What are the Elements of the Solar System?

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Philip Kelley
What are the Elements of the Solar System?

The elements of the solar system they are mainly celestial bodies that revolve in orbits around a star; the Sun. Planets, satellites, the asteroid belt, centaurs, comets, cosmic dust, among others stand out..

The solar system in which planet Earth is located consists of the Sun, planets (terrestrial and gaseous), dwarf planets, satellites, and various smaller astronomical objects such as comets..

The planets of the solar system. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Although it is normal that the elements of the solar system include stars, the truth is that there is only one and it is the Sun.

The traditional stars that people commonly refer to and that can only be observed at night are located outside the solar system several light years away..

Elements that make up our solar system

The solar system is estimated to have formed about 4.6 billion years ago. It is located in the Milky Way galaxy and, ignoring the sun, the closest known star is Proxima Centauri, which is 4.2 light years from the sun..

Sun

The sun is a star

It is the central star of the solar system, orbited by all other celestial bodies and astronomical objects.

It represents 99.75% of the total mass of the solar system and is vital for life on planet Earth. Its formation is estimated 5 billion years ago.

It is a key element in practically all the processes of nature and for a large number of other aspects, such as the measurement of time. The duration of the orbital cycle of a planet around the Sun is what is known as the year.

Terrestrial planets

Mars

The 4 planets closest to the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are normally known as terrestrial planets due to their high silicate composition and rocky nature. They also have a ferrous core that is in a liquid state.

They are significantly smaller in size than the 4 remaining planets and between all they add up to only 3 satellites (one from Earth and 2 from Mars).

Mars, example of a terrestrial planet

It is the inner planet furthest from the Sun and the first that human beings have been able to reach from aerospace technology. It has the peculiarity that it could harbor life (at least bacterial).

Gaseous planets

Planet Jupiter. Source: Judy Schmidt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/44790657805)

The remaining planets of the solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, called gaseous planets because they have a mass composed almost entirely of gases and fluids, in addition to not having a palpable crust..

They have a volume significantly greater than that of the 4 terrestrial planets, which is why they are also called giant planets.

Jupiter, the giant

With 142,800 km in diameter, it is the largest planet in the solar system, and it is also the largest celestial body after the Sun. To get an idea, Jupiter could house more than 1,300 planets Earth inside it..

Tiny planets

Dwarf planets are celestial bodies much smaller in size than a normal planet and gravitationally dependent, since they share their orbital space with other bodies. Despite this, they are not considered satellites.

In the solar system there are 5 dwarf planets; Ceres, Pluto (formerly considered a conventional planet), Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

The case of Ceres

Some experts also include Ceres within the terrestrial planets. It is really a protoplanet or dwarf planet, that is, it is in an embryonic phase before becoming a planet such as Mercury or Venus..

Natural satellites

Size comparison between the Earth and the Moon. Apollo 17 Picture of the Whole Earth: NASATelescopic Image of the Full Moon: Gregory H. Revera [Public domain]

They are celestial bodies that orbit a planet (generally larger) that in turn orbits a parent star.

There are 168 natural satellites in the solar system, the largest being that of Earth, called the Moon. By default it is usually called Moon to any other natural satellite.

Minor bodies

Asteroids, comets and meteorites are some other astronomical objects that abound in the solar system.

Asteroids and meteorites are made of rocky material and differ in size (objects greater than 50 meters in diameter are considered asteroids), comets are made of ice and dust..

Cosmic dust

Low density dust (particles smaller than 100 micrometers) distributed throughout the solar system. It owes its name to the fact that it fills the cosmos, although it is also known as space dust or extraterrestrial dust.

There are different types, and they can be classified according to their origin or astronomical location into intergalactic dust, interstellar dust, interplanetary dust, circumstellar dust, circumplanetary disk dust and cometary dust..

References

  1. Graciela Ortega (July 30, 2013). The sun and components of the solar system. Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from ABC.
  2. Natural satellites (May 20, 2015). Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from Science Learn.
  3. Dwarf Planets (s.f.). Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from GeoEnciclopedia.
  4. Nancy Atkinson (December 23, 2015). Comet, Asteroid And Meteor. Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from Universe Today.
  5. Small Solar-System Bodies (2015). Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from Nine Planets.
  6. Celestial Objects (2016). Retrieved on November 30, 2017, from Seasky.

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