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.

 

Planets

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

 

 

Satellites

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

 

FAQ - Astronomical Glossary


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