If you’re a Snapchat user, you may have stumbled upon the popular filter that shows the solar system planets in order. This filter has garnered lots of attention and is a fun way to learn about the planets in our solar system. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into each planet and provide interesting facts to help you appreciate the unique characteristics of each one. Let’s get started!
The Sun
The Sun is not a planet, but it’s the center of our solar system. It’s a massive ball of hot plasma that provides light and heat to all the planets. The Sun makes up about 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system. It’s so big that you could fit 1.3 million Earths inside it! The temperature at the Sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to sustain nuclear fusion reactions.
Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in our solar system. It’s named after the Roman messenger god because it moves so quickly across the sky. Mercury has no atmosphere, and its surface is covered in craters and rocky terrain. Because it’s so close to the Sun, it has a short year of only 88 Earth days.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is often called the “morning star” or “evening star” because it’s the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Venus has a thick atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide, which causes a runaway greenhouse effect and makes it the hottest planet in our solar system. The surface is covered in volcanic terrain and craters, and it has no moons.
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the only planet known to have life. It has a unique atmosphere that supports a diverse range of plants and animals. Earth has one moon, which is responsible for the ocean tides. It’s also home to the highest mountain range, deepest ocean trench, and largest desert in our solar system.
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is often called the “Red Planet” because of its reddish appearance in the night sky. Mars has a thin atmosphere and is covered in dusty, rocky terrain. It has the largest volcano and deepest canyon in our solar system. Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in our solar system. It’s named after the Roman king of the gods because of its massive size. Jupiter is mostly made up of gas and has a swirling storm known as the Great Red Spot. It has 79 known moons, the most of any planet in our solar system.
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and is known for its beautiful rings made up of rocks and ice. The rings extend over 280,000 kilometers from the planet. Saturn is mostly made up of gas and has a unique hexagonal storm pattern at its north pole. It has 82 known moons, including Titan, the second-largest moon in our solar system.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and is unique in that it rotates on its side, with its poles facing the Sun. Uranus is mostly made up of gas and has a blue-green hue due to the presence of methane in its atmosphere. It has 27 known moons and a faint ring system.
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and is the farthest planet from the center of the solar system. It’s named after the Roman god of the sea because of its blue color. Neptune is mostly made up of gas and has the fastest winds of any planet in our solar system, reaching speeds of up to 2,100 kilometers per hour. It has 14 known moons and a faint ring system.
Conclusion
Learning about the solar system planets in order can be a fun and entertaining way to gain knowledge about our universe. Each planet has unique characteristics that make them special, and by studying them, we can better understand our place in the cosmos. So next time you use the Snapchat filter, take a moment to appreciate the wonders of our solar system.