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Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you.
In this article we are discussing various characteristics of planets other than the Earth.
Saturn:
It is the planet with the lowest density.
Saturn has the second highest number of satellites, with 62 in total.
Saturn is specifically known for its rings. It has more than 30 rings around it and these are formed of frozen gases & dust particles.
Uranus:
a) This planet rotates in clockwise direction which is almost horizontal.
b) It is always referred to as an Ice Giant. It has hydrogen & Helium in outer layer. It also has an ice mantle surrounding its outer core. It is thus the second coldest planet in the Solar System.
c) Uranus has 13 known rings around it.
d) It has 27 known satellites.
e) Uranus is also called as a green planet. The green colour appears due to the photochemical effect of light on methane.
Neptune:
a) It is the farthest planet in the Solar System.
b) It is the coldest planet in Solar System. (Surface temperature: -218°C)
c) It has 14 moons and 5 rings.
Pluto:
Pluto has been classified as dwarf planet in the 2006 by IAU (International Astronomical Unit).
Factors behind the expulsion of Pluto:
a) Location: It is located beyond Neptune in a belt called the Kuiper Belt. This belt is flooded with comets and objects known as Kuiper Belt objects. So according to the new rules given by IAU, anything beyond Kuiper Belt is not a planet.
b) Orbit : Pluto’s orbit is highly elliptical(Eccentric). It intersects with the orbits of other planets.
c) There was a discovery of other cosmic objects like Pluto namely, Chereon and Ceres.
So when the question arose whether to accept or reject these new objects in the Solar System, the IAU decided to reject these objects altogether.
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