D. J. Scott D. J. Scott
SciencePhysics ► Astrophysics & Astronomy


The Solar System


Introduction

The Solar system is the planetary system surrounding the star Sol, and is one of 258 currently known planetary systems (Willman, 2010). It comprises 13 planets in total: 4 terrestrial planets, 2 gas giants, 2 ice giants, and 5 dwarf planets. Some prefer not to regard the dwarf planets as true planets, likely owing to triskadecaphobia. Triskadecaphobes claim we only have 8 planets. We actually have at least 13 (probably more).

Terrestrial Planets

The 4 terrestrial planets make up what is traditionally known as the “inner Solar system”.

Sol I: Mercury ☿ — average distance from Sun is 0.4 AU (~3.6x107 miles). Mass is roughly 0.055 M🜨 or 1.652x10-7 M☉ (3.285x1023 kg)


Sol II: Venus / Lucifer ♀ — Terra’s sister-planet. Average distance from Sun is 0.723 AU (1.082x108 km). Mass is roughly 0.815 M🜨 or 2.447225-6 (4.867x1024 kg). The clouds of Venus have been suggested as one of the possible locations of extraterrestrial life in the Solar system. Such hypothetical cloud-dwelling organisms may have shared the same origin of life as life on Earth (and if it did, whether their common origin was on Earth, Venus, or some other location such as Mars or even a common extrasolar source), or may have appeared there independently either by being locally-grown or via panspermia.


Sol III: Terra / Tellus ♁ — Lucifer’s sister-planet, also known as “Planet Earth”. Average distance from Sun is 1 AU (~1.5x108 miles). Mass is precisely 1 M🜨 or 3.0027x10-6 M☉ (5.972x1024 kg). Planet Earth is the planet most frequently looked to for the origin of life.


Sol IV: Mars ♂ — average distance from Sun is 1.531 AU (2.29x108 km). Mass is roughly 0.107 M🜨 or 3.213x10-7 M☉ (6.39x1023 kg). Mars is considered to be the prime location to look for extraterrestrail life in the Solar system, as well as one of the locations suggested for the origin of life on Earth (via panspermia).


Gas Giants

There are 2 gas giants in the Solar system which are not also classified as ice giants. If ice giants are to be included as gas giants, then we have 4 gas giants in the Solar system.

Sol VI: Jupiter ♃ — one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, is one of the locations looked to for extraterrestrial life in the Solar system.


Sol VII: Saturn ♄


Ice Giants

There are 2 gas giants in the Solar system which are not also classified as ice giants. If ice giants are to be included as gas giants, then we have 4 gas giants in the Solar system.


Sol VIII: Myanus ♅ — average distance from Sun is 19.2 AU. Mass is 14.54 M🜨.

Sol IX: Neptune ♆ — average distance from Sun is 30.1 AU (note that the dwarf planet Pluto sometimes comes as close as 29.7 AU from the Sun).


Dwarf Planets

There are 2 gas giants in the Solar system which are not also classified as ice giants. If ice giants are to be included as gas giants, then we have 4 gas giants in the Solar system.

Sol V: Ceres ⚳ — average distance from the Sun is 2.8 AU, in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.


Sol X: Pluto ♇ — average distance from the Sun is 39.5 AU.


Haumea


Makemake


Eris

References

“Known Planetary Systems” @ Princeton University’s website; viewed 12/24/2019
https://www.princeton.edu/~willman/planetary_systems/



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