Fascinating astronomy: interesting facts about the planets of the solar system. Astronomy is the oldest science

Some time in school curriculum there was no such thing as astronomy at all. Now this discipline is included in the mandatory training course. Astronomy is being studied in different schools in different ways. Sometimes this discipline first appears in the schedule of seventh graders, and in some educational institutions it is taught only in the 11th grade. Schoolchildren have a question about why it is necessary to learn this subject, astronomy? Let's find out what kind of science it is and how knowledge about space can be useful to us in life?

The concept of the science of astronomy and the subject of its study

Astronomy is the natural science of the universe. The subject of its study are cosmic phenomena, processes and objects. Thanks to this science, we know the planets, satellites, comets, asteroids, meteorites. Astronomical knowledge also gives the concept of space, the location of celestial bodies, their movement and the formation of their systems.

Astronomy is the science that explains the incomprehensible phenomena that are an integral part of our lives.

The origin and development of astronomy

The very first ideas of man about the universe were very primitive. They were based on religious beliefs. People thought that the Earth is the center of the universe, and that the stars are attached to the solid sky.

AT further development This science is divided into several stages, each of which is called the astronomical revolution.

The first such revolution took place in different time in various regions of the world. The approximate beginning of its implementation is 1500 BC. The cause of the first revolution was the development mathematical knowledge, and the result is the emergence of spherical astronomy, astrometry and accurate calendars. The main achievement of this period was the emergence of the geocentric theory of the world, which became the result of ancient knowledge.

The second revolution in astronomy took place between the 16th and 17th centuries. It was driven by the rapid development natural sciences and the emergence of new knowledge about nature. During this period, the laws of physics began to be used to explain astronomical processes and phenomena.

The main achievements of this stage in the development of astronomy are the substantiation and gravity, the invention of the optical telescope, the discovery of new planets, asteroids, the emergence of the first cosmological hypotheses.

Further, the development of space science accelerated. was invented new technology helping in astronomical research. The opportunity to study the chemical composition of celestial bodies, which appeared, confirmed the unity of the entire outer space.

The third astronomical revolution took place in the 1970s and 1990s. It was due to the progress of technology and technology. At this stage, all-wave, experimental and corpuscular astronomy appears. This means that now all space objects can be viewed with the help of their emitted electromagnetic waves, corpuscular radiation.

Subsections of astronomy

As we can see, astronomy is an ancient science, and in the process of long development it has acquired a branched, branch structure. The conceptual basis of classical astronomy is its three subsections:

In addition to these main sections, there are also:

• astrophysics;
• stellar astronomy;
• cosmogony;
• cosmology.

New trends and modern trends in astronomy

AT recent times in connection with the acceleration of the development of many sciences, progressive branches began to appear, engaged in rather specific research in the field of astronomy.

• Gamma-ray astronomy studies space objects by their radiation.
• X-ray astronomy, like the previous branch, takes X-rays that come from celestial bodies as a basis for research.

Basic concepts in astronomy

What are the basic concepts of this science? In order for us to study astronomy in depth, we need to become familiar with the basics.

Space is a collection of stars and interstellar space. In fact, this is the Universe.

A planet is a specific celestial body that orbits around a star. This name is given only to heavy objects that are able to acquire a rounded shape under the influence of their own gravity.

A star is a massive spherical object, consisting of gases, within which thermonuclear reactions take place. The closest and most famous star to us is the Sun.

A satellite in astronomy is a celestial body revolving around an object that is larger and held by gravity. Satellites are natural - for example, the Moon, as well as artificially created by man and launched into orbit to broadcast the necessary information.

A galaxy is a gravitational bundle of stars, their clusters, dust, gas and dark matter. All objects in a galaxy move relative to its center.

A nebula in astronomy is an interstellar space that has characteristic radiation and is allocated to general background sky. Before the advent of powerful telescopic instruments, galaxies were often confused with nebulae.

Declination in astronomy is a characteristic inherent in every celestial body. This is the name of one of the two coordinates, reflecting the angular distance from the cosmic equator.

Modern terminology of the science of astronomy

The innovative methods of study discussed earlier contributed to the emergence of new astronomical terms:

"Exotic" objects - sources of optical, x-ray, radio and gamma radiation in space.

Quasar - in simple words, is a star with strong radiation. Its power may be greater than that of an entire galaxy. We see such an object in a telescope even at a great distance.

A neutron star is the last stage in the evolution of a celestial body. This one has unimaginable density. For example, the substance that makes up a neutron star that fits in a teaspoon will weigh 110 million tons.

The connection of astronomy with other sciences

Astronomy is a science that is closely related to various knowledge. In her research, she uses the achievements of many industries.

Problems of propagation on Earth and in space chemical elements and their compounds - this is the link between chemistry and astronomy. In addition, scientists are of great interest in the study of chemical processes occurring in outer space.

The Earth can be considered as one of the planets of the solar system - this expresses the connection of astronomy with geography and geophysics. Relief the globe ongoing climatic and seasonal weather changes, warming, ice ages- To study all these and many more phenomena, geographers use astronomical knowledge.

What was the basis for the origin of life? This is a question common to biology and astronomy. The joint works of these two sciences are aimed at solving the dilemma of the emergence of living organisms on planet Earth.

An even closer relationship between astronomy and ecology, which considers the problem of the influence of cosmic processes on the Earth's biosphere.

Observation methods in astronomy

The basis for collecting information in astronomy is observation. What are the ways to observe processes and objects in space, and what tools are currently used for these purposes?

With the naked eye, we can see several thousand stars in the sky, but sometimes it seems that we see a whole million or a billion luminous bright points. This spectacle in itself is spectacular, although with the help of magnifying instruments one can notice more interesting things.

Even ordinary binoculars with the possibility of eightfold magnification gives a chance to see a myriad of celestial bodies, and ordinary stars, which we see with the naked eye, become much brighter. Most interesting object for contemplation through binoculars - this is the moon. Even at low magnification, some craters can be seen.

The telescope makes it possible to see not just spots of the seas on the moon. By observing the starry sky with this device, you can study all the features of the relief of the earth's satellite. Also, distant galaxies and nebulae, invisible until this moment, open up to the observer's gaze.

Contemplation starry sky through a telescope is not only a very exciting activity, but sometimes quite useful for science. Many astronomical discoveries committed not by research institutes, but by simple amateurs.

The value of astronomy for man and society

Astronomy is an interesting and useful science at the same time. In modern times, astronomical methods and instruments are used to:

Instead of an afterword

Given all of the above, no one can doubt the usefulness and necessity of astronomy. This science helps to better understand all aspects of human existence. She gave us knowledge about and opened access to interesting information.

With the help of astronomical research, we can study our planet in more detail, as well as gradually move deeper into the universe in order to learn more and more about the space around us.

Astronomy has always been the most mysterious and controversial science. How many scientists have suffered for their love of the stars and the desire to know the cosmos! Today, huge amounts of money are spent on the study of the Universe. In astronomy, interesting facts are known even to a schoolboy, but we are constantly learning something new about the movement of comets and asteroids.

How many planets are in the solar system?

Eight since 2006. The ninth planet, Pluto, has been classified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union. Astronomical ABC: a planet is an object that revolves around the sun, has a spherical shape and can "clear" its orbit of other objects. Pluto does not meet the last requirement.

Not only Saturn has rings.

What planets have rings? Of course, Saturn. But it turns out that Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also have them, just not as noticeable. Jupiter's rings are made up of dark dust particles and fragments of small asteroids, and were first discovered by Voyager 1. Neptune's rings are dark, but they could be seen from Earth. The rings of Uranus are located between the complex system of Saturn's rings and the simple systems of Jupiter and Neptune.

Not all planets in the solar system move in the same direction.

It is generally accepted that all planets and asteroids move around the Sun in the same direction. But there is one exception - Halley's comet. If you look at North Pole Earth "from above", it turns in the opposite direction, clockwise.

About the rotation of the planets.

Most planets rotate like a top, which provides them with a slight divergence in the plane of the equator and orbit. However, Uranus behaves differently. The plane of its equator is located at an angle of 98° to the plane of the orbit. This makes the planet look like a rolling ball. Therefore, at the moment of the solstice, one of the poles of Uranus is directed directly to the Sun, and six months later, the polar day occurs in the other hemisphere.

Every planet has its time.

Another interesting fact in astronomy concerns time. Venus has a much slower rate of rotation around its axis than the rate at which it revolves around the sun. That is why a day on this planet lasts more than a year. On Mercury, time also drags on longer. For a year, it makes one and a half revolutions around its axis. This means that two years of Earth life is equal to three days on Mercury.

Most of the mass of the entire solar system is concentrated in the sun.

The chemical composition of the solar system is mainly hydrogen and helium. The Sun accounts for 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system. It consists of 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and less than 1% other elements.

The sun is one and the stars of the Milky Way.

There are 200 billion such stars in total, and they are at a great distance from each other. The closest star system to us is Alpha Centauri. It is located at a distance of 4.4 light years from Earth. The distance to Barnard's Star is 5.9 light years. Then come WISE 1049-5319 - 6.5 light years, Wolf359 - 7.8 light years, Lalande 21185 - 8.3 light years, Sirius - 8.6 light years, Leuthen 726-8 - 8.7 light years and, finally, Ross 154 - 9.7 light years.

It would seem that a lot is known about the solar system to everyone who at least sometimes opened an astronomy textbook at school. But in fact, our galaxy is fraught with a huge number of mysteries and secrets, and new facts about the solar system that become known to scientists can surprise even the most sophisticated experts in astronomy.

1. Rotation speed 220-240 km/s

Everything moves in space. The solar system revolves around the center of the Galaxy at a speed of 220-240 km / s, and it takes about 240 million years to complete one period of revolution.

2. Solar eclipses

solar eclipses can be observed from anywhere in the solar system. But Earth is the only place where you can see a total solar eclipse.

3. The mass of the Sun is 99.86% of the mass of Cs

As you know, the Sun is much larger than any planet in our system. Few people think about this, but in fact, the mass of the Sun is about 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system.

4. Wind speed up to 2100 km/h

On the ground maximum speed wind was recorded on the Australian island of Barrow and amounted to 408 km / h. And the most strong winds in the solar system they blow on Neptune: up to 2100 km / h.

5. Chemical composition

Recently, scientists have developed new model chemical composition of the early solar system. According to this theory, about half of the water currently on Earth came from interstellar ice during the formation of the Sun.

6. Water in Ss

Per last couple decades, scientists have found that some planets and their satellites in the solar system have water in different states. However, Earth is the only place in the solar system where water can be present in all three states: solid, liquid and vapor.

7. Dead Twin

Of all the planets in the solar system, Venus is considered Earth's twin. Despite the fact that conditions on its surface are generally unsuitable for human life (for example, only the temperature is 464 ° C), it has approximately the same size and orbit with the Earth.

8. Neutrino

In the 20th century, a stable neutral elementary particle neutrino. To figuratively describe its size, let's make the following comparison: if an atom were the size of the solar system, then the neutrino would be the size of a golf ball.

9. Up to -224 °C

The coldest planetary atmosphere in the solar system is on Uranus. Here the temperature drops to -224°C.

10. The highest mountain in Ss

The highest mountain peak on Earth is Everest (Chomolungma), whose height is 8,848 m. And the highest mountain in the solar system is on Mars. Here the height of Mount Olympus is about 22 km.

11. The largest model

Sweden has the largest solar system model in the world. It is made on a scale of 1:20 million and stretches for 950 km.

12. Top three

Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system. The first largest is Jupiter, and the second is Saturn.

13. The biggest storms

Mars also has some of the largest dust storms in the solar system. They often last for several months and can cover the entire planet.

14. Orbital speed of the Earth

The earth moves in orbit at a speed of about 108,000 km/h.

15. Volcanoes of Venus

According to various estimates, there are between 1,000 and 1,500 volcanoes on Earth. And most of them in the solar system on Venus - more than 1,600.

Interesting Facts astronomy attracts a large number of readers. The mysteries of space have excited the imagination of people for a very long time. Is there life on other planets, how to get to neighboring galactic systems and what is still there - high in the sky? These and many other questions still remain unanswered. In this article, we will consider only reliable known facts about space.

The moon always faces the earth on one side

This fact has long been scientifically explained. It consists in the fact that the period of rotation of the Moon around the Earth is 27.3 days. The period of rotation of the Moon around its axis is equal to the period of its revolution around the Earth - 27.3 days. Because of this, we see only one hemisphere of the moon, which is called the visible. The hemisphere that we cannot see is called

The moon is moving away from the earth

Another interesting fact of astronomy. Over the past 25 years, scientists have taken measurements that indicate that it is growing and moving away from the Earth. Studies indicate that the separation occurs at 4 centimeters per year.

At the same time, scientists suggest that in a few billion years the sun will enter a special phase called the "red giant". During this period, under the influence of the increased atmosphere of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth will again approach each other. But during this approach, the Moon can be torn into pieces, from which a ring is formed around the Earth, similar to the ring of Saturn.

Dust

Studies have shown that tons of interplanetary dust annually reach the Earth's surface. A large number of asteroids flying around the sun are between Mars and Jupiter. Upon collision, they break up into fragments that are pulled into the interior of the solar system. Flying at great speed past the Earth, dust and stones crash into the atmosphere and burn up. This is what we see when it seems to us that a star is falling from the sky. Those fragments that move slowly are able to survive thanks to the gravitational force of our planet.

Olympus on Mars

It is considered an extinct volcano of Mars called Olympus. Its height reaches 27 kilometers, which is 3 times higher than Everest. In diameter, Olympus occupies 540 kilometers, almost the whole of France can fit in such a territory.

The mountain on Mars is so big that no matter where you are, you won't see the end of it. Olympus was formed for many millions of years, during which there was low tectonic activity in the place of its formation. And it is quite possible that the volcano is still in action.

Near Olympus there are several more huge volcanoes: Arsia, Pavonis and Askerus. Each of them can have the title of "giant".

Venus

Our closest space neighbor has serious cloud cover. Previously, scientists believed that the planet had a lot of wet places and vegetation. But after research, it turned out that there are no plants there, because unbearable heat reigns on the planet, reaching 480 ° Celsius. And the basis of the planet's relief is rocks. And what is most interesting, there are real acid rains here.

On Venus, the cloud cover is made up of sulfuric acid, not water. But the acid does not have time to reach the surface, at the temperature that prevails on the planet, it evaporates almost immediately.

Gravity is unevenly distributed over the Earth's surface

Scientists learned about this interesting fact of astronomy when they noticed that a person in certain places can feel heavier than in others. A smaller effect of the gravitational force can be observed near the coast of India, and an increased effect - in the south side. Pacific Ocean. Why this happens is still unknown. In March 2002, scientists launched the GRACE satellite, which continuously measures the Earth's gravitational field. Perhaps soon there will be new discoveries in this area.

The earth is slowing down

Another interesting fact of astronomy. Our planet is constantly affected by other planets, the Moon and the Sun. This affects the speed of rotation of the Earth around its axis. AT different periods time it differs. For example, at present, the earth day has decreased by hundredths of a second. This suggests that angular velocity The earth has risen. The reasons for this phenomenon have not yet been established. The slowdown of the planet occurs in January and February.

Electric charge of the earth

It has long been proven that the Earth has negative charge. During good weather, electricity flows between our planet and the air in such a way that the charge should be dissipated. It turns out that the electricity leaving the Earth must somehow be restored, because otherwise it would end.

Scientists came up with the idea that lightning charges restore the current. A few years ago, a study was carried out: with the help of Air Force aircraft, electricity was measured in the air above thunderheads. The instruments recorded a current that moved in a different direction from the direction of the current in clear weather. After calculations, scientists came to the conclusion that all thunderstorms occurring at the same time generate a current of 1500 A. This is quite enough to save the earth's charge.

1. Where did the Universe come from? Scientists believe that the Big Bang happened about 14 billion years ago. It was at this moment that stars and planets appeared. Scientists today cannot answer the question of why this happened.

2. Solar system. It contains 8 planets that revolve around the Sun, and the force of gravity allows them to stay in their place. The first four planets are rocks, you can move on them, four distant planets have a gas structure, that is, stepping on them, you can fail. The gas giants are much more earth and are very far apart.

3. First landing on the moon. It is believed that on July 21, 1969, American astronauts were the first people to walk on the moon. They were wearing special spacesuits and equipment that allowed them to do this. On Earth, all this is very heavy to wear, and on the Moon, the heaviness was almost not felt.

4. Milky Way. All the stars that are visible from our planet are part of large groups, otherwise they are called galaxies. The Milky Way is our galaxy, shaped like a fireworks pinwheel. It contains a lot of stars. It, like the planets, constantly rotates, however, very slowly. To see it in the night sky, you need to go out into the open space and look into the sky, a milky streak of light will be visible there.

5. Another interesting fact for children about space: the Sun and the Earth. Every day you can watch the sun pass through the sky. But it's not. The sun actually stands still, and the Earth revolves around it and around its axis at the same time. In one day, our planet makes a complete revolution around itself and shows the Sun all its sides. That's why the sun rises and sets.

Astronomy is perhaps the most interesting science from all school subjects. Oh, what a pity that she has so few hours to study.

The word "astronomy" comes from the Greek: astron - star and nomos - law, - this is the science of the structure and development of cosmic bodies, systems and the universe as a whole.

Astronomy is the oldest science. The birth of astronomy was associated with the rejection of the geocentric system of the world (developed by Ptolemy, in the 2nd century) and its replacement by the heliocentric system (authored by Nicolaus Copernicus, mid-16th century), with the beginning of telescopic studies of celestial bodies (Galileo Galilei, early 17th century) and discovery of the law of universal gravitation (Isaac Newton, late 17th century).

The 18th-19th centuries were for astronomy a period of accumulation of data on the solar system, the Galaxy and the physical nature of stars, the Sun, planets and other cosmic bodies.

Extragalactic astronomy began to develop in the 20th century. The study of the spectra of galaxies allowed E. Hubble (1929) to detect the general expansion of the Universe, predicted by A. A. Friedman (1922) on the basis of the theory of gravity created by A. Einstein in 1915-16. Creation of optical and radio telescopes with high resolution, the use of missiles and artificial satellites Earths for extra-atmospheric astronomical observations led to the discovery of a number of new types of cosmic bodies: radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, X-ray sources, etc. The foundations of the theory of stellar evolution and the cosmogony of the solar system were developed. The greatest achievement of astrophysics of the 20th century was relativistic cosmology - the theory of the evolution of the universe as a whole.

The science of astronomy consists of the following sections:

• Spherical astronomy- branch of astronomy that develops mathematical methods solving problems related to the study of the apparent location and movement of cosmic bodies in the celestial sphere.
• Practical astronomy- the doctrine of astronomical instruments and methods for determining time from astronomical observations, geographical coordinates and azimuth directions.
• Astrophysics the branch of astronomy that studies physical state and chemical composition celestial bodies and their systems, interstellar and intergalactic media, as well as the processes occurring in them. The main sections of astrophysics:
  • physics of planets and their satellites
  • solar physics
  • physics of stellar atmospheres
  • interstellar medium
  • theory internal structure stars and their evolution
• Celestial mechanics- a branch of astronomy that studies the movements of the bodies of the solar system in their common gravitational field. The problems of celestial mechanics include the consideration of general questions of the motion of celestial bodies in a gravitational field and the motion of specific objects (planets, artificial Earth satellites, etc.); determination of the values ​​of astronomical constants; composing ephemeris.
• stellar astronomy- a branch of astronomy that studies the general laws of the structure, composition, dynamics and evolution of stellar systems (clusters and galaxies).
• extragalactic astronomy- a branch of astronomy that studies cosmic bodies (stars, galaxies, quasars, etc.) located outside our star system - the Galaxy.
• Cosmogony- a branch of astronomy that studies the origin and development of cosmic bodies and their systems (planets and the solar system as a whole, stars, galaxies).
• Cosmology- the physical doctrine of the Universe as a whole, based on the results of the study of the most common properties the part of the universe that is available for astronomical observation. The general conclusions of cosmology are of great general scientific and philosophical significance. In modern cosmology, the most common model of the hot Universe, according to which, in the expanding Universe, early stage the development of matter and radiation had a very high temperature and density. The expansion led to their gradual cooling, the formation of atoms, and then (as a result of gravitational condensation) - protogalaxies, galaxies, stars and other cosmic bodies.