Our Solar System is full of wonders and fascinations. From celestial bodies made entirely of gas to planets with multiple moons, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring phenomena in the universe. Here are 40 surprising facts about our Solar System that are sure to get you excited about the wonders of Space exploration!
1. The Milky Way is home to over 200 billion stars!
The Milky Way is what we think of when we think of our galaxy. Our Solar System is located in the Milky Way, which is made up of more than 200 billion stars, and extends over 100,000 light years across.
2. There are eight planets in our Solar System.
The eight planets in our Solar System, starting from the closest to the sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
3. The sun is 4.6 billion years old.
Our Sun is estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old, making it one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way.
4. There are more than 150 moons in our Solar System
The moons in our Solar System outnumber the planets by a lot! There are more than 150 moons of various sizes scattered throughout the Solar System. Jupiter has the most moons with 79 moons, followed by Saturn with 62 moons.
5. Mercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System.
Mercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System, with a diameter of 4,879 kilometers. It is also the closest planet to the sun, with a mean distance of 57.91 million kilometers.
6. Saturn is the flattest planet in our Solar System.
Saturn is the flattest planet, due to its low density and fast rotation. It is estimated to have a flattening of 0.09796 which is three times flatter than that of Earth!
7. Jupiter has the most intense gravity.
Jupiter has the strongest gravitational pull of the eight planets, with a gravitational force of 2.64 hectares per second squared (h/s2). This is roughly 2.5 times stronger than the gravitational pull of Earth.
8. The sun is mostly made of hydrogen.
The sun is mostly made up of hydrogen, accounting for approximately 74 percent of its mass. The rest of its mass is mostly helium, followed by oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and a few other elements.
9. Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the sun.
Uranus is the slowest of the eight planets, taking a whopping 84 Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun. This is compared to Earth which takes just one year to complete one orbit.
10. The inner planets are mostly composed of rocks and metals.
The inner planets, including Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are mostly composed of rocks and metals. These planets are also known as the terrestrial planets.
11. The outer planets are mostly composed of gas.
The four outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—are mostly composed of gas, with no solid surface. These planets are also known as the gas giants.
12. The hottest planet in our Solar System is Venus.
Venus has the highest recorded surface temperature of any planet in the Solar System, reaching up to 462 ˚C in some areas of the planet! This makes it much hotter than Mercury, which has a surface temperature of 204 ˚C.
13. The coldest planet in our Solar System is Neptune.
Neptune is the coldest planet in the Solar System, with an average temperature of -214 ˚C. This makes it even colder than Uranus, the second coldest planet, which has an average temperature of -197 ˚C.
14. Neptune has a blue-tinted atmosphere.
Neptune’s atmosphere is composed of hydrogen, helium, methane and a compound called ices that give it its faint blue tint. This makes Neptune one of the most beautiful planets in our Solar System.
15. Earth is the only planet in our Solar System with liquid water.
Earth is the only planet in the Solar System that has liquid water, making it a very unique and special planet. This is important for the survival of life as we know it, and is thought to be the primary reason why life exists on Earth.
Additional Facts
- 16. There are four Dwarf Planets in our Solar System, including Pluto, Eris, Ceres and Makemake.
- 17. The average temperature of Pluto is -223 ˚C, making it the coldest Dwarf Planet in our Solar System.
- 18. The diameter of Jupiter is 143,000 kilometers, making it over 11 times bigger than the Earth!
- 19. Uranus has two sets of rings, while the other planets only have one.
- 20. Saturn is the only planet in the Solar System that can float in water.
- 21. Neptune has seasons that last over 40 Earth years.
- 22. The farthest planet from the sun is Neptune, which takes 165 Earth years to orbit the sun.
- 23. Jupiter’s ‘Great Red Spot’ is an enormous storm that has been raging for over 300 years.
- 24. The rings of Saturn are composed of ice and rock particles.
- 25. Mars has the tallest mountain in the Solar System, reaching over 21 kilometers in height.
- 26. Mercury has a core made of iron and nickel.
- 27. The Earth is a unique planet as it has a strong magnetic field that protects it from the sun’s radiation.
- 28. Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System but also the slowest spinning.
- 29. The sun is so big that it takes up 99.86 percent of the mass in our Solar System.
- 30. The Kuiper Belt is located outside the orbit of Neptune and contains thousands of icy objects.
- 31. Asteroids are made of rock and metal and can be found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- 32. A ‘great conjunction’ occurs whenever the two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, align in the sky.
- 33. The Moon is the fifth-largest satellite in the Solar System and has a diameter of 3,476 kilometers.
- 34. The Oort Cloud is a sphere of icy bodies located at the outer limits of the Solar System and is thought to contain trillions of comets.
- 35. Asteroid Apophis may hit the Earth in the year 2036.
- 36. Venus rotates in the opposite direction of all the other planets.
- 37. The solar wind is composed of protons and electrons that travel at an average speed of 400 kilometers per second.
- 38. Uranus has the coldest atmosphere with an average temperature of -216 ˚C.
- 39. Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has an atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane.
- 40. The International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes at 27,000 kilometers per hour!
From the Grand Red Spot of Jupiter to the thousands of icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt, our Solar System never fails to amaze us with its many wonders. We hope you enjoyed learning about these 40 fascinating facts about the Solar System!
