Celestial Bodies: Planets, Comets, Asteroids and More

You may have come across the term “heavenly body” in your science textbook at some point. Have you wondered what heavenly bodies are? Every natural entity that exists outside of the Earth’s atmosphere is referred to as a Celestial body. Heavenly bodies are another name for celestial bodies. These are the structures in our solar system, such as the sun, moon, planets, and numerous stars. Let’s unravel the mysteries behind these space objects in this blog!

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Classification of the Celestial Bodies

• Stars
• Comets
• Planets
• Satellites
• Asteroids
• Galaxies
• Meteors and Meteorites

Read: Explore Different Astronomy Careers

Stars

Stars are massive balls of hot gases that can generate their own light. They generate energy by converting hydrogen gas into helium in their hearts. Stars are massive in scale and have a strong magnetic pull. Our sun is a medium-sized star that provides us with energy that allows us to live on Earth.

Comets

They are the tiny ice and rock pieces that come from the solar system’s outskirts. Because of their proximity to the sun, the ice on them vaporizes, resulting in the magnificent tail behind them.

Planets

They are the massive spherical structures that revolve around the sun. Planets travel in fixed orbits around the earth. Our solar system contains eight planets. Planets could be composed of minerals, elements, and chemicals like hydrogen, nitrogen, and methane. Our earth, too, is a planet, and it is the only known location in our world of life. 

Satellites

Satellites are rotating satellites that revolve around planets. These are essential components of many celestial bodies. These may be normal or man-made. Our celestial satellite is the moon. It revolves around it due to the magnetic force of the Earth.

Asteroids

Asteroids are celestial bodies in space that are thin, irregularly formed rocks made of metal or minerals that revolve around the sun. These are mostly located between Mars and Jupiter in a region known as the asteroid belt.

Galaxies

Galaxies are large groups of stars that are held together by gravity. The sun and solar system are elements of our galaxy, known as the Milky Way. Other galaxies are usually so far away that they appear as stars in the night sky.

Meteors and Meteorites

There are objects from space that enter our atmosphere as a result of our planet’s gravitational force. Meteors are usually tiny and burn up celestial bodies in the atmosphere as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. It causes lines in the sky to appear as if a star has collapsed. They are often referred to as shooting stars. If a meteor is massive enough, it can strike the earth’s crust to form a  crater. These are called meteorites.

Celestial Bodies: Difference Rotation and Revolution

What is Rotation?

A rotation is the circular movement of an object around a fixed axis. A rotating axis is a line that three-dimensional objects such as the Earth, Moon, and other planets often spin along. If the axis crosses through the centre of mass of the body, the body is said to rotate or spin.

What is Revolution?

The term “revolution” is sometimes used interchangeably with “rotation.” In certain disciplines, such as astronomy and similar topics, however, revolution is referred to as an orbital revolution. It is used as one body goes around another, while rotation refers to movement around an axis. The Moon, for example, orbits around the Earth, and the Earth revolves around the Sun.

Rotation	Revolution
The Earth’s rotation is defined as its rotating on its axis.	The rotation of the Earth around the Sun is referred to as revolution.
The Earth takes 24 hours to complete one rotation around the sun.	One complete rotation of the Earth around the Sun takes a whole year (365 days).
The axis of rotation of the Earth is rotated by 23.5 degrees. The various seasons of the year are caused by this shift.	An orbit is a direction that the Earth takes when it revolves around the Sun. The orbit of the Earth is curved.

Interesting Facts about Space & Celestial Bodies!

Nothing is more exciting than space. Despite its immensity, space continues to grow. Human space travel is only in its early stages. There are billions of galaxies, stars, and planets out there that we will never hear about. Here are some fascinating things about space and the celestial bodies like the earth, the solar system, planets, and the moon that you might not have known.

• Throughout every given moment, 41 per cent of the moon is not visible from Earth.
• Because of zero gravity, astronauts are unable to cry adequately in orbit.
• Mars looks red when it is littered with rust.
• The longest possible solar eclipse is 7.31 minutes.
• More than 4 billion years ago, our solar system formed.
• The sun seems to be 1600 times fainter from Pluto than it is from Earth.
• Saturn’s rings are made up of salt, dust, and rock fragments. Some particles are the size of grains of sand, while others are several times the size of skyscrapers.
• Some massive asteroids also have moons.
• Every 76 years, Halley’s Comet appears.
• An individual is only at risk of being hit by a falling meteorite once every 9,300 years.
• The light travels from the Sun’s surface to the Earth in 8 minutes and 17 seconds.
• The Universe extends by a billion miles in all directions per hour.
• Even at the speed of light, travelling to the closest large galaxy, Andromeda will take 2 million years.
• Nearly 400 billion stars are included in the most massive galaxies.

Related Read: What are the various branches of Astronomy?

In this blog, we discussed the Celestial Bodies, the difference between Rotation and Revolution, and looked at some interesting Space facts. Try to find these objects the next time you go out to look at the night sky. For more educational content, follow Leverage Edu on Facebook and Youtube!