What's more: a star or a planet in different star systems

There are so many stars in the night sky! And they all seem so small! And the Earth - it's so huge. So, in fact, what is more: a star or a planet? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand what each of these heavenly bodies represents.

Star

Astronomers call this the body in which thermonuclear reactions occur. These are giant balls of gas, exuding an unthinkable amount of light and heat. They are formed by gravitational compression of gas and dust, filling the space expanses. In the depths of stars at temperatures of several million Kelvin, hydrogen in thermonuclear reactions is converted into helium.

The surface of the stars is cold: only a few thousand or tens of thousands of Kelvin. Stars are the main objects of the universe, because they contain the bulk of light in nature. Even such scant information can help to answer that more: a star or a planet.

All planets in stellar systems revolve around the star. In our system, the planets move in an orbit in the same direction as the Sun rotates around its axis.

Birth of a star

However, this is not all the data available to scientists around the world concerning the stars. It has long been known that more: a star or a planet. In addition, it is clarified how the stars arise. And they are born from interstellar gas. Under the influence of its own gravity, the cloud of this substance slowly contracts. In this process, gravitational energy develops into thermal energy. After the temperature in the center reaches millions of Kelvin, compression ceases, instead, nucleosynthesis begins. This is the longest stage of the life of the star, continuing until the fuel in the core runs out. When hydrogen in the center is converted to helium, combustion continues at the edge of the helium core.

The structure of the star during this period varies. The degree of luminosity increases, the outer layers go beyond the usual framework, while the inner layers are compressed even more. The brightness of the star falls. After a natural drop in surface temperature, the star is already called the red giant. In this phase, she remains relatively short time.

An example of star formation in our time can be considered a gas cluster near the constellation Orion. This complex extends almost to the entire area of the constellation, including the mass of molecular and neutral gas, dust and several nebulae. The stars here have been formed for many millions of years to the present day.

Planet

It is known that simultaneously with a star from the same cloud of dust, planets develop, so it is no longer a secret that there are more: stars or planets. In general, planets are called celestial bodies that revolve around a star. These objects have a sufficient mass to acquire a rounded shape, but still not enough in size for them to begin thermonuclear reactions. These bodies purify the orbital space from the planetesimals.

Earlier, scientists were not sure about the existence of planets from other stars, but today a large number of these bodies are called open, called exoplanets. The researchers were able to detect their presence only with the help of a powerful cosmic telescope.

Already, the fact that the stars we see, and the planets belonging to their systems - no, says that more: a star or a planet. On the other hand, we can also see some planets of the solar system under certain conditions, but this does not mean that they are bigger than our star. This happens only for the reason that these planets are much closer to the Earth than our star.

Even the largest celestial bodies revolving around the star are much smaller (at times or hundreds of times) than the central object of the system. In the end, if it were different, not the planets would revolve around the star, but just the opposite. But this contradicts all laws of the universe.

Conclusion

Based on information that scientists have learned about the device not only ours, but also other stellar systems, the answer to the question of what is more: a star or a planet is obvious. Smaller bodies revolve around the larger. The planets revolve around the star, which means that the star far surpasses them in size and mass.

In addition, to the question of what is more: a star, or a planet, or a satellite, the answer will be the same. Except for the clarification that the satellite first revolves around its planet, and only then both of these bodies spin around their star.