Importance of the Solar System
A solar system is a set of celestial bodies constantly orbiting a star, due to the star’s great gravitational force. In the particular case of the system in which we live, we simply call our star the sun and it provides us with all the energy necessary for the existence and evolution of life, as well as maintaining the stability of the climate, atmosphere and temperature conditions necessary for this.
In addition to its importance for life on Earth, the solar system is a fascinating object of study for scientists and astronomers, which has provided information about the history and evolution of both the planets and celestial bodies as well as the Universe itself. There is still much to discover and interpret in order to reach the answers to humanity’s greatest mysteries about the very origin of life and the possibility of its existence in other corners of outer space.
The neighborhood
Circling harmoniously around the Sun we find a small, prominent group of large objects known as Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, which are classified as rocky planets due to the solid and consistent characteristics of their surface, coupled with the low density of their atmospheres, being positioned in the innermost area of the system, while Jupiter and Saturn, the largest in this system are classified as gas giants, as well as Uranus and Neptune, two ice giants, are considered the planets of the outer zone, a perimeter also occupied by Pluto with its changing classification, currently known as a dwarf planet, without meaning to offend it.
Within this last classification, and for a couple of decades now, another group of dwarf planets have been spotted accompanying us, making their observation possible as astronomical optics technology has advanced. These colleagues of Pluto within the intermediate scale between planets and asteroids, but with a sufficiently spherical shape, have been baptized as Ceres, Eris, Make and Haumea, following the tradition of giving names to mythological beings, giving opportunity to others belonging to cultures other than the Greek one, however, they are not the only ones of their type hovering around the periphery of our neighborhood, while complying with the elliptical aesthetics of the rotation around the sun, so it is expected to continue having new confirmations and classifications in the not too distant future.
The interplanetary dance
Along with all these planets and planetoids, the solar system is populated by an immense number of other space objects, from the respective natural satellites that the various planets may have orbiting around them while accompanying them on their solar journey, such as Selene, the moon that orbits the Earth, or the ring of cosmic dust and other debris that adorns Saturn, to gigantic belts full of space debris that obediently follow the dance promoted by the force of gravity of the sun.
These regions of the solar system have been named: 1) the Asteroid Belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; 2) the Kuiper Belt, an area within which Pluto’s own orbit is located, having started outside the enclosure of Neptune, considering as trans-Neptunian objects all those that from there prowl around our solar system; and 3) the Oort Cloud, even further away than the previous track and with a very low population density of celestial bodies presumably asteroids and rocks of simple frozen elements, of which there is still very little information, but which virtually represent the maximum limit of reach of our solar system.
Space musings
One of the most important qualities of the solar system for human purposes has been its ability to inspire imagination and creativity, becoming the protagonist of countless stories, myths and legends, which have been passed down from generation to generation, also inexhaustibly inspiring all artists and writers throughout history and at some point in their lives.
Likewise, thousands have been attracted by the mysteries of the natural forces and space objects that keep this system operating, have turned to the exploration of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life, making the planets of the solar system and their moons the object of study and exploration by space missions, such as the Voyager mission, the Cassini-Huygens mission and the New Horizons mission, through which valuable information has been obtained about the composition, structure and history of the solar system, while maintaining the aspiration of being able to one day find evidence of life beyond Earth.