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Uranus is the third largest planet in the Solar System by size and fourth largest by mass. It is the seventh planet from from the sun, after Saturn and before Neptune. Although it can be observed from Earth it wasn’t identified as a planet until 1781 when it was discovered by British astronomer Sir William Herschel. Although Herschel described a ring around the planet in 1789 it is generally thought that he would not have been able to observe the rings with his equipment at the time. The rings around Uranus were confirmed for the first time in 1977 by James Elliot, Edward Dunham and Douglas Mink. Let’s find out how many rings Uranus has.
Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and it is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant with an atmosphere that consists mostly of hydrogen and helium. Saturn is best known for the extensive ring system around the planet. The planet has been studied by many modern probes, which has helped us learn more about the planet, including the rings and moons. If you want to know how many moons orbit Saturn, keep reading to find out.
Jupiter is the largest of the eight planets in the solar system and is the fifth planet from the sun. It is a gas giant and is one of the four planets that forms the Jovian (outer) planets. When seen from Earth, Jupiter is the third brightest object in the night sky after the moon and Venus. Jupiter is mainly made up of hydrogen and some helium. It has a rocky core of heavy elements and has red, brown, white and orange bands. Here are some other interesting facts about the planet Jupiter.
Pluto is the second largest dwarf planet of the Solar System. Until very recently it was actually considered to be the ninth planet in the solar system and the furthest from the sun. It is one of several large bodies in a newly discovered region known as the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is made up of mostly ice and rock and is smaller in mass and volume than the Moon. Pluto does not orbit the sun on the same plane that the other planets do, but has a higher more elongated orbit.
A moon is classified as a natural satellite that orbits a planet, dwarf planet or minor planet. Over 160 moons have been discovered orbiting the planets in the Solar System and many more have been found orbiting smaller planets. Many people believe that Earth’s Moon is the largest in the solar system, but it is actually the 5th largest moon. If you want to know which moon is the largest, keep reading to find out.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system. It is well known for its distinct red color, which is most likely the reason why it is named after the Roman god of war. Mars has been extensively studied due to its similarities and proximity to Earth. The first flyby of the planet occurred in 1965, but humans have been intrigued by the “red planet” much before this. If you have ever wondered how many moons Mars has and when they were discovered, keep reading to find out.
Hyperion is a moon of Saturn that has an irregular shape and chaotic rotation. It is thought to be one of the largest bodies in the solar system to have an irregular shape and the only larger moon with an irregular shape is Proteus, a moon of Neptune. The first close analysis of Hyperion occurred in 2005 during the flyby of the moon by the Cassini spacecraft. However, this moon was discovered much earlier than this. Let’s take a look at who discovered this unique moon.
Almost anywhere on the planet Earth you will experience day and night. The Earth orbits the Sun along with the 8 other planets in our solar system. It takes the Earth approximately 365 days to complete a full orbit around the sun. The Earth does not sit straight up and down on its axis in space with the North Pole facing directly up and the South Pole facing directly down, but in fact sits on a tilt of approximately 23.5o. At different points in the Earth’s orbit this tilt causes certain parts of the Earth to be closer or further away from the sun and this is what causes the seasons to occur. When each hemisphere is closer to the sun it is spring and summer and when it is further away it is the seasons of fall and winter. It takes approximately 24 hours for the Earth to complete one full rotation or turn on its own axis. This is how we determine the length of our days. It is also what causes day and night.
The heliocentric theory or heliocentrism is an astronomical theory that states that all planets in our solar system, including Earth, rotate or orbit around a stationary sun. Prior to the theory of heliocentrism it was believed that the sun and other planets rotated around Earth. This would have meant that Earth was the center of the universe. This theory was known as geocentrism and was believed to be true up until the 16th century when technology had advanced enough to provide evidence that supported the Earth and other planets orbiting a central sun.
Jupiter is the 5th planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in the solar system. It is classified as a gas giant along with the other outer planets; Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Jupiter has been known since ancient times and it is usually the 3rd brightest object in the night sky. It is also known as the planet in the solar system with the most moons. Let’s take a look at just how many moons are orbiting Jupiter.