The number of galaxies in the universe is largely unknown to humans, with astronomers speculating that there could be an infinite number of them. In our galaxy, the Milky Way, scientists estimate that there are about 100 billion planets, most of which are in the orbit of stars. In the recent past, astronomers have discovered hundreds of planets in our galaxy, some of which exhibit characteristics of our Earth, suggesting that they are capable of supporting life. Our solar system consists of the Sun, eight planets and their moons (satellites), as well as various small cosmic bodies. The solar system included nine planets for a long time, until Pluto was stripped of this rank in 2006, as it did not meet the necessary criteria. Pluto has been found to be part of a group of six space objects that orbit the Kuiper belt and is not the largest of them.
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Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun; it is also the smallest of all eight planets. Within 88 days, Mercury completes a full revolution around the Sun. It is a rocky planet with an equatorial radius of 2439.7±1.0 km and a density of 5427 g/cm³, making it the second densest planet in the solar system. Mercury has no atmosphere and temperatures range from 448º C during the day to -170º C during the night. Its orbit is oval and is one of the planets that can be seen from Earth.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It makes a complete revolution within 224.7 days, and the period of rotation around its axis is about 243 days (this is the slowest rotation of all the planets in the solar system). Venus is the hottest planet with a surface temperature of around 467º C as its atmosphere is dense and holds heat well. It is very bright in the morning and evening, making it highly visible in certain regions of the Earth. It is the closest planet to us, and also the first one visited by an earth probe (Mariner 2) in 1962. The dense hot atmosphere makes Venus inaccessible to humans.
Earth
Planet Earth is home to humans and is believed to be the only planet known to have life. It completes a revolution around the Sun in 365.256 days, covering a distance of about 940 million km. The Earth is located about 150 million km from the Sun and is the third planet in our system; according to scientists, its formation began 4.54 billion years ago. The total area of the Earth is more than 510 million km², 71% of which is covered by water, and the remaining 29% belongs to land. Earth's atmosphere protects life from outer space, harmful radiation and controls the weather. It is the densest planet in the solar system.
Mars
Mars, also known as the "red planet", is the fourth planet in our solar system and the second smallest. It has a solid surface like Earth, but its atmosphere is relatively thin. Mars is half the size of the Earth and is on average 228 million km from the Sun; it completes an orbit around the Sun in 779.96 days. It is clearly visible from Earth at night due to its bright surface. Liquid water is not found on the surface of the planet due to low atmospheric pressure. Researchers are studying the possibility of life on Mars. Scientists believe that the ice caps at the planet's poles are water, and the ice at the south pole could fill the planet's surface to a depth of 11 meters if melted.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet in the solar system. Its mass is 2.5 times the total mass of other planets. Jupiter is a gaseous planet with no solid surface, although researchers believe its core is solid. It has a diameter of 142,984 km at the equator and is so large that it can contain all the planets in the solar system or 1,300 earths. It is predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter's atmosphere is dense, with winds averaging 550 kilometers per hour, twice the speed of a Category 5 hurricane on Earth. The planet has three rings of dust particles, but they are hard to see. It takes Jupiter 12 Earth years to make a complete revolution around the Sun.
Saturn
Saturn is the second largest planet after Jupiter and the sixth largest in the solar system. It is a gas giant, just like Jupiter, but with nine continuous rings. Saturn is considered the most beautiful planet in our system and is made up of hydrogen and helium. Its diameter is nine times that of the Earth, its volume is comparable to that of 763.5 Earths, and its surface is 83 Earths. However, Saturn's mass is only one-eighth that of our planet. Saturn has almost 150 moons, 53 of which have been named, 62 have been identified as having orbits, and the rest of the moons are in the planet's rings.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet and the third largest in the solar system. Its surface is composed of frozen matter and therefore it is considered an ice giant. However, Uranus' atmosphere also contains hydrogen and helium, along with other "ices" such as methane, ammonia, and water. Although it is not the most distant planet from the Sun, it is one of the coldest with atmospheric temperatures reaching -224 C, being the only planet in the solar system that does not generate heat from its core. The average distance of Uranus from the Sun is about 2.8 billion km.
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun. At first it was thought to be a fixed star by Galileo, who used mathematical predictions to find it rather than the usual telescope method. The average distance from Neptune to the Sun is 4.5 billion km, and a complete revolution around our star takes 164.8 years. Neptune completed its first orbit in 2011, since it was discovered in 1846. It has 14 known moons, the largest of which is Triton. The atmosphere is dominated by hydrogen and helium. It is the windiest planet in the solar system, with an average wind speed nine times that of Earth. NASA recently discovered that Neptune has rivers and lakes of liquid methane.
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On January 20, 2016, a 99.993% probability of the existence of a new Ninth Planet of the Solar System was theoretically calculated, the orbit of which is located much further than the 8 currently known counterparts.
Who discovered the new 9th planet
With the help of mathematics, it was predicted by 2 scientists: the American Michael Brown and the Russian Konstantin Batygin. They calculated how space bodies should move in the solar system, and it turned out that there are multiple inconsistencies between the real trajectories of the movement of bodies from those theoretically predicted.
In particular, there are 6 objects far from the Sun, whose movement raised questions. Therefore, astrophysicists have suggested the existence of a large cold Planet X, whose gravity affects everything around. This is evidenced by computer simulation data.
It turned out that the new Ninth Planet moves in an elongated orbit, the closest distance to the star of which is 200 distances from the Sun to the Earth. In terms of size, the space object is estimated to be slightly smaller than Neptune.
Prospects for finding Planet X
The authors of the discovery themselves call the probability of error in their calculations 0.007%. Given that M. Brown is known as the initiator of the impeachment of Pluto from the 9th planet to a dwarf planet in 2006, we can consider his opinion authoritative.
The only telescope currently capable of detecting Nibiru is the 8.2 meter diameter Japanese Subaru Telescope. However, due to problems with accurately predicting the current location of Planet X, Subaru will have to explore a huge area in search, which slows down the discovery until probably 2018-2020.
By this time, by the way, the LSST survey telescope, specially adapted for this kind of observations, will be built in Chile. His field of vision is estimated to be 7 times that of a Japanese.
Secrets of the 9th planet of the solar system
It is not yet clear how the 9th Planet X came into being. The most promising hypothesis is the opinion that even at the stage of the formation of the solar system, the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune “threw out” the fifth “Nibiru” to the outskirts of our space house with their gravity.
Most likely, Protoplanet X is similar in composition to its former neighbors and is an ice giant with a solid core inside. Calculations suggest that the mass of the Ninth planet is 16 times that of the Earth.
All this suggests that people are still far from fully understanding the origin of the solar system, and the discovery of many secrets lies ahead. In particular, the future visit by the spacecraft to the most promising place for the existence of extraterrestrial life, Saturn's moon Enceladus, is very interesting. This will put a dot at .
We wrote about this in about possible contact with an alien mind. Another interesting place is Jupiter's moon Europa with its subsurface ocean.
How many planets are there in the solar system? Nine is the wrong answer. There are either eight or ten, or maybe twenty-one. There are even those who will say: a couple of million. Surely we will not answer this question anyway - until the International Astronomical Union finally comes to some solution with a long overdue definition of "planet".
Nobody counts anymore Pluto ninth planet. Even the most conservative astronomers admitted that this planet is more "cultural" than scientific reasons (in fact, this means that they will not lower her status, so as not to upset the people).
The discoverers of Pluto in 1930 were themselves not quite sure about this issue - why, in fact, they called it a “trans-Neptunian object”, or TNO, a kind of something in the outskirts of the solar system, somewhere out there, beyond Neptune.
Pluto is much smaller than the other eight planets; it is even smaller than their seven moons. And not much larger than its own primary moon, Charon (two smaller ones were discovered in 2005). Pluto's orbit is eccentric and lies in a plane different from the rest of the planets of the solar system, plus Pluto has a completely different chemical composition.
The four planets closest to the Sun are of medium size and rocky; the remaining four are gas giants. Pluto is a tiny ball of ice, one of 60,000 small comet-like objects that at least form the Kuiper belt at the very edge of the solar system. 
All of these planetoid objects (including asteroids, TNOs, and a host of other sub-classifications) are collectively known as "minor planets". To date, 330,795 such celestial bodies have been officially registered, and another 5,000 new ones are discovered every month. According to astronomers, there may be something like two million such objects with a diameter of more than a kilometer. Most of them are too small to be called planets, but twelve would give Pluto a hundred points ahead.
One of these "minor planets", discovered in 2005 and given the charming name 2003 UB313, is actually even larger than Pluto. Not far from him, the rest, like Sedna, Orcus and Quaor, also left.
It may well happen that you and I end up with two systems: the eight-planet(3) solar system and the Kuiper belt system, which includes Pluto and all the other new planets.
Such a precedent, by the way, has already been. The largest of the asteroids, Ceres was considered the tenth planet of the solar system from its discovery in 1801 until the 1850s, when its status was downgraded to an asteroid.
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In August 2006, at the XXVI Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), astronomers from all over the world adopted the Prague Planetary Protocol. According to the text of the document, Pluto is finally deprived of the status of a “classical planet” and is transferred to “dwarf planets”. Now, according to the definition developed by the commission, only a celestial body revolving around the Sun is considered a planet, which has sufficient mass so that its own gravity exceeds the cohesive forces of solid bodies and it takes a shape close to a ball, and occupies its orbit alone (that is, "neighbors" should not be of comparable size). Thus, there are eight planets in the solar system - four terrestrial groups (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and four giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). Dwarf planets (dwarf planet) are considered to be Pluto, Charon (formerly called the satellite of Pluto), the asteroid Ceres, circulating between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, as well as the objects of the Kuiper belt - Eris (object 2003 UB313) and Sedna (object 90377). In addition, the IAU called the Pluto-Charon system a "double dwarf planet" in a Q&A.
The new words didn't fit in my head. It also happened that the textbook of natural history set before us the goal - to remember the location of the planets of the solar system, and we were already choosing the means to justify it. Among the many options for solving this problem, there are several interesting and efficient ones.
Mnemonic in its purest form
The way out for modern students was invented by the ancient Greeks. No wonder the term "mnemonics" comes from a consonant Greek word, meaning in literal translation "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 just need to memorize a whole list of any names, a list of important addresses or phone numbers, or remember the sequence of objects. In the case of the planets of our system, such a technique is simply irreplaceable.
We play associations or "Ivan gave birth to a girl ..."
Each of us remembers and knows this rhyme since elementary school. This is the mnemonic counter. 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 - He 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. A mnemonic for this astronomical educational program has already been invented quite a large number. The main thing you need to know: they are all based on associative thinking. It is easier for someone to imagine an object similar in form to a memorized one, for someone it is enough to present a chain of names in the form of a kind of “cipher”. Here are just a few tips on how best to memorize their location, taking into account the distance from the central star.
Funny pictures
The sequence of removal of the planets of our star system from the Sun can be remembered through visual images. First, 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.
- Mercury. If you have never seen images of this ancient Greek god, try to remember the late lead singer of the Queen group - Freddie Mercury, whose last name is consonant with the name of the planet. It is unlikely, of course, that children can know who this uncle is. Then we propose to come up with simple phrases, where the first word would begin with the syllable MEP, 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).
- Venus. Many have seen the statue of Venus de Milo. If you show it to your children, they can easily remember this "armless aunt." Plus, enlighten the next generation. You can ask them to remember some friend, classmate or relative with that name - all of a sudden there are such in the circle of friends.
- Earth. Everything is simple here. Everyone must imagine himself, an inhabitant of the Earth, whose “picture” stands between two planets located in space before and after ours.
- Mars. In this case, advertising can become not only an "engine of trade", but also scientific knowledge. We think you understand that you need to introduce a popular imported chocolate in the place of the planet.
- Jupiter. Try to imagine some landmark of St. Petersburg, for example, the Bronze Horseman. Yes, even if the planet begins in the south, but the locals call the "Northern Capital" Peter. Such an association may not be useful for children, so invent a phrase with them.
- Saturn. Such a “handsome man” does not need any visual image, because everyone knows him as a planet with rings. If there are still difficulties, imagine a sports stadium with a treadmill. Moreover, such an association has already been used by the creators of one animated film on a space theme.
- Uranus. The most effective in this case will be the “picture”, in which someone is very happy about some achievement and, as it were, shouts “Hurrah!”. Agree - every child is capable of adding one letter to this exclamation.
- Neptune. Show the 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 does not matter that according to the plot, His Majesty is called Triton. Neptune, after all, also had this tool in his arsenal.
And now - once again mentally imagine everything (or all) that reminds you of the planets of the solar system. Flip through these images, like pages in a photo album, from the first "picture", the closest to the Sun, to the last, whose distance from the star is the greatest.
“Look, what kind of POINTS have turned out ...”
Now - to mnemonics, which are based on the "initials" of the planets. Remembering the order of the planets in the solar system is really the easiest thing to do by the first letters. This kind of "art" is ideal for those who do not have such a brightly developed figurative thinking, but everything is in order with its associative form.
The most striking examples of versification in order to fix in memory the order of the planets are the following:
"The Bear Comes Out for Raspberries - The Lawyer Managed to Escape the Lowland";
"We All Know: Yulia's Mom Got on Stilts in the Morning."
You can, of course, not add up the rhyme, but simply pick up words that begin with the first letters in the names of each of the planets. A little advice: in order not to confuse Mercury and Mars, starting 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 were seen, Yulili As if Seeing Us.
You can come up with such proposals indefinitely - as long as your imagination is enough. In a word, try, train, remember ...
The solar system is our space region, and the planets in it are at home. Agree, each house should have its own number.
In this article, you will learn about the correct location of the planets, as well as why they are called that way and not otherwise.
Let's start with the sun.
In the literal sense, the star of today's article is the Sun. They named him so, according to some sources, in honor of the Roman god Sol, he was the god of the heavenly body. The root “sol” is present in almost all languages of the world and in one way or another gives an association with the modern concept of the Sun.
From this luminary begins the correct order of objects, each of which is unique in its own way.
Mercury
The very first object of our attention is Mercury., named after the divine messenger of Mercury, distinguished by its phenomenal speed. And Mercury itself is by no means slow - due to its location, it orbits the Sun faster than all the planets of our system, being, moreover, the smallest “house” revolving around our star.
Interesting Facts:
- Mercury revolves around the Sun in an ellipsoidal orbit, not round like other planets, and this orbit is constantly shifting.
- Mercury has an iron core, which makes up 40% of its mass and 83% of its volume.
- Mercury can be seen in the sky with the naked eye.
Venus
“House” is number two in our system. Venus was named after the goddess- the beautiful patroness of love. Venus is only slightly smaller than our Earth in size. Its atmosphere consists almost entirely of carbon dioxide. There is oxygen in its atmosphere, but in very small quantities.
Interesting Facts:
Earth
The only space object on which life has been discovered is the third planet in our system. For a comfortable stay of living organisms on Earth, there is everything: a suitable temperature, oxygen and water. The name of our planet comes from the Proto-Slavic root “-zem”, meaning “low”. Probably, it was called so in ancient times because it was considered flat, in other words, “low”.
Interesting Facts:
- The Earth's satellite, the Moon, is the largest satellite among the satellites of the terrestrial planets - dwarf planets.
- It is the densest planet among the terrestrial group.
- Earth and Venus are sometimes called sisters due to the fact that they both have an atmosphere.
Mars
The fourth planet from the Sun. Mars is named after the ancient Roman god of war for its blood-red color, which is not bloody at all, but, in fact, iron. It is the high iron content that gives the surface of Mars its red color. Mars is smaller than Earth but has two moons: Phobos and Deimos.
Interesting Facts:
asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter.. It acts as a boundary between the terrestrial planets and the giant planets. Some scientists believe that the asteroid belt is nothing more than a planet shattered into fragments. But so far the whole world is more inclined to the theory that the asteroid belt is a consequence of the Big Bang that gave birth to the galaxy.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth house from the Sun. It is two and a half times heavier than all the planets in the galaxy combined. Jupiter is named after the ancient Roman king of the gods, most likely because of its impressive size.
Interesting Facts:
Saturn
Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture. The sickle is the symbol of Saturn. The sixth planet is widely known for its rings. Saturn has the lowest density of all natural satellites orbiting the Sun. Its density is even lower than that of water.
Interesting Facts:
- Saturn has 62 moons. The most famous of them: Titan, Enceladus, Iapetus, Dione, Tethys, Rhea and Mimas.
- Saturn's moon Titan has the most substantial atmosphere of any moon in the system, and Rhea has rings like Saturn itself.
- The composition of the chemical elements of the Sun and Saturn is the most similar than that of the Sun and other objects of the solar system.
Uranus
The seventh "house" in the solar system. Sometimes Uranus is called the “lazy planet”, because during the rotation it lies on its side - the tilt of its axis is 98 degrees. Uranus is also the lightest planet in our system and its moons are named after characters from William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. Uranus itself is named after the Greek god of the sky.
Interesting Facts:
- Uranus has 27 moons, the most famous being Titania, Ariel, Umbriel and Miranda.
- The temperature on Uranus is -224 degrees Celsius.
- One year on Uranus is equal to 84 years on Earth.
Neptune
The eighth, last planet of the solar system is quite close to its neighbor Uranus. Neptune got its name in honor of the god of the seas and oceans. Apparently, it was given to this space object after the researchers saw the deep blue color of Neptune.
Interesting Facts:
About Pluto
Pluto has officially ceased to be considered a planet since August 2006. It was considered too small and declared an asteroid. The name of the former planet of the galaxy is not the name of any god at all. The discoverer of this now asteroid named this space object in honor of his daughter's favorite cartoon character, the dog Pluto.
In this article, we briefly reviewed the location of the planets. We hope you found this article useful and informative.
