The Space Series #2: The Solar System
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Daniel Iwugo
In our previous blogpost on the Space Series, we looked at a few components of our solar system. So today, as promised, we will carry on with our exodus. However, here is a quick recap of where we have explored so far:
The Sun: A big white star at the centre of the planetary system
Mercury: The smallest planet in the solar system
Venus: Earth’s evil twin
Earth: Where you live (for now)
Now, without further ado, let us look at more stellar bodies.
Mars
The red planet is the fourth planet in the solar system and spans 6,791 km in diameter. Aside from being mostly a massive desert, the terrestrial planet has low gravity and a cold thin atmosphere made of about 95% carbon-dioxide. The reddish tinge seen from the surface comes from the many iron minerals and dust found on the planet. It is also worth noting that because of this large expanse of sand, the planet is prone to dust-related phenomena including dust storms and dust devils.
The climate of Mars as you’ve guessed is quite cold, with a maximum of 20 C at the equator midday, and a minimum of -125 C in winter at the poles. And yes, Mars has seasons. Due to its axis, the dusty planet can experience a short mild summer, a long mild summer, and long winters.
The planet also features some interesting structures. One of these is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano known in the solar system. The volcano is three times as high as Earth’s tallest mountain, Everest, and it is as wide as the country of France. Another of such structures is Valles Marineris, Mars largest Canyon network. The network stretches about 4,000 km, just under the distance between Cairo in Egypt and Cape Town in South Africa.
Jupiter
The King of the planets is the largest of all in the solar system. Married to 79 moons, the Jovian planet has a diameter of 142,984 km and could easily fit over 1300 earths into it. The planet was named after the Roman god of thunder and the sky and, has some of the most bizarre storms, including it most famous one: The Great Red Spot.
The Great Red Spot is an anticyclone (a high-pressure system with outward-rotating clouds). On Earth, anticyclones have calm winds and clear skies so you may never even realise you are right in the middle of one. On Jupiter however, this one has speeds of up to 933 km/h and has been around for at least 150 years.
While the giant is said to be a big ball of gas, it is not completely all-air. At first, it was thought to have a solid core, but as time went on, that theory became shaky. Currently, NASA has suggested it is might be larger than expected, and has describe it as “fuzzy.”
Jupiter is also considered a guardian planet as it protects our planet, Earth, from comets and asteroids that probably could have hit us a long time ago. This is because of the sheer size and magnitude of its magnetic field. So, maybe the big gas giant is not so bad after all.
Saturn
The ringed planet is known for its most prominent feature: it’s Rings. So, what is so special about that? Well, let us begin with its nature. The rings are not solid, but rather a combination of variously sized pieces of ice, rock, or dust. Some are smaller than a pen, with others are larger than the Burj Khalifa.
Time is also quite different on Saturn. A day on the planet is about 10.7 hours, and a year is 29 Earth years (talk about Daylight Savings). Living on the planet would be quite the feat as it’s a gas planet, with the atmosphere made up of Hydrogen and Helium, making it obviously hard to either walk on or breath.
As for the size of this planetary body, 9 Earths, side by side, would make up the diameter (and that is without the rings). It is also very windy on the planet, with speeds at the equator reaching up to 1,800 kilometres per hour. For a quick comparison, the fastest wind speeds ever recorded on earth was 407 kilometres per hour, during Cyclone Olivia in 1996.
Saturn’s relationships with its moons are radical to say the least. Currently, NASA claims the total number of moons is 82, with some sources saying it is up to 146. There is also a bit of earth on the planet as the Cassini spacecraft was destroyed in Saturn’s atmosphere back in 2017.
Conclusion
With that ladies, gentlemen and space nerds, we have come to the end of this issue. We will see you in the next one. In the meantime, visit www.nigcomsat.gov.ng, to learn more about satellite communication and space tech.
Cover Image Credit: Faik Akmd
