The meaning of the solar system

The meaning of the solar system
The solar system consists of the Sun, the planets, and other heavenly bodies. It is one
of the million stellar systems in the Earth’s galaxy or nebula, known as the Milky Way.
Galaxy or Nebula refers to a cluster or group of billions of stars, together with gases
and dust, held together by gravitational forces.
Components of our solar system
A component simply means a part of a whole. That part combines or joins with other
parts to form a bigger one. So when we say the components of the solar system, it
simply means parts that make up the solar system or constituents of the solar system.
The components are discussed below:

  • Sun: The Sun is the star at the centre of the solar system and all other planets revolve
    around it in an elliptical orbit. It is the largest and brightest object in the solar system.
    The Sun consists of 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, and 2% of the remaining consists
    of carbon, oxygen, iron, neon, and other elements. It has a surface temperature of
    about 6000°C.
  • Planets: They are spherical objects that circle around the Sun and are massive or
    dominant in their region of space. There are eight planets. Mercury is the closest
    to the Sun followed by Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
    which is the furthest from the Sun.
  • Comets: They are small icy or frozen bodies in space that shed gas and dust.
  • Asteroids: They are small rocky objects that orbit the sun.
  • Meteorites: They are the solid body of rock and iron that orbits the sun. They
    range in size from tiny particles to boulders.
  • Satellites: They are smaller heavenly bodies that revolve around the planets. The
    moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth. It takes the moon approximately 27
    days to orbit around the earth. The average distance from the Earth to the moon is
    384,400km.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EIGHT (8) PLANETS
The planets have the following characteristics:

  1. Mercury:
  • First in order of distance from the sun
  • Smallest planet
  • Takes 88 Earth days to complete one revolution on its orbit
  • Has the shortest orbit around the sun
  1. Venus:
  • Spherical in shape
  • Hottest planet
  • Similar in size and mass to Earth, has a thick atmosphere
  • It takes Venus 225 days to complete its revolution.
  1. Earth:
  • The only known planet that supports life
  • It is spherical in shape
  • Takes 365¼ days to complete one revolution on its orbit
  1. Mars:
  • Also called the red planet
  • It is the fourth planet in terms of its position from the sun
  • It is spherical in shape
  • It takes Mars 687 days to make a revolution around the sun
  1. Jupiter:
  • Largest planet in the solar system
  • It has rings around it
  • Made up of gases
  • Its distance from the sun is 772,800,000 km

Saturn:

  • Second largest planet in the solar system
  • It takes 29 Earth years to make one complete revolution on its orbit
  • It is composed of gases, predominantly hydrogen
  1. Uranus:
  • Third largest planet
  • The only planet that rotates on its sides – at nearly 90°
  • The coldest in the solar system
  • It takes Uranus 88 years to complete its orbit
  1. Neptune:
  • The planet that is farthest away from the sun
  • It is the fourth largest in the solar system
  • It has an average distance of 4.5 billion km away from the sun

IMPORTANCE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
AND THE SUN

  • The Sun provides heat to the planets. The Sun heats the Earth, providing it with the
    right temperature for living beings to survive.
  • The Sun provides light to the Earth. Light helps provide energy to the Earth through
    electromagnetic energy. It also helps humans as well as animals to see day and
    night. The light also helps plants to grow by powering the process of photosynthesis.
  • The solar system, particularly the Sun, drives the water cycle and influences the
    climate. The Sun’s heat causes evaporation and transpiration, leading to cloud
    formation and, eventually, rainfall. This cycle is essential for sustaining most life
    on Earth.
  • The solar system, through the Sun, provides an important source of energy on the
    planets. On Earth, some of the energy produced through electricity is directly or
    indirectly from the Sun, which is called solar energy.
  • The Sun’s gravity helps keep the planets in the solar system in a stable orbit around
    the sun.
  • The solar system on the planet Earth provides a habitable home for living organisms.
    You see, we survive on the planet Earth because it has ideal conditions for living
    organisms like you and me