How to distinguish a star from a planet? If and what are the similarities between them? How the planet differs from the star: comparison

In this article we will compare the planet and stars to find out similar and distinctive features.

Cosmos was always interested in people and hid in itself many mysteries, which are not completely disclosed. But here are the differences and certain knowledge of stars and planets are still known even to schoolchildren. True, all this is only superficial information. Therefore, we invite you to delve into more details and make out the theme of the differences between the star from the planet and find out if there are similar aspects between them.

How to distinguish a star from a planet?

The words "star" and "planet" cause people in people a number of different associations. People can visually distinguish these astronomical bodies, but the difference between concepts lies not only in external characteristics. A clear understanding of the differences between stars and planets will help to distinguish these objects by studying the main features. But before finding similarities and differences in these concepts, it is necessary to understand the meaning of each of them.

What is a star?

Anyone is familiar with the stars. They can be seen in the most clear nights as tiny flickering glare of light in the sky. Stars are a topic of countless poems and stories.

• But from the scientific side, the star is a luminous ball of gas, mainly hydrogen and helium. The ball does not break up due to its own gravity. The reactions of nuclear synthesis in his core support the star and confront severity. They produce photons and heat, as well as a small amount of heavier elements. The sun is the nearest star to the ground. By the way, it is the only one in our solar system.
• According to the current theory of the formation of stars, they arise as lumps in giant gas clouds that are self -destroyed. The material of the cloud heats up when it falls inside under the influence of its own gravity.
• When the gas reaches about 18 million feet, the hydrogen nuclei will start combining with helium nuclei. It was at this time that a star arises. Energy from nuclear synthesis proceeds from the center of the flourishing star and gradually stops the collapse of the gas cloud.
• There are different types of stars. The most common criterion for their classification is color. The color of the star depends on its temperature. Hot stars radiate blue light, and colder stars emit a red tint.
• Another classification criterion is temperature. It depends on the mass of the star. Red dwarf stars have a visible surface temperature of less than 4 thousand ° C. The mass of the largest star of the solar system, known as the Wolf-Raye star, exceeds the mass of the sun by 265 times. The visible temperature on its surface reaches 50 thousand ° C.
• The most massive and hot stars have exhausted their energy supply for several million years. At the same time, small red stars can continue to burn billions of years.

And what is the planet?

While many people can indicate the photo of Jupiter or Saturn, or determine the visually other cosmic bodies of this category, the definition of this word is more subtle. Over time, the meaning of this concept has changed. Now there is a definition that most astronomers recognize.

• 3 main features that should have an object are identified to be recognized as a planet:
  • the presence of an orbit;
  • sufficient mass to have a spherical shape or be almost round;
  • and also remove garbage and small objects from the area around their orbit.
• The planet is a heavenly object that rotates around the star along a certain path, that is, in orbit. It is enormous enough to have the shape of a sphere, but not so large as to produce a nuclear reaction. The planets of our solar system are divided into two categories.
  • Inner planets - These are the planets whose orbit lies inside the asteroid belt. They are small in size and consist of solid elements, such as stone and metal. This category includes Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
  • By the way, it is they who have some similar elements to our planet. For example, Venus practically has the same size and gravity. But Mars is more similar to the relief, atmosphere and even seasons. Moreover, ice was discovered at his poles, which indicates the possibility of the appearance of microorganisms and bacteria.
  • External planets - These are those cosmic bodies whose orbit lies outside the asteroid belt. Their size is tangible more than that of internal planets. And around them there are rings of dust, ice and gases, such as hydrogen and helium, as well as other elements. This group covers Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
  • This group also included Pluto, but after 2006 it was reduced to the title of dwarf planets. But since 2003, the prerequisites for the opening of the new planet Sedna appeared, which can also supplement the group of gas giants.
  • By the way, such rings are clearly visible only on Saturn, more noticeable in uranium, and on other planets they also have a very weak manifestation.

Are there or what possible similarities between the star and the planet?

Without a doubt, such astronomical objects as stars and planets are not particularly similar to each other. Therefore, there are much more differences between them than similarities. But the general characteristics are still present.

• General characteristic for stars and planets - they are celestial objectsand and are studied by astronomers.
• Another similarity between the star and the planet is spherical form. By the way, it does not depend on the size of the object. It is inherent in the smallest planet and the largest star.
• Also stars and planets moving. These astronomical bodies are formed by accumulation of garbage in space. Planets and stars are also similar in that they can rotate around other stars.
• Some planets of the solar system, namely Jupiter and Saturn, are not earthly, like our Earth. They consist mainly of gases, not stone. These planets, sometimes called gas giants, are similar to stars. In fact, the only thing that distinguishes them from the stars is a mass. If Jupiter was about 80 times more massive, he could easily become a star.
• Satellites -These are objects that rotate around something else. The moon is the satellite of the Earth, and the Earth is the satellite of the sun. And, for example, Jupiter has 67 of them at all. Objects that are sent into space to ensure telecommunications are called “satellites” because they rotate around the Earth. Both the planets and the stars have satellites. Often the planets themselves become satellites of stars.
  • There are thousands of satellites rotating around the Earth - active and those who do not fulfill their task. On a clear day, if you watch the sky after sunset, you can see dozens of satellites. They move in different directions. Most of them are bright as a star, but they move as quickly as the plane in the sky.

What is the difference between the star and the planet: comparison

These two bodies may look the same, but, according to science, there are huge differences between stars and planets. And these differences must be dealt with.

• The first of the main differences is the temperature of the stars and plant. The temperature of the star is very high, and the temperature of the planet is relatively low. And on some she can even please the minus. For example, in uranium it is -224 ° C. The temperature of the stars also ranges from 400 to 500 ° C. Yes, for example, on Venus, it also reaches 475 ° C. But the cosmic body has another chemical composition. High temperature on the star is a prerequisite for the occurrence of nuclear reactions on it.
• There is a difference and in moving these astronomical objects. The star is a massive nuclear reactor floating in space. One of the common misconceptions about the stars is static. But this is not so. Stars often rotate around each other, around black holes, pulsars and other objects. Even lonely stars move. The reason why the stars are called “fixed” is that they are very far away. And this distance is so large that their movement is imperceptible.
  • The planet is a small stone or a gas ball that usually rotates around the star along a certain trajectory. That is, she has a certain rotation scheme. And the main highlighting feature is rotation not only around objects, but also around you. That is, rotation along the axis.
  • To determine whether the point of light in the sky is a planet or star, you need to look at it for several nights. If it moves relative to other stars, it is a planet (or possibly a comet). Otherwise, this is a star. Although it is difficult to catch the naked eye.
• There is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe stars that they are single objects in space. This is not entirely true. There are small groups of stars that are united in constellations. But their peculiarity is that they can be in various corners of the universe. Moreover, even one constellation can consist of stars that are at different distances.
  • The planets have a certain group, which are included in one system. And they are not scattered throughout the galaxy. Moreover, both groups do not go beyond the circle. Although the recently open, the new planet is just located outside it. Perhaps that is why they are still reflected on her confirmation.

• Around the size There are two versions: they are either too large or too small. Let's refute the first option. For example, there are some black holes that are not inferior in size to stars. Although the lack of gravity on the stars often contributes to their turning into black holes.
• There is also a misconception that the stars are small. For example, from the Earth the sun looks and seems much smaller than you and you and me. However, this is simply due to the relatively large distance between the earth and the sun. We repeat that the dimensions of the stars reach colossal sizes. For example, its average radius can reach 1 million km, and sometimes more.
  • The planet is less than any star. The sun is about a million times heavier and a thousand times more than the earth. In fact, the sun is about 99.8% of the total mass of our solar system.
  • But sometimes the difference in size between these astronomical bodies is insignificant. Jupiter is the largest planet of the solar system, and in size approaches the smallest stars.
• The difference between the star and the planet lies in opportunities to radiate light. Since stars carry out nuclear synthesis, they distinguish a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation (light). The length of the wave and the type of light distinguished by the star largely depends on its composition. Stars change color with age. By the way, they also emit warm, visible light, ultraviolet rays, x-rays, gamma rays, atomic and subatomic particles.
  • There are no nuclear synthesis reactions in the planet. They have no atomic reactions, and they do not distinguish their own radiation. It seems to people that the planets are highlighted from the inside. But this can be seen when they reflect the star light.

• An important characteristic of stars is that they flicker. This happens when the light of the star falls to the ground and it passes through the earthly atmosphere. As a result of atmospheric refraction, they flicker.
• However, sometimes, if you observe the stars directly above your head, you can not see flicker. Since the light passes through a smaller distance of the atmosphere compared to when they are visible above the horizon. Plus, the light reflected from them passes directly through the earthly atmosphere without any bends. Therefore, flickering is not very visible.
  • The planet cannot flicker, because it does not reflect any light. Various reactions can take place on it, which will create a similar effect, but not flicker.
• Chemical composition Stars and planets can differ significantly or slightly. It depends on the type of astronomical bodies. Stars usually consist of hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, helium and lithium. The older the star, the greater the variety of elements in it.
  • Planets can be small rocky bodies, mainly earthly and dwarf planets. They can also be large and consist of gases and ice, obvious confirmation - gas and ice giants.
  • There are times when the star looks like a planet, and vice versa. For example, Jupiter is a vivid example of the fact that hydrogen and helium (the main components) can be inspired by a set of mass to the star. There is also a class of stars called brown gnomes that are very small and cool. They are similar to gas giants.

• Stars formedWhen a cloud of gas collapses under the influence of gravity. This cloud should be in the nebula or other area of \u200b\u200binterstellar space.
  • Planets, in turn, appear when the material on the disk around the existing star begins to condensate around the rocks or glaciers.
• There are situations when the entire planet is almost completely covered with stone, ice or water. An example is the Earth. There are situations when a large amount of gas is subsequently involved in the core of a rock or ice, as in Jupiter or Saturn. Whenever a new star system is created, for example, as a sunny one, stars are formed first. Planets are formed later in the orbit of stars.

Important: the most important difference between the planet and the star is the presence or absence of an atmosphere. Even a planet without life has its own atmosphere and a certain power of severity. There are also gravity on the stars, but it has fatal indicators 200 times more than our earthly performances. But there can be no atmosphere. Not a single star!

As for the number of stars in the solar system, then it is one - a star named the sun. There are millions of stars in the galaxy. As for the number of planets, there are only 8 of them in the solar system. There is still a new planet, but it has not yet received official confirmation and design. But how many of them exists in other star systems, not a single modern scientist will give an answer.

Video: How does the star differ from the planet?