Solar System: Quick Facts
Dec 2020|🟢Current|2 min read|51 entries
Key Takeaway
Our solar system consists of Sun, 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune), their satellites, asteroids, and comets.In this post, we'll discuss some of the interes...
Solar System: Quick Facts(51)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total No. of Planets | 8 |
| Total No. of Known Satellites | 180 |
| Largest member of the Solar System | Sun |
| Closest Galaxy to the Milky Way | The Andromeda Galaxy(M31) |
| Largest Planet | Jupiter |
| Smallest Planet | Mercury |
| Nearest Planet to the Sun | Mercury |
| Farthest Planet to the Sun | Neptune |
| Hottest Planet in the Solar System | Venus |
| Coldest Planet in the Solar System | Neptune |
| Planet with the Shortest Revolution | Mercury |
| Planet with the Fastest Revolution | Mercury |
| Planet with Lowest Escape Velocity | Jupiter |
| Planet with the Highest Density | Earth |
| Planet with the Lowest Density | Saturn |
| The Planet Closest in Size to the Earth | Venus |
| The planet that reflects sunlight the most | Venus |
| Largest Asteroid in the Solar System | Ceres(Diameter: 945km) |
| Planets with no Moons/Satellites | Mercury & Venus |
| Planet with the Largest No. of Moons | Saturn(82) |
| The only large moon in the solar system to orbit in the opposite direction to its planet’s rotation(retrograde orbit) | Triton |
| Largest Satellite/Moon in the Solar System | Ganymede(Jupiter) |
| Smallest Satellite/Moon in the Solar System | Deimos(Mars) |
| The only satellite with an earth-like atmosphere | Titan(Saturn) |
| The Windiest Planet | Neptune |
| Green Planet | Uranus |
| Brightest Starin the Earth's Sky | Sirius(Dogstar, Constellation: Canis Major) |
| Biggest Storm | Great Red Spot(Jupiter) |
| Planet that has the Longest Day | Venus(5,832 hours) |
| Planet that has the Shortest Day | Jupiter(9 hr 55 min 29.69 sec) |
| Planet with the Shortest Year | Mercury(88 days) |
| Planet with the Longest Year | Neptune(60,190 days) |
| Largest known Volcano in the Solar System | Olympus Mons(Mars) |
| Planet with Most No. of Volcanoes | Venus(more than 1600) |
| Fastest Spinning Planet in the Solar System | Jupiter |
| Planet that has the Fastest Revolution time | Mercury |
| The Largest Object in the Kuiper Belt | Pluto |
| Planets found in the Kuiper Belt | Haumea, Makemake & Pluto |
| Dwarf Planets | Haumea, Ceres, Eris, Makemake & Pluto |
| Largest Dwarf planet in the Solar System | Eris(discovered in January 2005) |
| Planet that has approximately the same landmass as Earth | Mars |
| The time required for light to travel between Moon and Earth is | 1.3 seconds |
| The time taken by the sunlight to reach the Earth | 8 minutes 18 seconds |
| Planets with rings | Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune |
| Planet with Largest Axial Tilt in the Solar System | Uranus(98°) |
| The only planet which takes more time to complete rotation than a revolution | Venus |
| The minor planets revolving between the orbits of Jupiter & Mars are called | Asteroids |
| Naming of Planets & their moons are under | International Astronomical Union(IAU).– established in 1919 |
| The planet whose satellites are named after Greek mythological characters | Saturn |
| The planet whose satellites are named after the characters of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope | Uranus |
| With our technology growing by leaps and bounds, new planets and satellites are being discovered every year, so we'll be updating this list as new information comes in.📝SideNotes:Kuiper Belt | a disk-shaped region found in the outer solar system, past the orbit of Neptune |
Total No. of Planets
8
Total No. of Known Satellites
180
Largest member of the Solar System
Sun
Closest Galaxy to the Milky Way
The Andromeda Galaxy(M31)
Largest Planet
Jupiter
Smallest Planet
Mercury
Nearest Planet to the Sun
Mercury
Farthest Planet to the Sun
Neptune
Hottest Planet in the Solar System
Venus
Coldest Planet in the Solar System
Neptune
Planet with the Shortest Revolution
Mercury
Planet with the Fastest Revolution
Mercury
Planet with Lowest Escape Velocity
Jupiter
Planet with the Highest Density
Earth
Planet with the Lowest Density
Saturn
The Planet Closest in Size to the Earth
Venus
The planet that reflects sunlight the most
Venus
Largest Asteroid in the Solar System
Ceres(Diameter: 945km)
Planets with no Moons/Satellites
Mercury & Venus
Planet with the Largest No. of Moons
Saturn(82)
The only large moon in the solar system to orbit in the opposite direction to its planet’s rotation(retrograde orbit)
Triton
Largest Satellite/Moon in the Solar System
Ganymede(Jupiter)
Smallest Satellite/Moon in the Solar System
Deimos(Mars)
The only satellite with an earth-like atmosphere
Titan(Saturn)
The Windiest Planet
Neptune
Green Planet
Uranus
Brightest Starin the Earth's Sky
Sirius(Dogstar, Constellation: Canis Major)
Biggest Storm
Great Red Spot(Jupiter)
Planet that has the Longest Day
Venus(5,832 hours)
Planet that has the Shortest Day
Jupiter(9 hr 55 min 29.69 sec)
Planet with the Shortest Year
Mercury(88 days)
Planet with the Longest Year
Neptune(60,190 days)
Largest known Volcano in the Solar System
Olympus Mons(Mars)
Planet with Most No. of Volcanoes
Venus(more than 1600)
Fastest Spinning Planet in the Solar System
Jupiter
Planet that has the Fastest Revolution time
Mercury
The Largest Object in the Kuiper Belt
Pluto
Planets found in the Kuiper Belt
Haumea, Makemake & Pluto
Dwarf Planets
Haumea, Ceres, Eris, Makemake & Pluto
Largest Dwarf planet in the Solar System
Eris(discovered in January 2005)
Planet that has approximately the same landmass as Earth
Mars
The time required for light to travel between Moon and Earth is
1.3 seconds
The time taken by the sunlight to reach the Earth
8 minutes 18 seconds
Planets with rings
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune
Planet with Largest Axial Tilt in the Solar System
Uranus(98°)
The only planet which takes more time to complete rotation than a revolution
Venus
The minor planets revolving between the orbits of Jupiter & Mars are called
Asteroids
Naming of Planets & their moons are under
International Astronomical Union(IAU).– established in 1919
The planet whose satellites are named after Greek mythological characters
Saturn
The planet whose satellites are named after the characters of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope
Uranus
With our technology growing by leaps and bounds, new planets and satellites are being discovered every year, so we'll be updating this list as new information comes in.📝SideNotes:Kuiper Belt
a disk-shaped region found in the outer solar system, past the orbit of Neptune