The largest planets in the universe. The largest and smallest planet in the solar system

My sister was lucky - she was given a real telescope for her birthday. Of course, it doesn’t increase it too much, but is that really that important? I myself looked at the starry sky for about forty minutes without stopping. And I even recognized one of the small round spots, which, in fact, is the largest planet in the Solar System.

Which planet is the largest in the Solar System?

The largest planet is Jupiter. It is more than 11 times larger than our Earth.

Jupiter also has many more satellites than our planet. You and I can only boast of having one and only one Moon.

At Jupiter at the moment we have counted as much 69 satellites- more than any other planet in the solar system. Of course, I won’t list them all. But I’ll still name the most famous:

Callisto.
Ganymede.
Europe.

This the fab four Jovian satellites discovered by Galileo, and did it whole 407 years ago.

Why is it difficult to fly to Jupiter?

The first reason is that it is located quite far from earth. Distance varies from 588.5 to 968.6 million km. Why such a large spread? The fact is that the planets, revolving around the Sun, cyclically approach and then move away from each other. So in order to fly faster, you need to guess the moment when the planets will be well located relative to each other.

The second problem is landing. The space probes that are sent to explore this cosmic behemoth can not Fine sit on its gas surface. All they have to do is immerse themselves in the atmosphere - and enormous pressure planets flatten the probe into a cake.

Yes and radiation near Jupiter also greatly interferes with the operation of spacecraft, often leading to severe malfunctions or even large losses of collected data.

However, despite such enormous difficulties, Jupiter and its moons are being carefully studied. Some of moon gas giant attracted Special attention- there, presumably, there is an ocean, which means she could life arises. It is unlikely that it will be intelligent, but even the very fact of its discovery will make humanity understand that we are not alone in space.

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When I was little, I stubbornly believed that the largest planet in the solar system was the large red and yellow ball at its center. Only later, when I entered school, did the teachers explain to me that this “planet” is main star our system is the Sun. This news made me continue to search for the largest planet in the solar system.

The planet is a giant

If you put planets in order of increasing mass, then the list will look like this:

Mercury - 3.3·10^20 kilograms;
Mars - 6.4·10^20 kilograms;
Venus - 4.9·10^21 kilograms;
Earth-6.0·10^21 kilograms;
Uranium - 8.7·10^22 kilograms;
Neptune - 1.0·10^23 kilograms;
Saturn - 5.7·10^23 kilograms;
Jupiter - 1.9·10^24 kilograms.

As seen , The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter.Diameter of this planet at the thickest part, at the equator, 11 thousand times larger than the diameter of the Earth. Of course, this size is much smaller than the diameter of the Sun, approximately 10 diameters of Jupiter will be equal to the diameter of the Sun. Proportional to its size, the mass of Jupiter is very large. If you put all the planets of the Solar System and their satellites on a scale (of course, “cosmically” huge) and compare their weight with the weight of Jupiter, then Jupiter will easily outweigh it all. If only increase the weight of the planets and their satellites by 2.5 times, the scales will balance.

The reason for Jupiter's huge size

This planet formed in the early period of the solar system's development, like Saturn, during this period more materials (gases) were free to create planets, therefore the size of the planets of that period is simply huge. Heat+ a large amount of gas made the planet Jupiter so large. The remaining planets have much less gas left, so they look inconspicuous. Also about gases, Jupiter's atmosphere is very dense, so it is difficult to give an accurate estimate of its size. All that humanity can observe now are the clouds of Jupiter and nothing more.

Someone bigger

In our solar system, Jupiter is definitely a giant, but there are other systems where the gas giants are closer to the star than Jupiter is to the Sun, so the temperature of these giants is higher, and therefore their size exceeds the size of Jupiter. WITHthe largest planet in known to mankind- TRES-4.

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A couple of years ago, my son returned from school with the question: “How many planets are there in the solar system?” Recently it turned out that Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Like, it's too small. It must be said that the debate on this issue continues to this day. Fortunately, there is no doubt about the most major planet in the solar system.

The largest planet in the solar system

Jupiter is often called a gas giant. It is the fifth planet from the Sun. Its diameter is about 143 thousand kilometers. Thus Jupiter is almost 11 times larger than Earth. Jupiter is so large that its mass is two and a half times greater than the combined mass of all the other planets in our galaxy. It is one of the few planets that can be seen without a telescope. That is why people in ancient times knew about the existence of this giant cosmic object, just like about the Sun, Moon and Venus. Pointing a small telescope towards Jupiter, we will see an impenetrable layer of clouds 4 thousand kilometers thick and among them characteristic feature- large red spot. First time I saw him in 1665 French astronomer Giovanni Cassini. Its size is comparable to the diameter of planet Earth. The active movement of gases in the atmosphere of Jupiter occurs under the influence of winds whose speed reaches 600 kilometers per hour.

Diamond in the center of Jupiter

Scientists believe that under a thick layer of rapidly moving clouds, at a depth of about 40 thousand kilometers, the planet's core is stationary. Nothing is known about its chemical and physical parameters. There is a hypothesis that, under enormous pressure and temperature, the core could have formed either in the form of fossilized hydrogen with the properties of a metal, or in the form of coal with all the properties of diamond. Can anyone imagine diamond is three times larger than Earth?

Rings and moons of Jupiter

Jupiter also has rings, similar to Saturn. Despite the fact that the total width of the rings is about 6 thousand kilometers, few people know about them. In addition to all of the above, the fact that Jupiter has 67 moons. The largest of them are:

Europe;
Ganymede;
Callisto.

Solar System Vacuum Cleaner

The presence of a large number of satellites is due to the fact that Jupiter creates very strong gravitational field. Therefore, this planetary ball can be called a vacuum cleaner of the Solar system. Numerous asteroids and comets are sucked into Jupiter's atmosphere. Thus, these space objects no longer pose a threat to planet Earth and humanity.

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Giant of the Solar System

Everyone knows that largest planet - Jupiter. Due to the fact that it can be observed almost all night, the planet has been known since ancient times. "Mulu Babbar"- that’s what his representatives called him ancient culture Mesopotamia, which means "star-sun". A significant breakthrough in the study of this planet occurred only in the middle of the 17th century.. He became the first celestial body to have satellites discovered, and this discovery was made by the great Galileo. This is truly a giant among planets, but is it a planet??

Planet or star

Some part scientists started last century believed that the giant radiates own light, and some of its characteristics like the sun:

consists of hydrogen;
emits X-rays;
emits radio waves;

has a gigantic magnetic field.

Observant astronomers immediately noticed that all of the above characterizes the stars, and not planets. That’s why the question arose: maybe it’s not a planet, but a star? Jupiter has a slight emitter nuclear energy , however, science says the opposite: the planet should not have anything like this. Indeed, the planets are only reflect rays and energy, while the stars themselves generate both. And what’s most interesting is that the outgoing energy significantly exceeds that transmitted to the planet Sun.

Another important point- huge energy generation rate, which indicates that the planet is essentially "warming up". Observations made it possible to establish that, due to its gigantic mass, the planet absorbs particles "Solar Wind". As the number of captured particles increases, the mass of the planet itself increases, which is one of the main conditions for transformation into a star.

Scientists have calculated that in about 2 billion years Jupiter will catch up with the mass of the Sun, which will cause the emergence double solar system.

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In April of this year I observed one very bright object, lighting in my city is practically absent at night, so I was able to get a good look largest object in the solar system after the luminary itself - Jupiter. And it is not at all surprising that it was so clearly visible to the naked eye, because this planet superior our mass Earth a little more than 300 once. Accordingly, when she is at the point of opposition, the light reflected by her eclipses even Sirius.

The largest planet in the solar system - Jupiter and its origin

Jupiter located at a sufficient distance from the Sun to make it difficult for humanity to study it, and the atmosphere there is unfriendly, after all gas giant, after all. Showers of ammonia are hardly conducive to a comfortable immersion in the environment of any terrestrial device, especially since there is also no solid surface. No, it is quite possible that somewhere very deep there is core, but there is no hydrocarbon life there. The planet was formed due to large-scale phenomena, a series of chemical reactions and probably gravitational collapse, which marked the beginning of our system. Structurally Jupiter comprises:

Multilayer atmosphere.
Metallic hydrogen.
The core, presumably stone.

Of course, it is not possible to obtain accurate data due to the characteristics of the celestial body, but cosmic devices, sent to direct closeness, allowed us to record more or less specific information at least about outer layer atmosphere.

Jupiter rotates around your axes just for 10 earth hours, which makes it in this regard not only the most massive, but also fast planet of the solar system. However, the orbit is so large that one a revolution around the Sun lasts 12 years. Due to its size, Jupiter has extremely powerful gravity, yes, approaching comet over a distance of 15 thousand kilometers was torn into many pieces. Plus, the planet has record number of satellites- about 70 objects.

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Who is the largest in the solar system?

Largest planet in the solar system is gas giant -Jupiter. Jupiter known to ancient people as supreme deity Ancient Rome . What’s interesting is that she was God’s wife Juno. Namely, this is the name of the spacecraft that was sent to explore the planet. What amazes us about this gas giant:

To fill all volume of Jupiter, need to 1300 planets Earth.
If there were stocks hydrogen And helium was in 80 times more,Jupiter would become a star.
Jupiter has a small copy of the solar system- 4 months and 67 small satellites.

And also, as it turned out, Jupiter shrinks by 2 cm every year. Scientists have discovered that after its “birth” the giant was much larger and hotter. And it was formed much earlier than Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. These four were formed from substances that gas planets were thrown into space.

The mystery of the planet - the big red spot

Jupiter It has amazing coloring. And all thanks to the winds that blow up 650 kilometers per hour. And here from the sky in the form of rain fall diamonds. Besides this wealth, on Jupiter constantly raging Hurricane, the diameter of which is 3 times the size of the Earth. From space it looks like giant red spot. It either increases or decreases, and its color still remains a mystery for scientists.

The giant's powerful magnetic field

A magnetic field this "god of the planets" exceeds the earth's by 20 thousand times. Electrically charged particles of this field are constantly at war with other planets, constantly attacking them. A Jupiter radiation may cause damage even good protected spacecraft. Jupiter also has three rings, although they are not as bright as Saturn's.

And also Jupiter like a real one supreme god, protects planets from comets and asteroids. Its gravitational field affects asteroids and changes their orbits. Thanks to this, we are still alive.

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- Jupiter. More Ancient Greece scientists managed to find out that this celestial body is the largest in the solar system. It was believed that Jupiter is the god of the sky, that is, the father of all gods. The planet was worshiped. The radius of this planet is 11 times greater than that of Earth. The approximate mass of Jupiter is 1.8986*10 27 kg. Therefore, it is 318 times heavier than our planet. Distinctive feature It is also a hurricane-anticyclone, which has been revolving around a celestial body for more than 350 years.

Rating of solar system planets by size

142.8 thousand km

The largest planet solar system - Jupiter. Even in ancient Greece, scientists managed to find out that this celestial body is the largest in the solar system. It was believed that Jupiter is the god of the sky, that is, the father of all gods. The planet was worshiped. The radius of this planet is 11 times greater than that of Earth. The approximate mass of Jupiter is 1.8986*10 27 kg. Therefore, it is 318 times heavier than our planet. A distinctive feature is also the anticyclone hurricane, which has been revolving around the celestial body for more than 350 years.

120.6 thousand km

At a distance of 1.4 billion kilometers from the Sun is the second largest planet called Saturn. In diameter, the size of the celestial body is 120,600 kilometers. Moreover, the radius of Saturn is 58,232 kilometers. It is known that the length of the day on this planet amounts to 10.7 hours. Therefore, one year is equal to 29 earth years. This is exactly how long it takes Saturn to complete a full revolution around the Sun. It should be added that the planet does not have a solid surface. It is a kind of gas giant, because the atmosphere consists of helium and hydrogen.

51.1 thousand km

Uranus closes the top three largest planets in the solar system. The radius is 25,362 kilometers. The diameter of the giant planet reaches 51,137 kilometers. This is approximately 4 times the diameter of the Earth. For all the time, only one satellite calledVoyager 2. The device has been providing images for about 37 years. Thanks to these photos and research work Astronomers know that a day on Uranus is 17 hours long. The planet revolves around the Sun in 84 Earth years.

49.2 thousand km

We are talking about the smallest celestial body in the solar system, which is the most distant from the Sun. The diameter of the planet is only 3.5 times the size of the Earth. It is worth noting that Neptune is an ice giant, because the rays practically do not reach it. It is covered with ice floes and a cold cyclone of winds, the speed of which is simply amazing 600 m/s. Moreover, the planet is 17 times heavier than ours. It is almost impossible to reach the surface of Neptune due to supersonic winds that sweep away everything in its path. Therefore, the planet is less studied than the others.

12.7 thousand km

Ours is one of the largest planets in the solar system. The Earth is the third giant located from the Sun. Moreover, the celestial body is the only one where life has been discovered. Of course, the presence of life forms is due to its favorable location. Closer to Venus, water turns into steam, because it is very hot. A little further there are strong winds and frosts. Close to 70% of the entire planet is covered by oceans. It is the earth’s atmosphere that protects us from meteorites that burn up in it. Well, one more fact: the moon is in the same conditions as the Earth, only there is no life on it.

12.1 thousand km

This planet is often called Earth’s sister, due to its similarity in size. In addition, celestial bodies have similar features in plan internal structure. However, Venus is closer to the sun and is smaller in diameter than our planet. Despite its similarity, Venus is not suitable for human life, because instead of oxygen there carbon dioxide. There are many toxic clouds of chlorine and sulfur. The temperature is 475 degrees above zero. Also important factor is a pressure of 92 atmospheres.

The solar system is one of the most complex and incredibly interesting structures to study, both by specialists in this field and simply by space enthusiasts. It is only a small part of the entire galaxy. It’s not just the history of its appearance that is striking space objects, but also their dimensions. What is the name of the largest planet in the solar system - not the Sun, it is 300 times larger than the Earth, and its diameter is 11 times larger than the Earth's.

What is a planet

Before talking about which planet is the largest, it is worth understanding the concept of this object. A planet is a massive celestial body orbiting a star. The heart of the solar system is the Sun, formed about 4.57 billion years ago by the gravitational compression of a cloud of gas and dust. This bright star is the main source of light and heat, both on Earth and other planets.

How many planets are there in the solar system

The system is divided into internal and external groups. The closest to the Sun are the inner planets and small, compared to the stars, asteroids. The closest location is Mercury. It is the fastest moving celestial body in the system. Mars is famous for its red surface. The temperature of Venus reaches 400 degrees, making it one of the hottest. And the planet with the confirmed presence of life is the Earth, which has a natural satellite – the Moon.

Major planets of the solar system

The outer zone consists of larger planets. Among its heavy giants are Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter. They are located at a greater distance from the Sun than the inner group, due to which they have a colder climate and are characterized by icy winds. Astronomers classify the planets Uranus and Neptune into the “Ice Giants” category. All stars in the outer region have their own ring system.

Saturn

Saturn has the most extensive system of rings and belts. Their main components are particles of ice, heavy elements and dust. The planet itself consists of hydrogen with helium, water, methane, ammonia and other elements. Wind speeds on Saturn reach 1,800 kilometers per hour, which can cause whirlwinds. The planet is being studied by a research station whose tasks include analyzing the structure of the rings. Saturn has 62 moons, the most famous of which is Titan.

Uranus

The coldest giant is Uranus. His low temperature associated with a distant location from the Sun. The surface of Uranus is mainly covered with ice and rocks, and the structure of the atmosphere includes hydrogen and helium. Clouds of solid ammonia, hydrogen and ice were also detected. This planet differs in its axis of rotation, with characteristic position"on the side." It turns to the Sun either by the north or south pole, by the equator and by the middle latitudes. This object has characteristics seasonal changes in the form of increased weather activity. Uranus has 27 satellites.

Neptune

Large size Neptune possesses and is the fourth largest planet in diameter. The strongest winds rage in its atmosphere, which can reach 2100 kilometers per hour, and the temperature is close to 220 degrees minus. In addition, traces of methane are observed in its atmosphere, giving it a blue tint. In 1989, the Voyager 2 expedition discovered a large dark spot in the southern hemisphere of the planet. Neptune has 13 satellites, including Triton. It was opened in the 20th century. The remaining celestial bodies were discovered later.

Jupiter

When asked which planet has the largest mass, we can safely say Jupiter. The largest planet in the solar system has upper layer, consisting of hydrogen, methane, ammonia and water. A number of phenomena have been recorded in Jupiter's atmosphere, including storms, lightning and auroras. The vortices on the planet rush at incredible speeds - up to 640 kilometers per hour. As a result of a major storm, a large red spot formed on the surface of Jupiter, which became one of the main features of the giant. And due to the huge size of the planet, its parts rotate with at different speeds.

What is the largest planet

Since 1970, 8 spacecraft have been studying the largest and heaviest planet, Jupiter: the National Aeronautics and Research Administration outer space", "Voyagers", "Pioneers", "Galileo" and others. This giant has a heavy mass that is 300 times greater than that of the Earth. The largest planet in the solar system has the largest number of satellites - 69. Among them are the large Galileans - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were discovered by the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610.

Statistical data

Below are the main characteristics of the largest planet in the solar system:

weight: 1.8981 x 1027 kilograms;
volume - 1.43128 × 1015 cubic kilometers;
surface area - 6.1419 x 1010 square kilometers;
average circumference - 4.39264 x 105 kilometers;
density 1.326 grams per cubic centimeter;
conditional orbital speed– 13.07 kilometers per second;
inclination relative to the ecliptic plane – 1.03 degrees;
apparent magnitude – 2.94 meters;
surface pressure - 1 bar.

Is life possible on Jupiter?

Jupiter is a gas giant with virtually no water necessary for the formation of life processes. In addition, it does not have a solid surface, which allows organisms to develop other than microscopic masses. And due to the low temperature, reaching 175 degrees minus, organisms can freeze. The only space on the planet suitable for the development of life is the cloud tops, resistant to solar radiation. This may refer to free-floating organisms.

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The term "Universe" refers to a space that has no boundaries and is filled with galaxies, pulsars, quasars, black holes and matter. Galaxies, in turn, consist of a cluster of stars and star systems.

For example, the Milky Way includes 200 billion stars, among which the Sun is far from the largest and brightest. And our solar system, which includes the Earth and other planets, is certainly not the only one in the Universe. The largest and smallest planets of the Solar System and the Universe as a whole will be discussed below.

The largest planet in the solar system

Jupiter is a planet located in 5th place in terms of distance from the Sun and is recognized as the largest in the Solar System. The radius of the planet is 69,911 km.

Jupiter acts as a "shield" for the Earth, blocking the path of comets and other celestial bodies due to its gravity.
The temperature of Jupiter's core is 20,000 °C.
There are no solid places on the surface of Jupiter; instead, a boiling hydrogen ocean rages.
The mass of Jupiter is 2.5 times greater than the total mass of the other planets of the Solar System and amounts to 1.8986*10²⁷ kg.

Jupiter has the largest number satellites in the solar system - 63 objects. And on Europa (a satellite of Jupiter) there is supposedly water under ice deposits.
The Great Red Spot is an atmospheric vortex on Jupiter that has not subsided for 300 years. Its size is gradually decreasing, but even 100 years ago the volume of the vortex was compared with the volume of the Earth.
A day on Jupiter is only 10 Earth hours, and a year is 12 Earth years.

The smallest planet in the solar system

Not so long ago, this title was transferred to the planet Mercury from Pluto, which was previously included in the Solar System as a planet, but since August 2006 it is not considered one.

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. Its radius is 2,439.7 km.

Mercury is the only planet that has no natural satellites.
A day on Mercury is equivalent to 176 Earth days.
The first mention of Mercury was recorded 3,000 years ago.

The temperature range on Mercury is impressive: at night the temperature reaches -167°C, during the day – up to +480°C.
Reserves of water ice have been discovered at the bottom of Mercury's deep craters.
Clouds form at the poles of Mercury.
The mass of Mercury is 3.3*10²³ kg.

The largest stars in the Universe

Betelgeuse. One of the brightest stars in the sky and one of the largest in the Universe (red hypergiant). Another common name for the object is Alpha Orionis. As its second name suggests, Betelgeuse is located in the constellation Orion. The size of the star is 1180 solar radii (the radius of the Sun is 690,000 km).

Scientists believe that over the next millennium, Betelgeuse will degenerate into a supernova because it is rapidly aging, although it was formed not so long ago - several million years ago. Considering that the distance from Earth is only 640 light years, our descendants will witness one of the greatest spectacles in the Universe.

RW Cepheus. A star in the constellation Cepheus, also recognized as a red hypergiant. True, scientists are still debating about its size. Some argue that the radius RW of Cepheus is equal to 1260 radii of the Sun, others believe that it should be equated to 1650 radii. The stellar object is 11,500 light years away from Earth.

KW Sagittarius. A red supergiant located in the constellation Sagittarius. The distance to the Sun is 10,000 light years. As for the size, the radius of the supergiant is equal to 1460 solar radii.

KY Swan. A star belonging to the constellation Cygnus and distant from Earth at a distance of 5,000 light years. Since today scientists have not yet received a clear image of the object, debate about its size is still ongoing. Most believe that the radius of KY Cygnus is 1420 solar radii. Alternative version- 2850 radii.

V354 Cephei. Red supergiant and variable star of the Milky Way galaxy. The radius of V354 Cepheus is 1520 times that of the Sun. The stellar object is located relatively close to Earth - only 9,000 light years away.

WOH G64. A red hypergiant star located in the constellation Doradus, which in turn belongs to the dwarf galaxy Large Magellanic Cloud. The star WOH G64 is 1540 times larger than the Sun and 40 times heavier.

V838 Unicorn. A red variable star belonging to the constellation Monoceros. The distance from the star to Earth is equal to 20,000 light years, so the calculations made on the size of V838 Monoceros are only approximate. Today it is generally accepted that the size of the object exceeds the size of the Sun by 1170-1970 times.

Mu Cephei. Also known as Herschel's Garnet Star. It is a red supergiant located in the constellation Cepheus (Milky Way galaxy). In addition to its size (Mu Cephei is 1650 times larger than the Sun), the star is notable for its brightness. It is more than 38,000 times brighter than the Sun, representing one of the brightest luminaries Milky Way.

VV Cephei A. A red hypergiant that belongs to the constellation Cepheus and is 2,400 light years away from Earth. The size of VV Cepheus A is 1800 times the size of the Sun. As for the mass, it exceeds the solar mass by 100 times. It has been scientifically confirmed that component A is a physically variable star that pulsates with a periodicity of 150 days

VY Canis Major . The most big star in the Universe is located in the constellation Canis Major and is a red hypergiant. The distance from the star to Earth is equal to 5,000 light years. The radius of VY Canis Majoris was determined in 2005; it is 2,000 solar radii. And the mass exceeds the solar mass by 40 times.

Magnetic planets

The magnetic field cannot be observed visually, but its presence or absence is recorded with a high degree of accuracy by modern instruments. The earth is a huge magnet. Thanks to this, our planet is protected from cosmic radiation generated by the solar wind - highly charged particles “shot” by the Sun.

The Earth's protective magnetosphere deflects the approaching flows of these particles and directs them around its axis. In the absence of a magnetic field, cosmic radiation will destroy the atmosphere on Earth. Scientists suggest that this is exactly what happened on Mars.

There is no magnetic field on Mars, but magnetic poles have been discovered on it, reminiscent of the magnetosphere at the bottom of Earth's oceans. The magnetic poles of Mars are so strong that they extend hundreds of kilometers into the atmosphere. In addition, they interact with cosmic radiation and even create auroras, recorded by scientists.

However, the absence of a magnetosphere is a consequence of the lack of liquid water on Mars. And in order for a person to move safely on the surface of the planet, it is necessary to develop personal protection, a personal “magnetic field” for everyone.

3. Mercury's magnetic field. Mercury, like the Earth, is protected by a magnetosphere. This discovery was made in 1974. The planet also has north and south magnetic poles. The South Pole is exposed to much more radiation than the North Pole.

A new phenomenon has also been discovered on Mercury - magnetic tornadoes. They are twisted beams originating in a magnetic field and moving into interplanetary space. Mercury's magnetic tornadoes are capable of covering an area 800 km wide and up to a third of the radius of the planet.

4. Magnetosphere of Venus. Venus, which is often compared to the Earth and even considered its twin, also has a magnetic field, although it is extremely weak, 10,000 times weaker than the Earth’s. Scientists have not yet established the reasons for this.

5. Magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter's magnetosphere is 20,000 times stronger than Earth's and is considered the largest in the solar system. Electrically charged particles surrounding the planet periodically interact with other planets and objects, causing damage to their protective shells.

Saturn's magnetic field is notable only for the fact that its axis coincides 100% with the axis of rotation, which is not observed for other planets.

6. Magnetic field of Uranus and Neptune. The magnetospheres of Uranus and Neptune differ from the other planets in that they have 2 northern and 2 south poles. However, the nature of the emergence and interaction of fields with interplanetary space is not completely clear.

The largest planet in the Universe

TrES-4 is recognized as the No. 1 planet in the Universe by its size. It was discovered only in 2006. TrES-4 is a planet in the Hercules constellation, its distance from Earth is 1,400 light years.

The giant planet is 1.7 times larger than Jupiter (Jupiter's radius is 69,911 km), and its temperature reaches 1260°C. Scientists are convinced that the planet TrES-4 does not have a solid surface, and the main component of the planet is hydrogen.

The smallest planet in the Universe

In 2013, scientists discovered a planet recognized as the smallest in the Universe - Kepler-37b. This planet is one of three planets orbiting the star Kepler-37.

Its exact dimensions have not yet been established, but in terms of dimensions Kepler-37b is comparable to the Moon, whose radius is 1737.1 km. Presumably, the planet Kepler-37b consists of rock.

Giant satellites and the smallest satellites in space

The most great companion In the Universe today, Ganymede is considered to be a satellite of Jupiter. Its diameter is 5270 km. Ganymede mostly consists of ice and silicates, the core of the satellite is liquid, scientists even suggest the presence of water in it. Ganymede also forms its own magnetosphere and a thin atmosphere in which oxygen is found.

The smallest satellite in the Universe is considered to be S/2010 J 2. It is noteworthy that this is again a satellite of Jupiter. The diameter of S/2010 J 2 is 2 km. Its discovery occurred in 2010, and today the detailed characteristics of the satellite are only being studied using modern devices.

The universe is equally known and unknown to mankind, since this space is extremely changeable. And although today people’s knowledge is hundreds of times greater than the knowledge of our predecessors, scientists say that all the greatest discoveries of the Universe are yet to come.

A planet is a cosmic object that revolves around the Sun and forms the Solar System with the other planets. The term "planet" comes from the Greek word for "wanderer." Before the creation of telescopes, planets, like stars, were viewed as objects moving across the sky. Technological advances have helped scientists greatly increase their knowledge of the planets, thanks to spacecraft, as well as improved observations from Earth. Our solar system contains eight known planets, although there were originally nine after Pluto was discovered in the 1930s. However, in 2006, astronomers adopted an official definition of the term “planet” that Pluto did not meet and was downgraded to dwarf planet status.

Largest planets in the solar system:

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest among all the eight planets orbiting the Sun. Its radius is 69,911 km. Jupiter is so gigantic that the other seven planets could fit inside it. This is the fifth planet from the Sun, named after the king of the Roman gods. The planet's atmosphere consists of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. The surface of Jupiter is an ocean of liquid hydrogen.

Jupiter has white, yellow, thick red and brown clouds. These clouds move at high speeds in the opposite direction as the planet rotates on its axis. The famous vortex - the Great Red Spot, moves parallel to the plane of the planet's equator at high speed, and is larger than the Earth.

Jupiter has the strongest magnetosphere of any planet, almost 20,000 times stronger than Earth's. The planet rotates around its axis in just 10 hours. Jupiter has three faint rings made up of dust particles that are the remains of comets and asteroids. The planet completely completes its orbit around the Sun once every 11.86 Earth years.