Planets are celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun. Below are their characteristics, characteristics and formation processes

PARBOABOA – Planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun, have sufficient mass for gravity, therefore have a hydrostatic (almost spherical) equilibrium shape.

Quoting from the book titled Earth and the Solar System by Nurfitra Yanto, S.Pd., M.Pd (2023), a planet is a celestial body that orbits the sun in the solar system.

The existence of planets in the universe is very important to support life on Earth.

Keep in mind that planets also have a much greater gravitational pull than any object that is nearby.

There are currently eight planets circulating in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Each planet has its own characteristics and uniqueness.

To understand this better, below we will present information regarding the meaning of the planets, complete with their characteristics and characteristics. Come on, read the review until the end!

What are planets?

Understanding the planets (Photo: World Atlas)

The word “planet” comes from the Greek word “planetai”. The word means “wanderer”.

Behind this name it turns out that there is a planet in a non-fixed star.

Launch from the official page Sciencenasagov.comPlanets are celestial bodies that orbit around the Sun.

The planets move in orbits around the Sun in the same direction.

The reason the Sun is at the center of the solar system surrounded by eight planets is because of gravity and the natural formation processes that occur in the nebula from which it originates.

This nebula began to shrink and contract due to the gravitational force that formed the Sun at the center of the nebula.

Meanwhile, the remaining material in the nebula combines and forms smaller objects called planetesimals.

These planetesimals then grow and merge into planets that revolve around the Sun.

The time required for a complete rotation of a planet around the Sun depends largely on the distance of the path and the speed of the planet on its journey towards the Sun.

The greater the orbital distance of a planet, the longer it takes for one circulation cycle.

The trajectory of planetary movements is generally oval or elliptical.

Other than that, this trajectory forms only small angles or inclinations relative to the ecliptic plane.

There are special terms used to describe the motion of a planet, including rotation and revolution.

A planetary revolution occurs when the planet makes a complete revolution around the sun.

In this process, the planet makes a complete orbit around the Sun.

Planetary orbits are regular, repetitive paths that planets follow around other celestial bodies.

In contrast, planetary revolution is the time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun once.

Meanwhile, quoting the book Fundamentals of Physics by David Halliday and Robert Resnick (2010), the rotation time of a planet is the time it takes to rotate around its axis.

Each time a rotation occurs, it counts as a rotation cycle.

This process gives the planet its tilt and creates variations in the length of days and nights on the planet’s surface.

Characteristics of the planets

In general, there are various characteristics of planets, namely the following:

Planets orbit a star or the remnants of a star.

The planet rotates on its axis, resulting in a rotational movement.

Planets also undergo revolutions, that is, trips around the sun.

To overcome the pressure of the rigid body, the planet has sufficient mass, which forms a hydrostatic equilibrium or quasi-spherical shape.

However, the mass of the planet is not so great that it does not create thermonuclear fusion.

Additionally, planets perform environmental cleanup by clearing their orbits so that they are not occupied by other large celestial objects other than their own satellites, avoiding potential collisions.

Almost all planets have an atmosphere, with the exception of Mercury.

All planets also have magnetic fields.

All planets have natural satellites, except Mercury and Venus.

The diameter of the planet is generally more than 800 km.

Planetary characteristics

Each planet has different characteristics, including:

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, at a distance of about 58 million kilometers.

Mercury’s rotation time is very slow and takes 59 days, while its revolution time is only 88 days.

The temperature on the side facing the Sun can reach 430 degrees Celsius, while on the opposite side it can reach -180 degrees Celsius.

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system with a diameter of approximately 4,879 kilometers.

Venus

Venus is located approximately 108 million kilometers from the Sun.

This planet has a very slow rotation, with 243 days for one rotation, longer than its revolution time of only 225 days.

Venus has an average temperature of around 462 degrees Celsius.

Interesting features of Venus include its yellowish-white color, counterclockwise rotation, and Earth-like composition.

Earth

The Earth is about 150 million kilometers from the Sun.

The Earth’s rotation time is 24 hours, which influences the day-night cycle, while the revolution time is 365 days, which determines the solar year.

The average temperature at the Earth’s surface is around 15 degrees Celsius, but regional variations are large.

Earth is the only known planet that hosts life and has an atmospheric composition that supports life.

Mars

Mars is approximately 218.54 million kilometers from the Sun.

Mars has a rotation time of 25 hours and a revolution time of 687 days.

This planet is known as the “Red Planet” due to its reddish color.

Mars has two natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and is approximately 776.43 million kilometers from the Sun.

This planet has a very fast rotation time, only 10 hours, and its revolution time is 11 years.

Jupiter has an average surface temperature of about -108.15 degrees Celsius.

One of the main characteristics of Jupiter is the presence of numerous natural satellites (79) and rings.

Saturn

Saturn is about 1.4 billion kilometers from the Sun.

Saturn’s rotation time is 11 hours, while its revolution time is 29 years.

Saturn is known for the large ice rings that surround it.

This planet has 62 natural satellites, including Titan and Rhea.

Uranus

Uranus is located about 2.9 billion kilometers from the Sun.

Uranus’ rotation time is 17 hours and its revolution time is very long, reaching 84 years.

This planet has an average surface temperature of approximately -224.15 degrees Celsius.

Uranus has 27 natural satellites and vertically oriented rings.

Neptune

Neptune is the most distant planet in the solar system, located approximately 4.4 billion kilometers from the Sun.

Neptune’s rotation time is 16 hours, while its revolution time is 165 years.

This planet is blue and has 14 satellites and natural rings. Neptune also has the longest revolution time in the solar system.

The process of planet formation

Quoted from the book Planets and Satellites by Viyanti (2021), it is not yet known with certainty how the process of planet formation occurs.

But there are different theories put forward in this regard.

The following are the most famous theories regarding the process of planet formation, namely:

1. Nebular theory of Laplace and Kant

The original idea about the formation of planets and the contents of the solar system came from Laplace and Kant’s nebula theory in 1755, proposed by Immanuel Kant.

According to Kant, the solar system was formed by a fog or nebula exposed by the rotation of the Sun.

However, even though this theory was introduced by Kant, there are weaknesses in explaining the characteristics of different planets

2. Tidal theory

Jeffrey and Jeans proposed that the solar system formed because a large star passed by and material from the large star was attracted by the gravitational force of the small star which then became a planet.

3. Planetesimal theory

Thomas Chamberlain and Moulton popularized the planetesimal theory, which held that planets form because large, hot stars shed their material.

This material is then attracted to surrounding stars and eventually comes together to form planets.

4. Big Bang theories

Stephen Hawking proposed the Big Bang theory, explaining that the solar system was originally formed by the explosion of large atoms.

As a result of this explosion, material formed to form the planets and the sun. This theory is widely accepted by scientists as an explanation of the origins of the solar system.

Therefore, the information regarding the planets is a celestial body that orbits the Sun, complete with its characteristics and peculiarities.

With deep understanding, your intuition will hopefully increase, okay?

2024-01-15 04:46:35
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