The most interesting facts about giant planets. Their structure, mass, features

The solar system consists of eight planets, among which four belong to the terrestrial group and four belong to the category of gas giants. The difference between these two categories can be traced literally in everything. This is the size, composition, movement, and atmosphere. Below we have collected the most interesting facts about the giant planets, which for many will be a real discovery. Well, those who already know a lot about astronomy can replenish their knowledge base.

What objects are included in this group

First, let's look at how the Solar System looks and where exactly our gas giants are located. In the center is the Sun, around it revolve four planets of the terrestrial group. This is Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They are followed by a belt of asteroids, which seems to share these two categories. The next four planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Below there will be presented numerous facts about giant planets that will help us to distinguish them from the heavenly bodies of the terrestrial group. Most astronomers also attribute to the category of planets Pluto - the most distant cosmic body of the SS. However, it rather resembles Mercury than Jupiter or Neptune, and in its structure and parameters.

Size - the most important criterion for assessing the planet

Proceeding from the fact that we here enumerate the facts about giant planets, it is easy to guess that the parameters of these celestial bodies are really very large. The largest object of this group is Jupiter, followed by Saturn, Uranus and after Neptune. In a word, they seemed to settle in descending order relative to the Sun. So, what are the exact parameters of these planets? The diameter of Jupiter is 142 800 km, while in the equator, the planet is constantly "growing" due to the fact that it rotates very fast around its axis. At Saturn, the diameter is 120,000 km. The same indicators for Uranus and Neptune - 51,800 km and 48,600 km respectively. For comparison, we suggest considering the diameter of the Earth - the largest planet in the terrestrial group. It is 12,756 km, which is ten times less than that of the giants.

Chemical composition and mass

It would seem that two facts about giant planets that should not be connected are in fact one. So, four pieces as for selection consist of hydrogen and helium. It should be borne in mind that these gases are the basis of each planet. They have no surface, no hard rocks, craters of meteorites, glaciers and water. The giant planets are therefore called gas, because they represent the accumulation of a given physical element at the expense of gravitational forces. Its density there is higher than in outer space, and due to this, the gas is transformed into a planet, acquiring a rounded outline. Of course, helium and hydrogen are not the only gases that are present on the giants. But they are the basis to which all other chemical elements adhere. For example, on Jupiter in the upper layers of the atmosphere there are molecules of methane, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen and even oxygen. In the structure of Saturn, you can find ammonia, ethane, phosphine. Uranium looks greenish due to the large amount of methane that is present in the upper atmosphere. And Neptune is supplemented with ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, which, mixing with the same methane, makes it blue. Now about the mass. The most striking facts about giant planets are that they weigh not so much. On average, the mass of Uranus is about 3 terrestrial masses. The low weight of the planets ensures their composition, because if they had a solid surface, water and rocks, then we would weigh incredibly much.

Magnificence of rings

The very first facts in the world about the giant planets, which were discovered in the 17th and 18th centuries, testified to the existence of so-called rings that surround each similar heavenly body. Such rings are formed due to the fact that a lot of moons rotate around the planet. In this zone, a special type of gravity is formed, the chemical composition changes slightly (in comparison with the general environment of the cosmos). Due to this, the rings become visible to us, terrestrial observers. The brightest owner of this astronomical magnificence is Saturn. Its rings are visible through an amateur telescope. The second in the ranking of the visibility of the rings is Neptune. Jupiter and Uranus are also surrounded by similar "fields", but they can be seen only with the help of very powerful technology.

Satellites that can not be counted

Now consider some interesting facts about the planets of the solar system, which are still incomprehensible to astronomers. It's about the satellites that surround the planets, and about their number. The fact is that all objects of the terrestrial group possess a very small number of moons or do not have any at all. There are no satellites in Mercury and Venus. The earth is equipped with only one - the Moon, and Mars with two - Demos and Phobos. But the gas giants just abound in the moons. Jupiter wins all in number - he already has 67 satellites (perhaps there are more of them, they are just not yet open). It is important to note that some of them are analogues of the Earth. There is water, oxygen, therefore probably the origin of life. Saturn has only 62 satellites that spin in the sphere of its magnificent rings. Uranus is surrounded by 27 moons, and Neptune is 14. But in Pluto the situation is comparable with the planets of the terrestrial group. He has only one companion - Charon, who is the same as himself, hard, cold and very mysterious.

Other facts about the planets

The list of amazing facts is coming to an end, because we decided to sum up the short data that concern the entire SS. So:

• The mass of the Sun is 99.86% of the total weight of the solar system. The rest is on the planet.
• The most powerful magnetic field in Jupiter. Its radiation constantly enriches the Earth with electricity.
• On some planets, the day lasts longer than a year.
• There is a hypothesis that the core of Neptune consists of rocks. If his icy clouds once melt, he will be able to find the atmosphere and become a planet fit for life.