discovered. The rings rotate around Saturn and the speed of movement of their inner layers is greater than the outer ones.
The rings of Saturn are a flat system of many small satellites of the planet. Saturn has 17 known satellites. The largest satellite is Titan, which is also one of the largest satellites in the solar system in terms of size and mass. The Janus satellite is the closest to Saturn, located almost close to the planet. One of the satellites, Phoebe, moves in orbit with a fairly large eccentricity in the opposite direction.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, with a diameter (with a radius of 25,650 km) almost four times larger than the Earth. Uranus is very far from the Sun and is relatively dimly illuminated. The average density of Uranus (1.58 g/cm3) is slightly greater than the density of Saturn and Jupiter, although the matter in the depths of these giants is much more compressed than on Uranus. According to spectroscopic observations, hydrogen and non-hydrogen were found in the composition of the atmosphere of Uranus. a large number of methane, there is also, according to indirect evidence, a relatively large amount of helium. Like other giant planets, Uranus has this composition, probably almost all the way to the center.
Uranus Uranus is still poorly studied, as it is extremely difficult to examine due to its small angular dimensions in the field of view of a telescope. For the same reason, it is impossible to study the patterns of rotation of the planet. It is obvious that Uranus (unlike other planets) rotates around its axis, as if lying on its side. This tilt of the equator creates unusual lighting conditions: at the poles in a certain season, the sun's rays fall almost vertically, and the polar day and night cover (alternately) the entire surface of the planet, except for a narrow strip along the equator.
Since Uranus completes its orbit around the Sun in 84 years, the polar day at its poles lasts 42 years, then gives way to a polar night of the same duration. Only in the equatorial belt of Uranus does the Sun regularly rise and set with a periodicity equal to axial rotation planets. Even in those areas where the Sun is at its zenith, the temperature on the visible surface of the clouds is about -215 ° C. Under such temperature conditions, some gases freeze.
The iron-stony core of Uranus is larger in size (about 8000 km) compared to the terrestrial planets. The generated magnetic field of Uranus is also greater than that of Earth.
An unusual feature of Uranus is a system of rings, the distance of which from the planet is from 1.6 to 1.85 of the radius of Uranus. Narrow rings that look like “thread-like” formations, consisting of many individual opaque and, apparently, very dark particles. In the region of the rings there is a whole system of radiation belts filled with high-energy particles, which are similar to the Earth's radiation belts, but differ high level radiation.
Uranus has 6 satellites rotating in orbits whose planes practically coincide with each other. The entire system as a whole is distinguished by an extraordinary tilt - its plane is almost perpendicular to the average plane of all planetary orbits.
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet in the solar system and a close analogue of Uranus, but has a slightly larger mass and a slightly smaller radius. The average distance of Neptune from the Sun is 4500000000 km, its orbital period is 164 years and 288 days. Neptune's equatorial diameter is 50,200 km; average density - 2.30 g/cm3.
Neptune The characteristics of Neptune are typical of giant planets, which consist mainly of hydrogen and helium with an admixture of other chemical compounds. Neptune has heavy core, containing silicates and other elements that are part of the terrestrial group. The fluid (mostly water) shell of the atmosphere consists of hydrogen, helium and methane.
Neptune has a strong magnetic field, the axis of which, like that of Uranus, is inclined by about 50° to the axis of rotation and is offset from the center of the planet by about 10,000 km. Unlike the calm, freezing surface of Uranus, strong winds dominate on the surface of Neptune, causing storms from powerful jets of gases that rise from the bowels of the planet. Features on Neptune's surface are very difficult to discern.
Neptune has only two satellites. The first - Triton - is larger in size and mass than the Moon, has reverse direction orbital movement. The second satellite, Nereid, unlike the first, is very small and has a highly elongated orbit. The distance from the satellite to the planet varies from 1,500,000 to 9,600,000 km. The direction of orbital motion is direct.
Pluto It is very difficult to study Pluto due to its considerable distance from the Sun and low illumination. The diameter of Pluto is approximately 3 thousand km. The surface of Pluto, heated by the Sun to -220 ° C, even in the coldest midday areas is apparently covered with snow from frozen methane.
The planet's atmosphere is rarefied and consists of methane gas with a possible admixture of inert gases. The brightness of Pluto varies with a rotation period of 6 days 9 hours. Relatively recently, it became clear that this same periodicity corresponds to the orbital motion of Pluto’s satellite, Charon. The satellite is relatively bright, but is located so close to the planet that its images in photographs merge with the image of Pluto and it looks like the “hump” of the planet. Charon, like Pluto, is an accumulation of cometary matter, that is, a mixture of ice and dust.
It was possible to calculate the mass of the Pluto-Charon system: 1.7% of the mass of the Earth. Almost all of it is concentrated in Pluto, because the diameter of the satellite, judging by its brightness, is small compared to the diameter of the planet. The average density of Pluto is approximately 0.7-1.12 g/cm 3 . This low density means that Pluto is composed primarily of light chemical elements and compounds, that is, its composition is similar to the composition of the giant planets and their satellites.
Giant planets- the largest bodies in the solar system after the Sun: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They are located beyond the Main Asteroid Belt and are therefore also called the “outer” planets.
Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, meaning they consist mainly of gases that are in a solid state: hydrogen and helium.
But Uranus and Neptune were identified as ice giants, since in the thickness of the planets themselves, instead of metallic hydrogen, there is high-temperature ice.
Giant planets many times larger than the Earth, but compared to the Sun, they are not large at all:
Computer calculations have shown that the giant planets are playing important role in protecting the inner terrestrial planets from asteroids and comets.
Without these bodies in the solar system, our Earth would be hit by asteroids and comets hundreds of times more often!
How do giant planets protect us from the falls of uninvited guests?
You've probably heard about "space slalom", when automatic stations sent to distant objects in the solar system perform "gravitational maneuvers" near some planets. They approach them along a pre-calculated trajectory and, using the force of their gravity, accelerate even more, but do not fall onto the planet, but “shoot” the word from a sling at an even greater speed than at the entrance and continue their movement. This saves fuel, which would be needed for acceleration with engines alone.
In the same way, giant planets throw asteroids and comets out of the solar system, which fly past them, trying to break through to inner planets, including to the Earth. Jupiter, with its brothers, increases the speed of such an asteroid, pushes it out of its old orbit, it is forced to change its trajectory and flies into the cosmic abyss.
So, without giant planets, life on Earth would probably be impossible due to constant meteorite bombardment.
Well, now let’s briefly get acquainted with each of the giant planets.
Jupiter is the largest giant planet.
First in order from the Sun, among the giant planets, is Jupiter. It is also the largest planet in the solar system.
Sometimes they say that Jupiter is a failed star. But to start its own process of nuclear reactions, Jupiter does not have enough mass, and quite a lot. Although, the mass is slowly growing due to the absorption of interplanetary matter - comets, meteorites, dust and solar wind. One of the options for the development of the Solar system shows that if this continues, then Jupiter may well become a star or a brown dwarf. And then our Solar system will become a double star system. By the way, double star systems are a common occurrence in the Cosmos around us. There are much fewer single stars, like our Sun.
There are calculations showing that Jupiter is already emitting more energy than it absorbs from the Sun. And if this is really so, then nuclear reactions They have to go already, otherwise the energy simply won’t come from anywhere. And this is a sign of a star, not a planet... 
This image also shows the famous Great Red Spot, also called the “eye of Jupiter.” This is a giant vortex that has apparently existed for hundreds of years.
In 1989, the Galileo spacecraft was launched towards Jupiter. Over 8 years of work, he took unique photographs of the giant planet itself, the satellites of Jupiter, and also carried out many measurements.
One can only guess what is going on in the atmosphere of Jupiter and in its depths. The Galileo probe, having descended 157 km into its atmosphere, survived for only 57 minutes, after which it was crushed by a pressure of 23 atmospheres. But he managed to report powerful thunderstorms and hurricane winds, and also transmitted data on composition and temperature.
Ganymede, the largest of the moons of Jupiter, is also the largest of the moons of the planets in the Solar System.
At the very beginning of the research, in 1994, Galileo observed the fall of Comet Shoemaker-Levy onto the surface of Jupiter and sent back images of this disaster. This event could not be observed from Earth - only residual phenomena that became visible as Jupiter rotated.
Next comes an equally famous body of the solar system - the giant planet Saturn, which is known primarily for its rings. Saturn's rings are made up of ice particles ranging in size from dust grains to fairly large chunks of ice. With an outer diameter of 282,000 kilometers, Saturn's rings are only about ONE kilometer thick. Therefore, when viewed from the side, Saturn's rings are not visible.
But, Saturn also has satellites. About 62 satellites of Saturn have now been discovered.
Saturn's largest moon is Titan, whose size is more planet Mercury! But, it consists largely of frozen gas, that is, it is lighter than Mercury. If Titan is moved into Mercury's orbit, the icy gas will evaporate and Titan's size will greatly decrease.
Another interesting satellite of Saturn, Enceladus, attracts scientists because there is an ocean of liquid water under its icy surface. And if so, then life is possible in it, because the temperatures there are positive. Powerful water geysers have been discovered on Enceladus, shooting hundreds of kilometers high! 
The Cassini research station has been orbiting Saturn since 2004. During this time, a lot of data was collected about Saturn itself, its moons and rings.
The automatic station "Huygens" was also landed on the surface of Titan, one of Saturn's moons. This was the first ever landing of a probe on the surface. celestial body in the Outer Solar System.
Despite its considerable size and mass, the density of Saturn is approximately 9.1 times less than the density of the Earth. Therefore, the acceleration of gravity at the equator is only 10.44 m/s². That is, having landed there, we would not have felt the increased gravity.
Uranus is an ice giant.
The atmosphere of Uranus consists of hydrogen and helium, and the interior is made of ice and solid rocks. Uranus appears to be a fairly calm planet, unlike the violent Jupiter, but vortices have still been noticed in its atmosphere. If Jupiter and Saturn are called gas giants, then Uranus and Neptune are ice giants, since in their depths there is no metallic hydrogen, but instead there is a lot of ice in various high-temperature states.
Uranus emits very little internal heat and is therefore the coldest of the planets in the solar system - a temperature of -224°C is recorded on it. Even on Neptune, which is further from the Sun, it is warmer.
Uranus has satellites, but they are not very large. The largest of them, Titania, is more than half the diameter of our Moon.
No, I didn't forget to rotate the photo :)
Unlike other planets in the solar system, Uranus seems to lie on its side - its own axis of rotation lies almost in the plane of rotation of Uranus around the Sun. Therefore, he turns to the Sun, now Southern, then North poles. That is, a sunny day at the pole lasts 42 years, and then gives way to 42 years of “polar night”, during which the opposite pole is illuminated.
This image was taken by the Hubble telescope in 2005. The rings of Uranus, the lightly colored south pole, and a bright cloud in the northern latitudes are visible.
It turns out that not only Saturn decorated himself with rings!
It is curious that all the planets bear the names of Roman gods. And only Uranus is named after a god from ancient Greek mythology.
The acceleration of gravity at the equator of Uranus is 0.886 g. That is, the gravity on this giant planet is even less than on Earth! And this despite its enormous mass... The reason for this is, again, low density ice giant Uranus.
Spacecraft have flown past Uranus, taking pictures along the way, but detailed studies have not yet been carried out. True, NASA plans to send a research station to Uranus in the 2020s. The European Space Agency also has plans.
Neptune is the farthest planet in the solar system, after Pluto was "demoted" to the "dwarf planets". Like the other giant planets, Neptune is much larger and heavier than Earth. 
Neptune, like Saturn, is an icy giant planet.
Neptune is quite far from the Sun and therefore became the first planet discovered through mathematical calculations, rather than through direct observations. The planet was visually discovered through a telescope on September 23, 1846 by astronomers at the Berlin Observatory, based on preliminary calculations by the French astronomer Le Verrier.
It is curious that, judging by the drawings, Galileo Galii observed Neptune long before this, back in 1612, with his first telescope! But... he did not recognize the planet in it, mistaking it for a fixed star. Therefore, Galileo is not considered the discoverer of the planet Neptune.
Despite its significant size and mass, Neptune's density is approximately 3.5 times less than the density of Earth. Therefore, at the equator the gravity is only 1.14 g, that is, almost the same as on Earth, like the two previous giant planets.
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