Unknown Facts about the solar system

The solar system is a system that is gravity-bound. It comprises planets, dwarf planets, and natural satellites that revolve around the sun.

Scientists in the solar system unravel many mysteries.

However, in this article, you will find the various cool facts about the solar system that scientists have discovered. 

1. Cool fact about Uranus 

The tilt of Uranus is quite different from other planets.

Usually, when one sees this planet, one can notice that it is a blue planet.

The reason behind this could be that it probably collided with some large celestial body in the past.

This tilt of the planet adds to its uniqueness as apart from the other planets.

2. The biggest volcano in the solar system

Mars is the only planet that has the biggest volcano as far as it is investigated.

The volcano is named Olympus Mons and is 602km (374 miles) across.

As you might know, Arizona is the 6th largest state amongst 50 states in the U.S.

To help you understand better, the volcanoes of Mars can be compared to Arizona in terms of the miles it traverses.

Moreover, it is three times the height of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth.

The reason behind such height can be attributed to the gravity of the planet.

The gravity of the red planet is very weak, which leads to the formation of such high volcanoes.

3. Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.

The planet's environment is hellish as it has a high temperature. Additionally, the atmosphere has high pressure on its surface.

The unique fact about Jupiter is that the speed of its upper winds exceeds the speed of the planet's rotation.

The hurricane-force winds become more powerful with time.

4. Water ice

Do you know that water ice can also be found in space?

It was highly unlikely that water ice could be found in the solar system; however, discoveries present different facts.

Water ice is also found on a comet named 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Besides, it is also found on craters on the moon and Mercury.

Other celestial bodies which contain water ice are the moon of Jupiter (Europa), the moon of Saturn (Enceladus), Ceres (the dwarf planet), and Mars.

5. Mars is contracting

Earth was considered to be the only planet that is technically active.

That notion was updated when MESSENGER spacecraft orbited Mercury and closely surveyed the surface.

The survey revealed cliff-like landforms, which were small, which made scientists conclude that they were recent.

Moreover, they also inferred that the planet continues to shrink even after 4.5 billion years since the solar system came into existence.

6. No mountains on Pluto

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft changed the notion that Pluto might have a uniform environment considering its great distance from the sun.

Icy mountains are discovered, which are nearly 3,300 m in height.

Though the sun is at a great distance from Pluto yet, this doesn't stop the dwarf planet from becoming geologically active.

7. The longest valley on Mars

The Grand Canyon is not the biggest canyon in the solar system.

Valles Marineris takes its position as the largest one.

It was first spotted by the global mapping mission Mariner 9 (1971).

Its length can be compared to the United States.

Since there is a scarcity of active plate tectonics, it becomes difficult to understand how the canyon was formed.

According to scientists, it is believed that Thesis Ridge, which consists of a series of volcanoes on the other side of Mars, may have led to the formation of Valles Marineris.

8. Spacecraft visited all planets

Spacecraft has been to all the planets starting from Mercury, Venus to Uranus, Neptune.

Also, it has been to dwarf planets, namely Ceres and Pluto. 

Other interesting facts about the solar system include that there is a possibility of finding life everywhere.

Scientists are still trying their utmost to discover such opportunities for exploration.

To wrap up!

Thus, we see different strange and interesting facts about the solar system.

Thanks to human resources and technology, which made exploring space and solar systems a dream come true.

Previous discoveries which were thought to be an end in itself got supplemented with new discoveries which wronged the facts.

These unusual facts about the solar system continue to inspire scientists to make innovations in the field of science so that more facts can come to the forefront and surprise us uniquely.