Known Space -- | Sol |
The Sun (to give it it's common name) is a fairly unremarkable main sequence star. It is about half way through its life between its creation and the red giant stage. It has a spectral type of G which means that, while it shines in wavelengths across the spectrum, it shines strongest in yellow.
Type: G2 V (main sequence) Luminosity: 3.86 x 1026 watts (1 sol) Magnitude: +4.83 (absolute) Diameter: 1,392,000 km Density: 1.409 g/cm3 Mass: 2 x 1027 tonnes (332,946 earths) Gravity: 27.9 G Escape Velosity: 617.50 km/s Temperature: 5,500°C |
The traditional practice of categorizing each object as a planet, moon, asteroid, comet, or meteoroid is misleading. It blurs the compositional relationships by setting up different pigeonholes, obscuring the unique nature of each. Yes, there are planets and moons but some moons are bigger than some planets (Saturn's moon Titan is larger than Mercury and Pluto). It is debateable whether Pluto really is a planet ... or if the 'asteroid' Chiron is really a planet. The solar system contains thousands of objects large enough to land on, though the gravity of the smaller ones is so weak that you could launch yourself with an overenthusiastic jump. The key objects of the solar system are presented below in traditional format, but the reader should bare in mind what has just been said.
Sol Distance Local Year Local Day Diameter Mass Surface Material Atmosphere Mercury 0.38 AU 0.24 yr 58.65 d 0.383 0.055 Basaltic rock and dust - Venus 0.72 AU 0.62 yr 243.16 d 0.949 0.815 Basaltic and granitic rock CO2, H2SO4 Earth 1.00 AU 1.00 yr 1.00 d 1.000 1.000 Granitic soil and water N2, O2, H2O Mars 1.52 AU 1.88 yr 1.03 d 0.532 0.107 Basaltic rock and dust Thin CO2 Asteroids var. var. var. var. var. var. - Jupiter 5.20 AU 11.90 yr 0.51 d 11.209 317.890 - H2, He, NH3, CH4 Saturn 9.50 AU 29.60 yr 0.43 d 10.165 95.170 - H2, He, NH3, CH4 Uranus 19.16 AU 84.00 yr 0.72 d 4.008 14.600 - H2, He, CH4 Neptune 30.00 AU 154.80 yr 0.67 d 3.883 17.200 - H2, He, CH4 Pluto 34.90 AU 247.70 yr 6.38 d 0.180 0.002 N2 ice, CH4 ice, CO ice Very thin N2
Earth Distance Month Day Diameter Luna 384,400 km 27.33 d 27.33 d 0.272 Mars Distance Month Day Diameter Phobos 9,270 km 0.32 d 0.32 d 0.002 Deimos 23,400 km 1.26 d 1.26 d 0.001 Asteroids Distance Year Day Diameter Ceres 2.66 AU 4.60 yr 0.378 d 0.074 Vesta 2.26 AU 3.63 yr 0.223 d 0.045 Pallas 2.45 AU 4.62 yr 0.325 d 0.041 Hygeia 2.95 AU 5.54 yr 0.729 d 0.034 Davida 2.90 AU 5.66 yr 0.217 d 0.030 Interamnia 2.84 AU 5.36 yr 0.363 d 0.026 Cybele 3.25 AU 6.36 yr 0.254 d 0.024 Europa 3.04 AU 5.48 yr 0.233 d 0.023 Sylvia 3.34 AU 6.50 yr 0.217 d 0.022 Patientia 2.96 AU 5.36 yr 0.404 d 0.022 Euphrosyne 2.79 AU 5.58 yr 0.230 d 0.021 Eunomia 2.40 AU 4.30 yr 0.253 d 0.020 Bamberga 2.23 AU 4.39 yr 1.225 d 0.020 Psyche 2.73 AU 5.00 yr 0.175 d 0.019 Juno 2.33 AU 4.36 yr 0.300 d 0.018 1993-SC 39.5 AU 248.2 yr - 0.025 1992-QB 43.9 AU 290.2 yr - 0.022 1993-FW 43.9 AU 291.2 yr - 0.020 Chiron 13.5 AU 50.7 yr - 0.016 Pholus 20.4 AU 93.0 yr - 0.016 1993-SB 39.4 AU 247.5 yr - 0.015 Jupiter Distance Month Day Diameter Metis 127,960 km 0.295 d 0.295 d 0.003 Adrastea 128,980 km 0.298 d 0.298 d 0.002 Amalthea 181,300 km 0.498 d 0.498 d 0.014 Thebe 221,900 km 0.675 d 0.675 d 0.008 Io 421,600 km 1.769 d 1.770 d 0.286 Europa 670,900 km 3.551 d 3.554 d 0.245 Ganymede 1,070,000 km 7.155 d 7.166 d 0.413 Callisto 1,880,000 km 16.689 d 16.754 d 0.377 Leda 11,094,000 km 238.700 d 254.000 d 0.001 Himalia 11,480,000 km 250.600 d 266.000 d 0.013 Lysithea 11,720,000 km 259.200 d 276.000 d 0.002 Elara 11,737,000 km 259.700 d 276.000 d 0.006 Ananke 21,200,000 km 631.000 d 551.000 d 0.002 Carme 22,600,000 km 692.000 d 597.000 d 0.002 Pasiphae 23,500,000 km 735.000 d 635.000 d 0.003 Sinope 23,700,000 km 758.000 d 645.000 d 0.002 Saturn Distance Month Day Diameter Pan 133,600 km 0.570 d 0.570 d 0.002 Atlas 137,670 km 0.602 d 0.602 d 0.003 Prometheus 139,350 km 0.613 d 0.613 d 0.008 Pandora 141,700 km 0.629 d 0.629 d 0.007 Epimetheus 151,420 km 0.694 d 0.694 d 0.009 Janus 151,470 km 0.695 d 0.695 d 0.014 Mimas 185,540 km 0.942 d 0.943 d 0.031 Enceladus 238,040 km 1.370 d 1.370 d 0.039 Tethys 294,670 km 1.888 d 1.888 d 0.082 Telesto 294,670 km 1.888 d 1.888 d 0.002 Calypso 294,670 km 1.888 d 1.888 d 0.002 Dione 377,420 km 2.737 d 2.738 d 0.088 Helene 377,420 km 2.737 d 2.737 d 0.003 Rhea 527,040 km 4.518 d 4.513 d 0.120 Titan 1,221,860 km 15.945 d 15.969 d 0.404 Hyperion 1,481,100 km 21.277 d 21.319 d 0.023 Iapetus 3,561,300 km 79.331 d 79.920 d 0.113 Phoebe 12,954,000 km 550.400 d 523.541 d 0.017 Uranus Distance Month Day Diameter Cordelia 49,471 km 0.330 d 0.330 d 0.002 Ophelia 53,796 km 0.372 d 0.372 d 0.002 Bianca 59,173 km 0.433 d 0.433 d 0.003 Cressida 61,777 km 0.463 d 0.463 d 0.005 Desdemona 62,676 km 0.475 d 0.475 d 0.004 Juliet 64,352 km 0.493 d 0.493 d 0.007 Portia 66,085 km 0.513 d 0.513 d 0.008 Rosalind 69,941 km 0.558 d 0.558 d 0.004 Belinda 75,258 km 0.622 d 0.622 d 0.005 Puck 86,000 km 0.762 d 0.762 d 0.012 Miranda 129,400 km 1.414 d 1.414 d 0.037 Ariel 191,000 km 2.520 d 2.521 d 0.091 Umbriel 266,300 km 4.144 d 4.145 d 0.092 Titania 435,000 km 8.706 d 8.708 d 0.124 Oberon 583,500 km 13.463 d 13.469 d 0.119 Caliban 7,200,000 km 579.621 d 579.621 d 0.005 Sycorax 12,200,000 km 1278.453 d 1278.453 d 0.009 Neptune Distance Month Day Diameter Naiad 48,000 km 0.296 d 0.296 d 0.004 Thalassa 50,000 km 0.312 d 0.312 d 0.006 Despina 52,500 km 0.333 d 0.333 d 0.014 Galatea 62,000 km 0.429 d 0.429 d 0.012 Larissa 73,600 km 0.554 d 0.554 d 0.015 Proteus 117,600 km 1.121 d 1.121 d 0.033 Triton 354,800 km 5.877 d 5.877 d 0.212 Nereid 5,514,000 km 360.160 d 360.160 d 0.019 Pluto Distance Month Day Diameter Charon 19,000 km 6.400 d 6.400 d 0.093