List of planets from the sun in order. Characteristics of celestial bodies of the solar system

On March 13, 1781, English astronomer William Herschel discovered the seventh planet of the solar system - Uranus. And on March 13, 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ninth planet of the solar system - Pluto. By the beginning of the 21st century, it was believed that the solar system included nine planets. However, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided to strip Pluto of this status.

There are already 60 known natural satellites of Saturn, most of which were discovered using spacecraft. Most of the satellites consist of rocks and ice. The largest satellite, Titan, discovered in 1655 by Christiaan Huygens, is larger than the planet Mercury. The diameter of Titan is about 5200 km. Titan orbits Saturn every 16 days. Titan is the only moon to have a very dense atmosphere, 1.5 times larger than Earth's, consisting primarily of 90% nitrogen, with moderate methane content.

The International Astronomical Union officially recognized Pluto as a planet in May 1930. At that moment, it was assumed that its mass was comparable to the mass of the Earth, but later it was found that Pluto’s mass is almost 500 times less than the Earth’s, even less than the mass of the Moon. Pluto's mass is 1.2 x 10.22 kg (0.22 Earth's mass). Pluto's average distance from the Sun is 39.44 AU. (5.9 to 10 to 12 degrees km), radius is about 1.65 thousand km. The period of revolution around the Sun is 248.6 years, the period of rotation around its axis is 6.4 days. Pluto's composition is believed to include rock and ice; the planet has a thin atmosphere consisting of nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Pluto has three moons: Charon, Hydra and Nix.

At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, many objects were discovered in the outer solar system. It has become obvious that Pluto is only one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects known to date. Moreover, at least one of the belt objects - Eris - is a larger body than Pluto and is 27% heavier. In this regard, the idea arose to no longer consider Pluto as a planet. On August 24, 2006, at the XXVI General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), it was decided to henceforth call Pluto not a “planet”, but a “dwarf planet”.

At the conference, a new definition of a planet was developed, according to which planets are considered bodies that revolve around a star (and are not themselves a star), have a hydrostatically equilibrium shape and have “cleared” the area in the area of ​​their orbit from other, smaller objects. Dwarf planets will be considered objects that orbit a star, have a hydrostatically equilibrium shape, but have not “cleared” the nearby space and are not satellites. Planets and dwarf planets are two different classes of objects in the Solar System. All other objects orbiting the Sun that are not satellites will be called small bodies of the Solar System.

Thus, since 2006, there have been eight planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The International Astronomical Union officially recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

On June 11, 2008, the IAU announced the introduction of the concept of "plutoid". It was decided to call celestial bodies revolving around the Sun in an orbit whose radius is greater than the radius of Neptune’s orbit, whose mass is sufficient for gravitational forces to give them an almost spherical shape, and which do not clear the space around their orbit (that is, many small objects revolve around them) ).

Since it is still difficult to determine the shape and thus the relationship to the class of dwarf planets for such distant objects as plutoids, scientists recommended temporarily classifying all objects whose absolute asteroid magnitude (brilliance from a distance of one astronomical unit) is brighter than +1 as plutoids. If it later turns out that an object classified as a plutoid is not a dwarf planet, it will be deprived of this status, although the assigned name will be retained. The dwarf planets Pluto and Eris were classified as plutoids. In July 2008, Makemake was included in this category. On September 17, 2008, Haumea was added to the list.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

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The solar system is a group of planets revolving in specific orbits around a bright star - the Sun. This star is the main source of heat and light in the solar system.

It is believed that our planetary system was formed as a result of the explosion of one or more stars and this happened about 4.5 billion years ago. At first, the Solar System was an accumulation of gas and dust particles, however, over time and under the influence of its own mass, the Sun and other planets arose.

Planets of the Solar System

At the center of the solar system is the Sun, around which eight planets move in their orbits: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Until 2006, Pluto also belonged to this group of planets; it was considered the 9th planet from the Sun, however, due to its significant distance from the Sun and small size, it was excluded from this list and called a dwarf planet. More precisely, it is one of several dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt.

All of the above planets are usually divided into two large groups: the terrestrial group and the gas giants.

The terrestrial group includes such planets as: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. They are distinguished by their small size and rocky surface, and in addition, they are located closest to the Sun.

Gas giants include: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. They are characterized by large sizes and the presence of rings, which are ice dust and rocky pieces. These planets consist mainly of gas.

Mercury

This planet is one of the smallest in the solar system, its diameter is 4,879 km. In addition, it is closest to the Sun. This proximity predetermined a significant temperature difference. The average temperature on Mercury during the day is +350 degrees Celsius, and at night - -170 degrees.

1. Mercury is the first planet from the Sun.
2. There are no seasons on Mercury. The tilt of the planet's axis is almost perpendicular to the plane of the planet's orbit around the Sun.
3. The temperature on the surface of Mercury is not the highest, although the planet is located closest to the Sun. He lost first place to Venus.
4. The first research vehicle to visit Mercury was Mariner 10. It conducted a number of demonstration flights in 1974.
5. A day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days, and a year is only 88 days.
6. Mercury experiences the most dramatic temperature changes, reaching 610 °C. During the day, temperatures can reach 430 °C, and at night -180 °C.
7. The gravity on the planet's surface is only 38% of Earth's. This means that on Mercury you could jump three times as high, and it would be easier to lift heavy objects.
8. The first observations of Mercury through a telescope were made by Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century.
9. Mercury has no natural satellites.
10. The first official map of Mercury's surface was published only in 2009, thanks to data obtained from the Mariner 10 and Messenger spacecraft.

Venus

This planet is the second from the Sun. In size it is close to the diameter of the Earth, the diameter is 12,104 km. In all other respects, Venus differs significantly from our planet. A day here lasts 243 Earth days, and a year lasts 255 days. The atmosphere of Venus is 95% carbon dioxide, which creates a greenhouse effect on its surface. This results in an average temperature on the planet of 475 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere also contains 5% nitrogen and 0.1% oxygen.

1. Venus is the second planet from the Sun in the Solar System.
2. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, although it is the second planet from the sun. Surface temperature can reach 475 °C.
   
3. The first spacecraft sent to explore Venus was sent from Earth on February 12, 1961 and was called Venera 1.
4. Venus is one of two planets whose direction of rotation around its axis is different from most planets in the solar system.
5. The planet's orbit around the Sun is very close to circular.
6. The day and night temperatures of the surface of Venus are practically the same due to the large thermal inertia of the atmosphere.
7. Venus makes one revolution around the Sun in 225 Earth days, and one revolution around its axis in 243 Earth days, that is, one day on Venus lasts more than one year.
8. The first observations of Venus through a telescope were made by Galileo Galilei at the beginning of the 17th century.
9. Venus has no natural satellites.
10. Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, after the Sun and Moon.

Earth

Our planet is located at a distance of 150 million km from the Sun, and this allows us to create on its surface a temperature suitable for the existence of liquid water, and, therefore, for the emergence of life.

Its surface is 70% covered with water, and it is the only planet to contain such an amount of liquid. It is believed that many thousands of years ago, steam contained in the atmosphere created the temperature on the Earth's surface necessary for the formation of water in liquid form, and solar radiation contributed to photosynthesis and the birth of life on the planet.

1. Earth in the solar system is the third planet from the sunsA;
2. Our planet revolves around one natural satellite - the Moon;
   
3. Earth is the only planet not named after a divine being;
4. The Earth's density is the greatest of all the planets in the solar system;
5. The Earth's rotation speed is gradually slowing down;
6. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is 1 astronomical unit (a conventional measure of length in astronomy), which is approximately 150 million km;
7. The Earth has a magnetic field of sufficient strength to protect living organisms on its surface from harmful solar radiation;
8. The first artificial Earth satellite, called PS-1 (The simplest satellite - 1), was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Sputnik launch vehicle on October 4, 1957;
9. In orbit around the Earth, compared to other planets, there is the largest number of spacecraft;
10. Earth is the largest terrestrial planet in the solar system;

Mars

This planet is the fourth from the Sun and is 1.5 times more distant from it than the Earth. The diameter of Mars is smaller than Earth's and is 6,779 km. The average air temperature on the planet ranges from -155 degrees to +20 degrees at the equator. The magnetic field on Mars is much weaker than that of Earth, and the atmosphere is quite thin, which allows solar radiation to unimpededly affect the surface. In this regard, if there is life on Mars, it is not on the surface.

When surveyed with the help of Mars rovers, it was found that there are many mountains on Mars, as well as dried up river beds and glaciers. The surface of the planet is covered with red sand. It is iron oxide that gives Mars its color.

1. Mars is located in the fourth orbit from the Sun;
2. The Red Planet is home to the tallest volcano in the solar system;
   
3. Of the 40 exploration missions sent to Mars, only 18 were successful;
4. Mars is home to some of the largest dust storms in the solar system;
5. In 30-50 million years, there will be a system of rings around Mars, like Saturn's;
6. Debris from Mars has been found on Earth;
7. The Sun from the surface of Mars looks half as big as from the surface of the Earth;
   
8. Mars is the only planet in the solar system that has polar ice caps;
9. Two natural satellites revolve around Mars - Deimos and Phobos;
10. Mars has no magnetic field;

Jupiter

This planet is the largest in the solar system and has a diameter of 139,822 km, which is 19 times larger than Earth. A day on Jupiter lasts 10 hours, and a year is approximately 12 Earth years. Jupiter is mainly composed of xenon, argon and krypton. If it were 60 times larger, it could become a star due to a spontaneous thermonuclear reaction.

The average temperature on the planet is -150 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere consists of hydrogen and helium. There is no oxygen or water on its surface. There is an assumption that there is ice in the atmosphere of Jupiter.

1. Jupiter is located in the fifth orbit from the Sun;
2. In the Earth's sky, Jupiter is the fourth brightest object, after the Sun, Moon and Venus;
   
3. Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets in the solar system;
4. In the atmosphere of Jupiter, one of the longest and most powerful storms in the solar system rages, better known as the Great Red Spot;
5. Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system;
6. Jupiter is surrounded by a thin system of rings;
7. Jupiter was visited by 8 research vehicles;
   
8. Jupiter has a strong magnetic field;
   
9. If Jupiter were 80 times more massive, it would become a star;
10. There are 67 natural satellites orbiting Jupiter. This is the largest in the Solar System;

Saturn

This planet is the second largest in the solar system. Its diameter is 116,464 km. It is most similar in composition to the Sun. A year on this planet lasts quite a long time, almost 30 Earth years, and a day lasts 10.5 hours. The average surface temperature is -180 degrees.

Its atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and a small amount of helium. Thunderstorms and auroras often occur in its upper layers.

1. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun;
2. Saturn's atmosphere contains the strongest winds in the solar system;
   
3. Saturn is one of the least dense planets in the solar system;
   
4. Surrounding the planet is the largest ring system in the Solar System;
5. One day on the planet lasts almost one Earth year and is equal to 378 Earth days;
6. Saturn was visited by 4 research spacecraft;
7. Saturn, together with Jupiter, constitutes approximately 92% of the total planetary mass of the Solar System;
8. One year on the planet lasts 29.5 Earth years;
9. There are 62 known natural satellites orbiting the planet;
10. Currently, the automatic interplanetary station Cassini is studying Saturn and its rings;

Uranus

Uranus, computer artwork.

Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system and the seventh from the Sun. It has a diameter of 50,724 km. It is also called the “ice planet”, as the temperature on its surface is -224 degrees. A day on Uranus lasts 17 hours, and a year lasts 84 Earth years. Moreover, summer lasts as long as winter - 42 years. This natural phenomenon is due to the fact that the axis of that planet is located at an angle of 90 degrees to the orbit and it turns out that Uranus seems to be “lying on its side.”

1. Uranus is located in the seventh orbit from the Sun;
2. The first person to learn about the existence of Uranus was William Herschel in 1781;
   
3. Uranus has only been visited by one spacecraft, Voyager 2 in 1982;
4. Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system;
5. The plane of Uranus' equator is inclined to the plane of its orbit at almost a right angle - that is, the planet rotates retrograde, "lying on its side slightly upside down";
6. The moons of Uranus bear names taken from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope, rather than Greek or Roman mythology;
7. A day on Uranus lasts about 17 Earth hours;
8. There are 13 known rings around Uranus;
9. One year on Uranus lasts 84 Earth years;
10. There are 27 known natural satellites orbiting Uranus;

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. It is similar in composition and size to its neighbor Uranus. The diameter of this planet is 49,244 km. A day on Neptune lasts 16 hours, and a year is equal to 164 Earth years. Neptune is an ice giant and for a long time it was believed that no weather phenomena occur on its icy surface. However, it was recently discovered that Neptune has raging vortices and wind speeds that are the highest among the planets in the solar system. It reaches 700 km/h.

Neptune has 14 moons, the most famous of which is Triton. It is known to have its own atmosphere.

Neptune also has rings. This planet has 6 of them.

1. Neptune is the most distant planet in the Solar System and occupies the eighth orbit from the Sun;
2. Mathematicians were the first to know about the existence of Neptune;
   
3. There are 14 satellites circling around Neptune;
4. Neputna's orbit is removed from the Sun by an average of 30 AU;
5. One day on Neptune lasts 16 Earth hours;
6. Neptune has only been visited by one spacecraft, Voyager 2;
7. There is a system of rings around Neptune;
8. Neptune has the second highest gravity after Jupiter;
9. One year on Neptune lasts 164 Earth years;
10. The atmosphere on Neptune is extremely active;

1. Jupiter is considered the largest planet in the solar system.
2. There are 5 dwarf planets in the Solar System, one of which has been reclassified as Pluto.
3. There are very few asteroids in the Solar System.
4. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
5. About 99% of the space (by volume) is occupied by the Sun in the Solar System.
6. The satellite of Saturn is considered one of the most beautiful and original places in the solar system. There you can see a huge concentration of ethane and liquid methane.
7. Our solar system has a tail that resembles a four-leaf clover.
8. The sun follows a continuous 11-year cycle.
9. There are 8 planets in the solar system.
10. The Solar System is fully formed thanks to a large gas and dust cloud.
11. Spacecraft have flown to all the planets of the solar system.
12. Venus is the only planet in the solar system that rotates counterclockwise around its axis.
13. Uranus has 27 satellites.
14. The largest mountain is on Mars.
15. A huge mass of objects in the solar system fell on the sun.
16. The solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy.
17. The sun is the central object of the solar system.
18. The solar system is often divided into regions.
19. The Sun is a key component of the Solar System.
20. The solar system was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
21. The most distant planet in the solar system is Pluto.
22. Two regions in the Solar System are filled with small bodies.
23. The solar system was built contrary to all the laws of the Universe.
24. If you compare the solar system and space, then it is just a grain of sand in it.
25. Over the past few centuries, the solar system has lost 2 planets: Vulcan and Pluto.
26. Researchers claim that the solar system was created artificially.
27. The only satellite of the Solar System that has a dense atmosphere and whose surface cannot be seen due to cloud cover is Titan.
28. The region of the solar system that lies beyond the orbit of Neptune is called the Kuiper belt.
29. The Oort cloud is the region of the solar system that serves as the source of a comet and a long orbital period.
30. Every object in the solar system is held there because of the force of gravity.
31. The leading theory of the solar system involves the emergence of planets and moons from a huge cloud.
32. The solar system is considered the most secret particle of the Universe.
33. There is a huge asteroid belt in the solar system.
34. On Mars you can see the eruption of the largest volcano in the solar system, which is called Olympus.
35. Pluto is considered to be the outskirts of the solar system.
36. Jupiter has a large ocean of liquid water.
37. The Moon is the largest satellite of the Solar System.
38. Pallas is considered the largest asteroid in the solar system.
39. The brightest planet in the solar system is Venus.
40. The solar system is mostly made of hydrogen.
41. The Earth is an equal member of the solar system.
42. The sun heats up slowly.
43. Oddly enough, the largest reserves of water in the solar system are in the sun.
44. The equator plane of each planet in the solar system diverges from the orbital plane.
45. The satellite of Mars called Phobos is an anomaly in the solar system.
46. The solar system can amaze with its diversity and scale.
47. The planets of the solar system are influenced by the sun.
48. The outer shell of the Solar System is considered to be the haven of satellites and gas giants.
49. A huge number of planetary satellites of the solar system are dead.
50. The largest asteroid, with a diameter of 950 km, is called Ceres.

> Planets of the Solar System in order

Explore planets of the solar system in order. High quality photos, the location of the Earth and a detailed description of each planet around the Sun: from Mercury to Neptune.

Let's look at the planets of the solar system in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

What is a planet?

According to the criteria established by the IAU in 2006, an object is considered a planet:

• on an orbital path around the Sun;
• has sufficient massiveness for hydrostatic balance;
• cleared the surrounding area of ​​foreign bodies;

This led to the fact that Pluto could not meet the last point and moved into the ranks of dwarf planets. For the same reason, Ceres is no longer an asteroid, but has joined Pluto.

But there are also trans-Neptunian objects, which are considered a subcategory of dwarf planets and are called the plutoid class. These are celestial bodies rotating beyond the orbit of Neptune. These include Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Eris and Makemake.

Planets of the Solar System in order

Let's now study our planets of the solar system in order of increasing distance from the Sun with high quality photos.

Mercury

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun, 58 million km away. Despite this, it is not considered the hottest planet.

Now considered the tiniest planet, second in size to its moon Ganymede.

• Diameter: 4,879 km
• Mass: 3.3011 × 10 23 kg (0.055 Earth).
• Length of year: 87.97 days.
• Length of day: 59 days.
• Included in the category of terrestrial planets. The crater surface resembles the Earth's Moon.
• If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will gain 17 kg on Mercury.
• No satellites.
• Temperature ranges from -173 to 427 °C (-279 to 801 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Only 2 missions were sent: Mariner 10 in 1974-1975. and MESSENGER, which flew past the planet three times before entering orbit in 2011.

Venus

It is 108 million km distant from the Sun and is considered an earthly sister because it is similar in parameters: 81.5% of the mass, 90% of the earth’s area and 86.6% of its volume.

Due to its thick atmospheric layer, Venus has become the hottest planet in the solar system, with temperatures rising to 462°C.

• Diameter: 12104 km.
• Mass: 4.886 x 10 24 kg (0.815 earth)
• Length of the year: 225 days.
• Length of day: 243 days.
• Temperature heating: 462°C.
• The dense and toxic atmospheric layer is filled with carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) with drops of sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
• No satellites.
• Retrograde rotation is characteristic.
• If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will gain 41 kg on Venus.
• It was called the Morning and Evening Star because it is often brighter than any other object in the sky and is usually visible at dawn or dusk. Often even mistaken for a UFO.
• Sent over 40 missions. Magellan mapped 98% of the planet's surface in the early 1990s.

Earth

The Earth is our home, living at a distance of 150 million km from the star. So far the only world that has life.

• Diameter: 12760 km.
• Weight: 5.97 x 10 24 kg.
• Length of the year: 365 days.
• Length of day: 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
• Surface Heat: Average - 14°C, with ranges from -88°C to 58°C.
• The surface is constantly changing, and 70% is covered by oceans.
• There is one satellite.
• Atmospheric composition: nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%) and other gases (1%).
• The only world with life.

Mars

The Red Planet, 288 million km distant. Received its second name because of the reddish tint created by iron oxide. Mars resembles Earth due to its axial rotation and tilt, which creates seasonality.

There are also many familiar surface features, such as mountains, valleys, volcanoes, deserts and ice caps. The atmosphere is thin, so the temperature drops to -63 o C.

• Diameter: 6787 km.
• Mass: 6.4171 x 10 23 kg (0.107 Earth).
• Length of the year: 687 days.
• Length of day: 24 hours and 37 minutes.
• Surface Temperature: Average - approximately -55°C with a range of -153°C to +20°C.
• Belongs to the category of terrestrial planets. The rocky surface has been affected by volcanoes, asteroid attacks and atmospheric effects such as dust storms.
• The thin atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar). If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will gain 17 kg on Mars.
• There are two tiny moons: Phobos and Deimos.
• Called the Red Planet because iron minerals in the soil oxidize (rust).
• More than 40 spacecraft have been sent.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, living at a distance of 778 million km from the Sun. It is 317 times larger than the Earth and 2.5 times larger than all the planets together. Represented by hydrogen and helium.

The atmosphere is considered the most intense, where the wind accelerates to 620 km/h. There are also amazing auroras that almost never stop.

• Diameter: 428400 km.
• Mass: 1.8986 × 10 27 kg (317.8 Earth).
• Length of year: 11.9 years.
• Length of day: 9.8 hours.
• Temperature reading: -148°C.
• There are 67 known moons, and another 17 moons await confirmation of their discovery. Jupiter resembles a mini-system!
• In 1979, Voyager 1 spotted a faint ring system.
• If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will get 115 kg on Jupiter.
• The Great Red Spot is a large-scale storm (larger than the Earth) that has not stopped for hundreds of years. In recent years there has been a downward trend.
• Many missions have flown past Jupiter. The last one arrived in 2016 - Juno.

Saturn

Distant 1.4 billion km. Saturn is a gas giant with a gorgeous ring system. There are layers of gas concentrated around a solid core.

• Diameter: 120500 km.
• Mass: 5.66836 × 10 26 kg (95.159 Earth).
• Length of year: 29.5 years.
• Length of day: 10.7 hours.
• Temperature mark: -178 °C.
• Atmospheric composition: hydrogen (H2) and helium (He).
• If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will get about 48 kg on Saturn.
• There are 53 known satellites with an additional 9 awaiting confirmation.
• 5 missions were sent to the planet. Since 2004, Cassini has been studying the system.

Uranus

Lives at a distance of 2.9 billion km. It belongs to the class of ice giants due to the presence of ammonia, methane, water and hydrocarbons. Methane also creates a blue appearance.

Uranus is the frostiest planet in the system. The seasonal cycle is quite bizarre, as it lasts 42 years for each hemisphere.

• Diameter: 51120 km.
• Length of year: 84 years.
• Length of day: 18 hours.
• Temperature mark: -216°C.
• Most of the planetary mass is a hot, dense liquid of “icy” materials: water, ammonia and methane.
• Atmospheric composition: hydrogen and helium with a small admixture of methane. Methane causes a blue-green hue.
• If you weigh 45 kg on Earth, you will get 41 kg on Uranus.
• There are 27 satellites.
• There is a weak ring system.
• The only ship sent to the planet was Voyager 2.

The new words couldn’t fit into my head. It also happened that a natural history textbook set us the goal of remembering the location of the planets of the solar system, and we were already selecting means to justify it. Among the many options for solving this problem, there are several interesting and practical ones.

Mnemonics in its purest form

The ancient Greeks came up with a solution for modern students. It is not for nothing that the term “mnemonics” comes from a consonant Greek word, literally meaning “the art of remembering.” This art gave rise to a whole system of actions aimed at memorizing a large amount of information - “mnemonics”.

They are very convenient to use if you simply need to store in memory a whole list of any names, a list of important addresses or telephone numbers, or remember the sequence of location of objects. In the case of the planets of our system, this technique is simply irreplaceable.

We play association or “Ivan gave birth to a girl...”

Each of us remembers and knows this poem from elementary school. This is a mnemonic counting rhyme. We are talking about that couplet, thanks to which it becomes easier for a child to remember the cases of the Russian language - “Ivan Gave Birth to a Girl - Ordered to Drag the Diaper” (respectively - Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental and Prepositional).

Is it possible to do the same with the planets of the solar system? - Undoubtedly. Quite a large number of mnemonics have already been invented for this astronomical educational program. The main thing you need to know is that they are all based on associative thinking. For some it is easier to imagine an object similar in shape to the one being remembered, for others it is enough to imagine a chain of names in the form of a kind of “cipher”. Here are just a few tips on how best to record their location in memory, taking into account their distance from the central star.

Funny pictures

The order in which the planets of our star system move away from the Sun can be remembered through visual images. To begin, associate with each planet an image of an object or even a person. Then imagine these pictures one by one, in the sequence in which the planets are located inside the Solar System.

1. Mercury. If you have never seen images of this ancient Greek god, try to remember the late lead singer of the group “Queen” - Freddie Mercury, whose surname is similar to the name of the planet. It is unlikely, of course, that children can know who this uncle is. Then we suggest coming up with simple phrases where the first word would begin with the syllable MER, and the second with KUR. And they must necessarily describe specific objects, which will then become a “picture” for Mercury (this method can be used as the most extreme option with each of the planets).
2. Venus. Many people have seen the statue of Venus de Milo. If you show her to children, they will easily be able to remember this “armless aunt.” Plus, educate the younger generation. You can ask them to remember some acquaintance, classmate or relative with that name - in case there are such people in their social circle.
3. Earth. Everything is simple here. Everyone must imagine themselves, an inhabitant of the Earth, whose “picture” stands between two planets located in space before and after ours.
4. Mars. In this case, advertising can become not only an “engine of trade,” but also of scientific knowledge. We think you understand that you need to imagine the popular imported chocolate bar in place of the planet.
5. Jupiter. Try to imagine some landmark of St. Petersburg, for example, the Bronze Horseman. Yes, even though the planet begins in the south, the locals call the “Northern capital” St. Petersburg. For children, such an association may not be beneficial, so invent a phrase with them.
6. Saturn. Such a “handsome man” does not need any visual image, because everyone knows him as a planet with rings. If you still have difficulties, imagine a sports stadium with a running track. Moreover, such an association has already been used by the creators of one animated film on a space theme.
7. Uranus. The most effective in this case will be a “picture” in which someone is very happy about some achievement and seems to shout “Hurray!” Agree - every child is capable of adding one letter to this exclamation.
8. Neptune. Show your children the cartoon "The Little Mermaid" - let them remember Ariel's dad - the King with a mighty beard, impressive muscles and a huge trident. And it doesn’t matter that in the story His Majesty’s name is Triton. Neptune also had this tool in his arsenal.

Now, once again mentally imagine everything (or everyone) that reminds you of the planets of the solar system. Flip through these images, like pages in a photo album, from the first “picture”, which is closest to the Sun, to the last, whose distance from the star is the greatest.

“Look, what kind of rhymes have turned out...”

Now - to mnemonics, which are based on the “initials” of the planets. Remembering the order of the planets of the solar system is indeed easiest to do by the first letters. This type of “art” is ideal for those who have less developed imaginative thinking, but are fine with its associative form.

The most striking examples of versification in order to record the order of planets in memory are the following:

“The Bear Comes Out Behind the Raspberry - The Lawyer Managed to Escape the Lowlands”;
“We Know Everything: Yulia’s Mom Stood on Stilts in the Morning.”

You can, of course, not write a poem, but simply choose words for the first letters in the names of each of the planets. A little advice: in order not to confuse the places of Mercury and Mars, which begin with the same letter, put the first syllables at the beginning of your words - ME and MA, respectively.

For example: In some places Golden Cars could be seen, Julia seemed to see Us.

You can come up with such proposals ad infinitum - as much as your imagination allows. In a word, try, practice, remember...

Author of the article: Sazonov Mikhail

The solar system is the central star, the Sun, and all the cosmic bodies that revolve around it.

There are 8 largest celestial bodies, or planets, in the solar system. Our Earth is also a planet. In addition to it, 7 more planets travel around the Sun in space: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The last two can only be observed from Earth through a telescope. The rest are visible to the naked eye.

More recently, another celestial body, Pluto, was considered a planet. It is located very far from the Sun, beyond the orbit of Neptune, and was discovered only in 1930. However, in 2006, astronomers introduced a new definition of a classical planet, and Pluto did not fall under it.

The planets have been known to people since ancient times. The closest neighbors of the Earth are Venus and Mars, the farthest from it are Uranus and Neptune.

Large planets are usually divided into two groups. The first group includes the planets closest to the Sun: these are terrestrial planets, or inner planets, - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. All of these planets have a high density and a solid surface (although there is a liquid core underneath). The largest planet in this group is Earth. However, the planets farthest from the Sun - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - are significantly larger than the Earth. That's why they got the name giant planets. They are also called outer planets. Thus, the mass of Jupiter exceeds the mass of the Earth by more than 300 times. Giant planets differ significantly from the terrestrial planets in their structure: they do not consist of heavy elements, but of gas, mainly hydrogen and helium, like the Sun and other stars. Giant planets do not have a solid surface - they are just balls of gas. That's why they are also called gas planets.

Between Mars and Jupiter there is a belt asteroids, or minor planets. An asteroid is a small planet-like body in the Solar System, ranging in size from a few meters to a thousand kilometers. The largest asteroids in this belt are Ceres, Pallas and Juno.

Beyond the orbit of Neptune there is another belt of small celestial bodies, which is called the Kuiper belt. It is 20 times wider than the asteroid belt. Pluto, which lost its planetary status and was classified as dwarf planets, is just in this belt. There are other dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt that are similar to Pluto, and in 2008 they were named as such - plutoids. These are Makemake and Haumea. By the way, Ceres from the asteroid belt is also classified as a dwarf planet (but not a plutoid!).

Another plutoid - Eris - is comparable in size to Pluto, but is located much further from the Sun - beyond the Kuiper belt. Interestingly, Eris was at one time even a candidate for the role of the 10th planet in the solar system. But as a result, it was the discovery of Eris that caused a revision of the status of Pluto in 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) introduced a new classification of celestial bodies of the Solar System. According to this classification, Eris and Pluto did not fall under the concept of a classical planet, but “earned” only the title of dwarf planets - celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun, are not satellites of planets and have a large enough mass to maintain an almost round shape, but, unlike planets, they are not able to clear their orbit from other space objects.

The solar system, in addition to the planets, includes their satellites that revolve around them. There are currently 415 satellites in total. The Earth's constant satellite is the Moon. Mars has 2 satellites - Phobos and Deimos. Jupiter has 67 satellites, and Saturn has 62. Uranus has 27 satellites. And only Venus and Mercury do not have satellites. But the “dwarfs” Pluto and Eris have satellites: Pluto has Charon, and Eris has Dysnomia. However, astronomers have not yet come to a final conclusion whether Charon is a satellite of Pluto or the Pluto-Charon system is a so-called double planet. Even some asteroids have satellites. The champion in size among satellites is Ganymede, a satellite of Jupiter; Saturn's satellite Titan is not far behind it. Both Ganymede and Titan are larger than Mercury.

In addition to planets and satellites, the solar system is crisscrossed by tens, or even hundreds of thousands of different small bodies: tailed celestial bodies - comets, a huge number of meteorites, particles of gas and dust matter, scattered atoms of various chemical elements, flows of atomic particles and others.

All objects of the Solar system are held in it due to the gravitational force of the Sun, and they all rotate around it, moreover, in the same direction with the rotation of the Sun itself and practically in the same plane, which is called plane of the ecliptic. The exception is some comets and Kuiper belt objects. In addition, almost all objects of the Solar system rotate around their own axis, and in the same direction as around the Sun (the exception is Venus and Uranus; the latter even rotates “lying on its side”).

The planets of the solar system revolve around the sun in one plane - the ecliptic plane

Pluto's orbit is highly inclined relative to the ecliptic (17°) and highly elongated

Almost the entire mass of the solar system is concentrated in the Sun - 99.8%. The four largest objects - the gas giants - account for 99% of the remaining mass (with Jupiter and Saturn accounting for the majority - about 90%). As for the size of the solar system, astronomers have not yet reached a consensus on this issue. According to modern estimates, the size of the solar system is at least 60 billion kilometers. To at least approximately imagine the scale of the solar system, let us give a more clear example. Within the Solar System, the unit of distance is taken to be the astronomical unit (AU) - the average distance from the Earth to the Sun. It is approximately 150 million km (light travels this distance in 8 minutes 19 seconds). The outer limit of the Kuiper Belt is located at a distance of 55 AU. e. from the Sun.

Another way to imagine the actual size of the solar system is to imagine a model in which all dimensions and distances are reduced to a billion times . In this case, the Earth would be about 1.3 cm in diameter (the size of a grape). The moon will rotate at a distance of about 30 cm from it. The sun will be 1.5 meters in diameter (about the height of a person) and located 150 meters from the Earth (about a city block). Jupiter is 15 cm in diameter (the size of a large grapefruit) and 5 city blocks away from the Sun. Saturn (the size of an orange) is 10 blocks away. Uranus and Neptune (lemons) - 20 and 30 quarters. A person on this scale would be the size of an atom; and the nearest star is 40,000 km away.