The most unusual facts about space. Interesting facts about the Universe (15 photos). Further development of astronautics

Interesting Facts about space tends to attract a ton of readers all over the world. The mysteries and mysteries of the Universe cannot but excite our imagination. What is hiding there, high, high in the sky? Is there life on other planets? How long does it take to get to the neighboring galaxy?

Agree, everyone wants to get answers to these questions, regardless of age, gender, or, say, social status. This article will tell you about the most interesting facts about space and astronauts. Readers will learn a lot about something that they did not know about before.

Section 1. Tenth planet of the solar system

In 2003, another - the tenth - planet orbiting the Sun was discovered beyond Pluto. She was named Eris. This became possible thanks to the development modern technologies, a few decades ago, scientists did not know about such interesting facts about space and planets. Later, it was also possible to determine that there are other natural ones behind Pluto, which, according to the decision of specialists, together with Pluto and Eris, began to be called transplutonic.

The interest of scientists in the newly discovered planets is conditioned not only by the desire for space in close proximity (by cosmic standards) to the planet Earth. It is very important to determine if the new planet can accommodate people in case of need. It is also important to assess what dangers the new object conceals for the continuation of life on Earth.

Some space researchers believe that interesting facts about space in general and the study of the features of the tenth planet in particular can help in solving the mysteries associated with unidentified flying objects, the presence of grandiose structures on the earth's surface, and also giant crop circles that have not found a real explanation.

Section 2. Mysterious companion Moon

Does the Moon, perfectly familiar to all earthlings, keep many secrets? Indeed, the most interesting facts about space indicate that the satellite of the planet Earth is fraught with a lot of mysteries. Here are just a few of the questions, the answers to which do not yet exist.

• Why is the Moon so large? There are no more natural satellites in the solar system comparable in size to the moon - it is only 4 times smaller than our home planet!
• How can one explain the fact that the diameter of the lunar disk during total eclipse perfectly closes the solar disk?
• Why does the moon rotate in an almost perfect circular orbit? This is very difficult to explain, especially if you keep in mind that the orbits of all other natural satellites known to science are ellipses.

Section 3. Where is the Earth's double

Scientists claim that the Earth has a twin. It turns out that Titan, which is a satellite of Saturn, is very similar to our home planet. Titan has seas, volcanoes and a dense shell of air! Nitrogen in Titan's atmosphere is exactly the same percentage as on Earth - 75%! This is a striking similarity that undoubtedly requires a scientific explanation.

Section 4. The Mystery of the Red Planet

Red planet Solar system is known to be called Mars. Conditions suitable for life - the composition of the atmosphere, the possibility of the presence of reservoirs, the temperature - all this indicates that the search for living things on this planet, at least in a primitive form, is not unpromising.

It has even been scientifically confirmed that Mars has lichens and mosses. This means that the simplest forms of complex organisms exist on this celestial body. However, it is very difficult to advance in its study. Perhaps the main problematic factor is the large, which is a natural obstacle to the direct study of this planet - astronaut flights are still very limited due to imperfect technology.

Section 5. Why the flights to the moon stopped

Many interesting facts about space travel are associated with our natural satellite. The Americans have landed on the moon, Russian and Eastern experts are exploring it. However, mysteries still remain.

After a successful flight to the Moon and landing on its surface (if, of course, these facts really took place!), The program for studying a natural satellite was practically curtailed. This turn of events is puzzling. Indeed, what is the matter?

Perhaps some understanding of this problem comes if we take into account the statement of the American who visited the Moon, that this is already occupied by such a form of life, in the fight against which humanity has no chance to withstand. Unfortunately, the general public knows practically nothing about what scientists actually know.

Despite the fact that the flights of spacecraft with astronauts to the Moon have ceased, the secrets of this extraordinary satellite invariably attract the attention of researchers on Earth. The unknown has an attractive force, especially if the object is in immediate, according to cosmic standards, proximity.

Section 6. Space Toilet

To create life support systems efficiently functioning in zero gravity is a very difficult task. The sewerage system must operate smoothly, ensuring the storage of biowaste and their timely unloading in a normal manner.

At the start of the ship and spacewalk, there is no choice but to use special diapers. These funds provide temporary, but very tangible comfort.

Interesting facts about the first manned flight into space indicate that initially very great importance was attached to the creation of plumbing fixtures for astronauts. Particular attention was paid to the individual anatomical features of the crew members. Currently, the approach to equipping the sanitary zone of the spacecraft has become more universal.

Section 7. Superstitions on board

It should be noted that interesting facts about space and astronauts cannot but touch upon such everyday moments for ordinary life as, for example, traditions and beliefs.

Many people point out that astronauts are very superstitious people. For many, this statement will cause bewilderment. Is it really so? In fact, astronauts behave in such a way that it seems as if they are very suspicious people. Be sure to take a sprig of wormwood on the flight, the smell of which reminds of the native Earth. At the start of Russian spacecraft, the song "Earth in the window" is always played.

Sergey Korolev did not like starts on Monday and even postponed the launch to another date, despite the conflicts over this. He did not give clear explanations to anyone. When the cosmonauts began to start on Monday, by a fatal coincidence, a number of accidents occurred (!).

October 24 is a special date associated with the tragic events at Baikonur (the explosion of a ballistic missile in 1960), therefore, as a rule, work is no longer carried out on this day at the cosmodrome.

Section 8. Unknown interesting facts about space and Russian cosmonautics

The history of the development of Russian cosmonautics is a vivid series of events. It is remarkable that scientists, designers and engineers have been able to achieve success. But, unfortunately, there were also tragedies. Space exploration is an extremely difficult area associated with work in extreme conditions.

For those who value the history of space exploration very much, information about significant achievements in the development of the space industry, and about seemingly small and even worthless facts is precious.

• How many people know that the monument to Yuri Gagarin in Star City has one interesting feature - a chamomile is clutched in the first cosmonaut's right hand?
• Surprisingly, the first living creatures that went on a space journey were turtles, and not dogs at all, as is commonly believed.
• To mislead the enemy, 2 cosmodromes were built in the 50s of the 20th century - a wooden imitation and a real structure, the distance between which was 300 km.

Section 9. Amusing discoveries and interesting facts about space for children and adults

Space discoveries that have become public knowledge are sometimes funny in nature, despite their real scientific value.

• Saturn is a very light planet. If we imagine that it is possible to conduct an experiment with its immersion in water, then it will be possible to observe how this amazing planet will float on the surface.
• The size of Jupiter is such that inside this planet it is possible to "place" all the planets that revolve in their orbits around the Sun.
• Little-known fact - the first stellar catalog was compiled by the scientist Hipparchus in 150 BC very far from us.
• Since 1980, the "Lunar Embassy" has been selling areas of the lunar surface - to date, 7% of the Moon's surface has been sold (!).
• To invent a fountain pen that could write in zero gravity, American researchers spent millions of dollars (Russian cosmonauts use a pencil to write in a spacecraft in flight, and there are no problems).

10. The most unusual statements of NASA

At the NASA center, one could repeatedly hear statements that were perceived as unusual and surprising.

• Outside the conditions of gravity, astronauts suffer from "space sickness", the symptoms of which are pain and nausea due to the distorted functioning of the inner ear.
• The liquid in the astronaut's body tends to the head; therefore, a blockage of the nose is observed, and the face becomes puffy.
• The growth of a person in space becomes greater as the pressure on the spine decreases.
• A person snoring under earthly conditions does not make any sounds in a dream under weightless conditions!

In this article, we have prepared for you a lot of fascinating information about space and astronauts, as well as about the structure of the Universe in general. Perhaps you already know some things, but you will hear some things for the first time.

So before you the most interesting facts about space.

The tenth planet of the solar system

Did you know that in 2003 American astronomers managed to find the 10th planet located beyond? She was named Eris.

It was possible to make such a discovery thanks to a new improved technique. Soon, other space objects were also discovered. They, along with Pluto and Eris, were called transplutonic (see).

It is worth noting that such discoveries are of interest to scientists also because they are trying to find out what advantages and dangers this or that cosmic body can conceal.

Scientists are constantly looking for life on other planets. This is due to the frightening events that are unfolding today on. It is about the threat of nuclear war, epidemics, global cataclysms and many other factors.

Mysterious Moon

Telling interesting facts about space, one cannot fail to mention about. Indeed, despite the fact that the Moon has been studied best of all in comparison with other celestial bodies, we still do not know much about it.

Here are just a few of the mysteries that have not yet been answered:

• Why is the Moon so large? It is important to understand here that in the solar system the planets do not have natural satellites (see), comparable in size to the moon.
• What is the reason for the fact that the diameter of the lunar disk at the time of total eclipse ideally covers the disk of the sun?
• What makes the moon rotate in a correct circular orbit? This question is difficult to answer, since the orbits of the other satellites are elliptical?

Where is the Earth's counterpart

According to some scientists, the Earth has a twin. It turned out that on the satellite -, the conditions are very similar to our planet.

A similar air envelope is also present and observed there in sufficient quantity.

At the moment, Titanium is of particular interest in scientific circles and continues to be actively studied by specialists.

Mystery of Mars

The Red Planet is a nickname it got because of its color. Water was discovered on this planet, and the appropriate temperature and atmosphere for the existence of living organisms was determined.

In the middle of the 20th century, there was a popular song that apple trees would soon bloom on Mars. However, it still remains uninhabited.

Scientists are trying to find any signs of life, but research is difficult enough. The main problem is the long distance to this coveted planet.

An interesting fact is that today Mars is the second most studied object in space after Earth.

Why did flights to the moon stop?

Since the Moon is closest to the Earth, it does not cease to interest the minds of people. In 1969, she was visited, which managed to collect important space data about this satellite. Scientists today continue research in one form or another.

However, after the American astronauts flew to the moon, the satellite program was abruptly terminated.

Naturally, this leads to many questions and causes bewilderment: why was a successful space exploration project canceled without sufficient reason?

There is an opinion that there was no flight at all, and all the photos and videos allegedly taken in space were simply falsified in an American film studio.

Considering the fact that at that time cold war was in full swing, such a forgery is quite possible to assume.

The first cosmonaut to visit the moon, Neil Armstrong, argued that there is another form of life there, in the fight against which a person cannot emerge victorious. However, his opinion does little to clarify the situation as a whole.

Unfortunately, to date, many facts about this space object remain classified. Perhaps in the near future we will learn some new interesting facts about the Moon and what space explorers have hidden from us.

Space toilet

An interesting fact is that before sending the first man into space, an unusual problem arose before scientists: what should be the toilet so that astronauts could normally use it in a state of weightlessness?

At first glance, it may seem that the creation of a toilet for astronauts is a simple task. In fact, everything is much more complicated.

The sewerage system must function smoothly. For example, when a spacecraft takes off and its subsequent exit into outer space, astronauts have to use special diapers.

As soon as they began to build a rocket, the designers paid special attention to the invention of plumbing devices. They were developed taking into account the individual anatomical characteristics of the crew members.

Every year, spacecraft toilets have become more versatile, thoughtful and comfortable.

Superstitions on board

Astronauts, like other people, have many superstitions.

For example, when going into space, they take with them a branch of wormwood so that its scent reminds them of Earth. Before the launch, Russian cosmonauts always include the song of the "Earthlings" group - "Earth in the window".

The founder of practical Soviet cosmonautics, never allowed space flights to take place on Mondays. He himself did not comment on this, although because of this decision he had many conflicts with the leadership.

Once, when the launch was nevertheless carried out on Monday, by fatal coincidence, a whole series of accidents occurred.

On October 24, 1960, a ballistic missile suddenly exploded at Baikonur. From that moment on, this sad date became associated with bad luck. And today, on this day, at the cosmodromes, usually no types of work are carried out.

Unknown facts about space and Russian cosmonautics

The peak of the popularity of Russian cosmonautics came in the Soviet era. Scientists and designers managed to achieve phenomenal results that amazed the whole world.

However, against the backdrop of victories, there were also tragic moments that need to be treated with understanding. The exploration of outer space was a completely new and unknown direction in science, so mistakes were inevitable.

Here are some interesting facts that you may not have heard of.

• On the monument erected in Star City, you can see a chamomile that the astronaut holds in his hand (see).
• Many people think that the first living things sent into space were, but this is not so. In fact, they were.
• Do you know why 2 cosmodromes were built in the Soviet Union in the middle of the 20th century? This was done in order to mislead the enemy. Wooden structures imitating genuine space structures were erected from Baikonur at a distance of 300 km.

Fun discoveries and interesting facts about space

• Saturn has a very low density and is a very light planet. If he could be submerged in water, he would not drown in it.
• Among all the planets in the solar system, it is the largest. Surprisingly, inside it could accommodate all the planets orbiting the sun.
• The very first stellar catalog was compiled by the ancient scientist Hipparchus, who lived in the 2nd century BC. NS.
• In 1980, the Lunar Embassy was formed to sell territories on the Moon. By the way, about 8% of the lunar surface has already been sold out by the regulation. So if you are interested in space from a practical point of view, hurry up!
• An interesting fact is that the Americans spent huge sums of money on the development of a special pen that could write in space. Indeed, in a state of weightlessness, ink does not flow out of the rod, as it happens on earth. The Soviet cosmonauts considered this problem somewhat far-fetched, and took ... a pencil into space for writing.

The most unusual NASA statements

Throughout its history, NASA has made many different statements, some of which were very unusual and even strange.

• Being in zero gravity, astronauts suffer from "space sickness", accompanied by nausea and pain. This is due to a violation of the full functioning of the inner ear.
• The liquid in the astronaut's body tends to get into the head, as a result of which a blockage of the nose occurs, and the face is noticeably swollen.
• In outer space, a person becomes taller due to the lack of pressure on his spine.
• A snoring person on Earth, in zero gravity, will not make any sounds.

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What do we know about space? Most of us cannot answer the simplest questions about this mysterious world, which, despite this, attracts and interests us. This article presents the most interesting general information about space, which will be useful to everyone.

• We (all living beings) fly in space at a certain speed, which is 530 km / second. If we take into account the speed of movement of our Earth in the galaxy, then it equates to 225 km / second. Our galaxy (Milky Way), in turn, moves in space at a speed of 305 km / second.

• A giant space object - the planet Saturn actually has a relatively low weight. The density of this giant planet is a couple of times lower than that of water. Thus, if you try to submerge a given cosmic body in water, this will not work.
• If the planet-Jupiter were hollow, then all the planets of our solar planetary system known to us could fit inside it.
• Reducing the frequency of rotation of the planet-Earth will move the Moon away from it by about four centimeters annually.
• The first "star catalog" was compiled by Hipparchus (scientist-astronomer) in 150 BC.

• When we in the night sky pay attention to the most distant (dim) stars, we see them as they were about fourteen billion years ago.
• In addition to our luminary, we have one more approximate star "Proskima Centauri". The distance to this space object is equal to 4.2 light years.
• The "red giant" named "Betelgeuse" has a huge diameter. For comparison, its diameter is a couple of times larger than the orbit of our Earth around the star.
• Each year, the galaxy in which our planetary system is located produces about 40 new stars.
• If one spoon (teaspoon) of the substance is removed from the "neutron star", then the weight of this spoon will be equal to 150 tons.

• The mass of our star is more than 99% of the mass of its entire planetary system.
• The age of the light emitted by our luminary can be equated to only 30 thousand years. It was thirty thousand years ago that a certain energy was formed in the luminary, which reaches the Earth to this day. By the way, solar photons reach the aforementioned planet, on which we live, in just eight seconds.
• The eclipse of our star can last no more than seven and a half minutes. The lunar eclipse, in turn, has a long duration - 104 minutes.
• The "solar wind" is the reason for the loss of the mass of our star. In 1 second, this star loses more than 1 billion kg due to this "wind". By the way, one "windy particle" can destroy an ordinary person, approaching it at a distance of 160 kilometers.
• If our Earth spun in a different, opposite direction, then the duration of the year would be less by a couple of days.
• Every day, our planet is experiencing a "meteorite bombardment". Why can't we see this? Most of The space objects falling on us are very small, so they do not have time to reach the surface and dissolve in our atmosphere.

• Our planet has more than one satellite. Modern scientists have determined that four objects are flying around it at once. Of course, the most famous of these is the Moon. In addition to her, an asteroid (5 kilometers in diameter) flies around us, which was discovered in 1896. To be more precise, this object revolves around the star, but with a certain frequency, the same as ours. Therefore, he is constantly with us. It is impossible to see him with the naked eye.
• The thickening of "cosmic matter" is the reason for the periodic increase in the mass of our planet. Every 500 years, its mass increases by about one billion tons.
• Ursa Major is not a constellation, as many believe. In reality, this is "asterism" - a visual cluster of stars that are very impressively distant from each other. Some of the stars of the "Dipper" are located even in different galactic formations.

Initially, the planet Uranus, discovered by W. Herschel in 1781, was called "George's Star". This was ordered by George III, who wanted the last one to be named after him. open planet"Solar system".

If two parts of a meteorite come into contact in outer space, they will be welded together. If this happens on our home planet, then they will not combine, since metals tend to oxidize on our planet. The equipment that astronauts use while working outside the space station spontaneously oxidizes on Earth, so it does not stick together in outer space.

Created by engineers, satellite vehicles during flight in space obey certain physical laws, which were first described by Newton.

Since 1980, plots of our companion, the Moon, have been officially sold, and they cost a lot. To date, about seven percent of the surface of a natural satellite has been sold. The cost of forty acres is now no more than $ 150. The lucky person who buys the plot receives a certificate and photographs of his "lunar land".

• In 1992, the official couple Jen and Mark went into space. To this day, they are considered the first and only spouses who visited space together. The couple flew into space on the ship "Endever".
• All those who have been in space for a certain time (1-2 months) grow by about five centimeters due to spinal sprain, which later, after returning to Earth, can negatively affect health.
• A satellite orbital system can photograph three million square kilometers of the Earth in half an hour, an airplane in twelve years, and a person manually in about 100 years.
• In 2001, they conducted an interesting experiment, after which they found out that cosmonauts snoring at home in outer space are deprived of this bad habit.

Space, perhaps, is at the moment one of the greatest mysteries for all mankind. People do not get tired of exploring space, discussing it, putting forward a variety of theories, making a variety of assumptions, but still space remains something incredible, mysterious, unidentified to the end. And does it have an end that can be reached, guided by science? Most likely no. Probably, the cosmos throughout the entire existence of mankind will, to one degree or another, remain a mystery, an unsolvable mystery, like a huge Sphinx, the question of which cannot be answered. But still they study it, and therefore we know a lot about space, which amaze, and sometimes frighten. Let's take a closer look at some interesting facts about space and the Universe.

1. About forty new stars are born in our Galaxy every year. How many of them appear in the entire Universe - it is difficult even to imagine the answer to this question.
2. Silence reigns in space, as there is no medium for sound propagation. So those who like to be quiet would surely like space.
3. For the first time, man looked at space through a telescope about four centuries ago. It was, of course, Galileo Galilei.
4. Surprisingly, in space, all flowers we know will smell completely differently. And all because the smell of a flower depends on many different environmental factors.
5. Interesting fact about space and planets - the sun more land approximately one hundred and ten times. It is even larger than Jupiter, which is known to be the giant of our solar system. But at the same time, if we compare the Sun with other stars in the Universe, then it will turn out to be incredibly tiny. For example, the Big Dog star is 1,500 times larger than the Sun.
6. The first terrestrial creature in space is Laika the dog, which was launched into space on Sputnik 2 in 1957. The dog died on the ship due to lack of air. And the satellite itself burned out in the Earth's atmosphere due to a violation of its orbit.
7. The first man in space is Yuri Gagarin. With a slight delay after Gagarin, Alan Shepard, an American cosmonaut, flew into space.
8. The first woman in space is Valentina Tereshkova.
9. Most of the atoms that make up human bodies were formed during the melting of stellar mass.
10. On Earth, due to the presence of gravity, the flame tends upward, while in space it spreads in all directions.
11. A person can never reach the edge of the Universe, since there is a curvature of space in space, due to which a person, moving constantly in a forward direction, will eventually return to the starting point. Scientists are not yet able to fully explain this.
12. The average distance between stars is thirty-two million million kilometers.
13. An interesting fact about black holes in space is that they are the brightest objects in the universe. In general, the gravity inside a black hole is so strong that even light cannot escape from there. But during its rotation, the black hole absorbs not only a variety of cosmic bodies, but also gas clouds, which begin to shine, twisting in a spiral. Meteors also start to burn as they hit the black hole.
14. Approximately ten tons of cosmic dust falls to Earth every day.
15. There are more than one hundred billion galaxies in the Universe, so there is a huge possibility that people are not alone within the boundaries of this Universe.

The most interesting facts about space can be collected and written down for an incredibly long time, since our Universe contains a huge number of secrets and mysteries, which we now, thanks to the development of science, can approach at least a few steps.

Almost all children are addicted to space. Someone only for a short time, until they learn about how the world works. And someone - seriously and for a long time, dreaming of one day to fly to the moon or even further, repeat the feat of Gagarin or discover a new star.

In any case, the child will be interested in learning about what is hiding behind the clouds. About the moon, about the sun and the stars, oh spaceships and rockets, about Gagarin and Korolev. Fortunately, there are many books to help kids, schoolchildren, and even adults discover the universe. And here are some excerpts from them:

1. Moon

The moon is a satellite of the earth. This is what astronomers call her because she is constantly close to the Earth. It revolves around our planet and cannot get away from it, because the Earth attracts the Moon to itself. Both the moon and the earth - celestial bodies but the moon is much smaller than the earth. The Earth is the planet and the Moon is its satellite.

Illustration from the book "Fascinating Astronomy"

2. Month

The moon itself does not shine. The glow of the Moon that we observe at night is the light of the Sun reflected by the Moon. On different nights, the Sun illuminates the Earth satellite in different ways.

The Earth, and with it the Moon, revolves around the Sun. If you take a ball and light it with a flashlight in the dark, then on one side it will appear round, because the light of the flashlight hits it directly. On the other hand, the ball will be dark because it is between us and the light source. And if someone looks at the ball from the side, he will see only part of its surface illuminated.

The flashlight is like the sun, and the ball is like the moon. And we from the Earth look at the Moon on different nights from different points of view. If the light of the Sun strikes directly on the Moon, it appears to us as a complete circle. And when the light of the Sun falls on the Moon from the side, we observe a month in the sky.

Illustration from the book "Fascinating Astronomy"

3. New moon and full moon

It happens that the moon in the sky is not visible at all. Then we say that the new moon has come. It happens every 29 days. On the night following the new moon, a narrow lunar crescent appears in the sky, or, as it is also called, a month. Then the crescent begins to grow and gradually turns into a full circle, the moon - the full moon comes.

Then the moon decreases again, "falls", until it turns into a month again, and then the month disappears from the firmament - the next new moon will come.

Illustration from the book "Fascinating Astronomy"

4. Lunar jump

Want to know how far you could jump if you were on the moon? Go out into the yard with chalk and tape measure. Jump as far as possible, mark your result with chalk and measure the length of your jump with a tape measure. Now measure from your mark six more of the same line. This is what moon jumping would be like! This is because there is less gravity on the moon. You will be in the jump longer and you will be able to set a space record. Although, of course, the spacesuit will prevent you from jumping.

Illustration from the book "Fascinating Astronomy"

5. Universe

All we know for sure about our Universe is that it is very, very large. The universe began about 13.7 billion years ago when the Big Bang happened. Its cause remains one of the most important mysteries of science to this day!

Time passed. The universe expanded in all directions and finally began to take shape. Tiny particles were born from the vortices of energy. Hundreds of thousands of years later, they merged and turned into atoms - "bricks" from which everything that we see is composed. At the same time, light appeared, which began to move freely in space. But it took another hundreds of millions of years before the atoms united into huge clouds, from which the first generation of stars was born. When these stars split into groups, forming galaxies, the universe began to resemble what we see now, looking at the night sky. Now the Universe continues to grow and every day it only gets bigger!

6. The birth of a star

Do you think the stars are only visible at night? But no! Our Sun is also a star, but we see it during the day. The sun is not much different from other stars, just the rest of the stars are much farther from the Earth and therefore seem so small to us.

Stars form from clouds of hydrogen gas left over from the Big Bang or from the explosions of other older stars. Gradually, the force of gravity joins the hydrogen gas into clumps, where it begins to rotate and heat up. This continues until the gas becomes dense and hot enough for the nuclei of hydrogen atoms to fuse. As a result of this thermonuclear reaction, a flash of light occurs and a star is born.

Illustration from the book "Professor Astrocat and His Journey into Space"

7. Yuri Gagarin

Gagarin was a fighter pilot in the Arctic, then he was selected from hundreds of other military pilots to join the cosmonaut corps. Yuri studied well and was ideally suited for height, weight and physical fitness. On April 12, 1961, after the famous 108 minutes of flight in space, Gagarin became one of the most famous people in the world.

Illustration from the book "Space"

8. Solar system

The solar system is a very busy place. Eight planets, including our Earth, revolve around the Sun in elliptical (slightly elongated annular) orbits. Seven more are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, Mars and Mercury. The turnover of each of the planets lasts differently, from 88 days to 165 years.