Our universe is filled with billions of celestial bodies – some that we are aware of and some that we truly don’t know that they exist. However, advancements in the meteorological field have enabled us to study our universe extensively, and we have learned a great deal about it.
Planets are commonly defined as celestial bodies moving in an elliptical orbit around a star. Though there are many planets in our vast galaxy, the best known ones are the nine planets that are visible – the planets in our own solar system. It is not known how planets are formed, but a lot of scientists agree that they were formed as dust particles in the solar nebula came together, building up into planets.
Mercury
Mercury is the smallest of the planets in our solar system. It is very close to the sun, and it takes only 89 days to revolve around the sun. It has no moon, and no life can be supported on the planet because of high temperatures.
Venus
Venus is also known as the evening star, and is another popular planet that is close to the sun. Like Mercury, Venus has no moons, but it takes 224 days to revolve around the sun. You can see Venus from the Earth using just your eyes, because of its glowing tendency and its appearance in the evening.
Earth
Earth is the planet where we reside, and it is the third closest planet to the sun. It supports life and takes 365 days to complete a full revolution around the sun. It contains more than a thousand different organisms that live both on land and in water, and it has one moon. Earth is unique in that it is the only planet that we know of that supports life.
Mars
Mars is the second smallest planet in the universe. It comes after the earth and takes one year and three months to revolve around the sun. Recently, a lot of scientists have intensified their research efforts on Mars, and have proven that it contains ice, meaning that it could possibly sustain life. It has 2 moons.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, and almost ten times the size of Earth. It takes nearly 12 years to revolve around the sun, is orbited by an astonishing 79 moons, and has one ring. It supports no life and can also be viewed from Earth.
Saturn
Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system and is mostly distinguished by its visible rings. It is orbited by 62 moons and takes 29 years to revolve around the sun. It also does not support life, and just like Jupiter, it has hydrogen and helium in its atmosphere.
Uranus
Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system, and the second furthest away from the sun. It also contains a ring, and takes 84 years to revolve around the sun. It is comprised of numerous chemicals. It is often classified as an ice giant, which differentiates Uranus from the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus does not support life.
Neptune
Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun. It is smaller than Uranus in size and takes 164 years to revolve around the sun. It has similar qualities as Uranus and does not support life. It has 14 moons and is primarily composed of ice and rocks. It does not support life because of its freezing temperatures and gaseous atmosphere.
