Have you ever wondered how scientists calculate the weight of the planets? Technically the correct thing is to speak of mass and not of weight, since the weight of an object is variable according to the intensity of the gravitational field to which it is subjected, however, its mass is always the same. Let’s see what researchers and scientists take into account to calculate the mass of a planet.
If you are passionate about everything that has to do with space: planets, stars, comets, satellites, etc. Nowadays there are many astronomy programs available with which to discover the characteristics and qualities of the different planets of our solar system, constellations and astronomical phenomena among others. Today we are going to explain how scientists weigh the planets.
Gravity is directly related to weight
When a new planet is discovered, beyond our solar system, astronomers measure its mass among other things. When making the calculation it is essential to take into account the force of gravity. Scientists can find out how strongly a planet attracts other elements. The heavier it is, the stronger it will attract everything around it, for example, your moons.
Let’s understand it with a very simple example. When we get on a scale, the result obtained is neither more nor less than the force with which the Earth’s gravity pulls on us. The force of gravity is not the same on all planets, so if you stepped on a scale on another planet, the result would be different. The study of the gravity of a celestial body allows us to know what its mass is, therefore, no type of scientific instrument is necessary to know it.
solar system planets
Let’s talk about mass and not weight
In order to find out how much a planet weighs, scientists have to focus and find out two things : how long it takes for objects close to that planet to make a complete revolution, and how far away they are from the planet in question. In other words, the time it takes for an object to orbit around a planet depends both on its distance from it and on its weight.
As we have already anticipated, the weight of an object depends on its mass and the gravitational force of the planet on which it is located. It is for this reason that an object can have a different weight depending on the planet it is on. This is the main reason why astronomers and scientists measure the mass of the planets and not their weight.
What is the mass of the planets in the solar system
The mass of the Earth is approximately 5,970,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms, although there is a shorter way to write this number: 5.97 x 10 24 kg .
In the following table you will see the mass of the different planets in our solar system in order from smallest to largest and a comparison of the mass of each one with that of the Earth.
Mass of the different planets of the solar system
Therefore, to know the weight of the planets, it is essential to know how long it takes for objects to orbit around them and the distance at which these elements are located, whether they are moons or ships, for example.