We explain what the stars are and what the stars of the Solar System are. Also, the types of stars that exist and their characteristics.
What are the stars?
The various stars are known as stars, or more formally as celestial bodies. physical entities existing in the universe, from an astronomical perspective. In strict terms, the stars are singular, unique elements, whose existence is assumed or has been proven by scientific methods of space observation; For this reason, they constitute a category of astronomical objects, among which there may be multiple objects, such as planetary rings or asteroid belts, composed of many different elements.
The elements that exist in space outside our planet have fascinated humanity since ancient times and much effort has been dedicated to observing and understanding it, through telescopes, space probes and even a manned trip to the moon. Thanks to those efforts, we have been able to learn a lot about the other worlds that exist, the galaxy that houses them, and the infinite universe that contains everything.
However, Not all existing stars are visible to the naked eye not even with the help of an ordinary telescope. Others even require special scientific devices or their presence can only be deduced from the physical effects to which they subject other bodies around them.
See also: Rotation of the Earth
Stars of the solar system
The Solar System, as we know, is the name given to the vicinity of our Sun, the star around which the planets and other elements that make up a kind of immediate space ecosystem orbit. spreads from the Sun itself in its center, to the outer edges where clouds of mysterious objects exist known as the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt. The length of the Solar System to its last planet (Neptune) exceeds 4,500 million kilometers, equivalent to 30.10 Astronomical Units (AU).
In the Solar System there are a diverse number of stars, such as:
- 1 star The Sun.
- 8 planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
- 5 dwarf planets Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea.
- 400 natural satellites
- 3153 comets
stars
The stars are incandescent balls of gas and plasma which due to their force of gravity remain in a perpetual state of explosion due to atomic fusion. This explosion generates enormous amounts of light, electromagnetic radiation and even matter, as the hydrogen and helium atoms inside become heavier elements, like those that make up our planet. d
Stars can be of different types, depending on their size, atomic content and the color of their incandescent light. The closest to our planet and known is the Sun although at night a variable number of stars can be seen in the distance of the sky. It is estimated that there are about 250 billion stars in our galaxy.
Planets
The planets are bodies of variable size and rounded shape formed from the same gaseous matter that gave rise to the stars or that came from them, but infinitely colder and more condensed, thus acquiring different physical and chemical properties. There are gaseous planets (like Jupiter), rocky planets (like Mercury), frozen planets (like Neptune), and there is Earth, the only planet with liquid water in enormous quantities, and therefore the only one with life, as far as we know.
According to its size, we can also talk about dwarf planets: some that are too small to rub shoulders with ordinary planets, but at the same time too large to be considered asteroids, and that also lead an independent existence, that is, they are not satellites of anyone.
Satellites
Orbiting around the planets, it is possible to find similar stars but of much smaller size, which Attracted by their gravity, they remain in more or less close orbits without falling into them or moving away from them altogether.
Such is the case of the only satellite of our planet: the Moon, and of the numerous stars of other major planets, such as the moons of Jupiter, estimated today at about 79. These satellites could have the same origin as their associated planet, or they could come from other sources, only to become hooked on the gravitational force that keeps them in orbit.
kites
The various mobile celestial bodies are called comets. compounds of ice, dust and rocks of different origin. These bodies orbit the Sun in elliptical, parabolic or hyperbolic orbits, and are recognizable because, when approaching the star, the heat melts its ice layers and gives it a very distinctive gaseous “tail.” Known comets are part of the Solar System and have predictable trajectories, such as the famous Halley's Comet, which passes by us every 76 years.
The exact origin of comets is unknown, but everything indicates that could come from the groupings of Trans-Neptunian objects such as the Oort Cloud or the Kuiper Belt, located about 100,000 AU from the Sun, at the limits of the Solar System.
asteroids
Asteroids are rocky objects of various composition (generally metallic or mineral elements) and irregular shape, much smaller than a planet or satellite.
Lacking an atmosphere, most of those that make life in our solar system form a large belt between Mars and Jupiter thus separating the inner planets from the outer ones. Others, however, wander through space and can cross each other in planetary orbits, or become satellites of some larger star.
Meteoroids
This is the name given to the minor bodies in our solar system. less than 50 meters in diameter but greater than 100 micrometers (and therefore larger than cosmic dust).
They may be fragments of comets and asteroids that have been left wandering, and that may very well be attracted by the gravity of the planets, entering their atmosphere and becoming meteorites. When the latter occurs, the heat from friction against the atmospheric air heats them and vaporizes them completely or partially. And in some cases, fragments of the meteor can impact the Earth's surface.
Nebulae
Nebulae or nebulae are gas clusters, mainly hydrogen and helium as well as cosmic dust and other elements, which are dispersed in space, held more or less in place by gravitational forces. Sometimes, the latter will be intense enough to begin to compact all this stellar material and, in this way, give rise to new stars.
In turn, these gas clumps could be the product of the destruction of a star like a supernova, or from the agglomeration of material left over from the production process of young stars. The closest nebula to Earth is the Helix Nebula, located 650 light-years from the Sun.
Continue in: Nebulae
Galaxies
The star clusters, each perhaps with its own solar system together with nebulae, cosmic dust, comets, asteroid belts and other celestial objects, constitute larger units known as galaxies.
Depending on the number of stars that make up a galaxy, we can talk about dwarf galaxies (107 stars) or giant galaxies (1014 stars); but we can also classify them according to their apparent shape, into spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, lenticular galaxies and irregular galaxies.
The galaxy in which our Solar System is located is the Milky Way, named in honor of the breast milk of the Goddess Hera of the pantheon of the Ancient Greek civilization.
References
- “Astronomical object” in Wikipedia.
- “What stars and phenomena are visible?” in Deep Space.
- “The solar system” (video) in Happy Learning Spanish.
- “Types of stars” in e-education of the Government of Aragon.
- “What does astro mean? Everything you need to know about him” in My Solar System.
