Colors of the Planets in the Solar System

The Solar System formed around the giant star, the Sun, that gives us life; It consists of eight planets that we call Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Earth. When we look up from the Earth we live in and look at the sky, we cannot see most of these planets, and we compare what we see with only white dots. However, planets have colors.

If you are more or less interested in space or following the media, you must have seen that each of the planets that make up the Solar System has a unique color. The studies of NASA and similar institutions and private companies allow us to have much more detailed information about these colors. Let’s take a closer look at the colors of the planets in the Solar System and the reasons for their formation.

Colors of planets in the Solar System:

Mercury – Gray

One of the clearest pictures of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, was taken by the Messenger space probe. At first glance, you might notice a great similarity between Mercury and the Moon’s surface. Mercury is a terrestrial planet. Having a metallic core, the planet has a rocky mantle. Other components are iron, nickel and silicate rocks. All these combined make Mercury have a dark gray color. Its color is not affected as its thin atmosphere does not interfere with sunlight.

Venus – Brown and gray

Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen form the dense atmosphere of Venus, one of the terrestrial planets. When we look from the outside, we see the color of this atmosphere, not the earth. Clouds covering the sky, containing dense sulfuric acid, reflect 90 percent of the Sun’s rays. This is why we see Venus as yellow. We would be able to see the brown and gray colors under Venus without the clouds reflecting sunlight and allowing it to be seen even with the naked eye from Earth. Because of its dense atmosphere, the surface color is fixed, as it does not see the Sun.

Earth- Blue, brown, green and white

When we look at the photos of our world taken from space, we see a bright blue planet, but it is a known fact that color arrangements are made on those photos. Our planet, 70 percent of which is covered with blue water, turns gray when it passes through the natural filter of its atmosphere consisting of nitrogen and oxygen. The white color comes from the clouds. Depending on the geographical structure of the region you are looking at, earth colors such as green and brown can also be mixed in this color riot. In other words, the Earth is a very active planet even when we look at it from space.

Mars – Red, brown and tan

The color of the planet Mars is a reddish brown, as can be understood from the nickname of the Red Planet. This color appears as it is because it has an extremely thin atmosphere. The red color is due to iron oxide. In other words, it would not be wrong to say that the stone soil of Mars is iron oxide. However, Mars also has poles. These poles, which have different densities at different points on the planet, add a sweet whiteness to the Red Planet. Depending on the iron oxide density, it is possible to see darker or lighter colors in different regions.

Jupiter – Brown, orange and tan with white stripes

Unlike other planets, Jupiter has striped colors. The reason why the white, orange and brown lines create a parallel color appearance is the storms that occur on the planet. On the planet Jupiter, there are storms that can even reach 360 kilometers per hour. This causes a streaky appearance. The orange and white colors of Jupiter, which is rich in components such as hydrogen, helium, water and ammonia, appear as a result of the color change of crystals exposed to ultraviolet rays. These molecules that change color and accumulate are called chromophores.

Saturn – Gold, brown, blue and gray

Just like Jupiter, Saturn is a gas giant and has a striped appearance, although not as densely as Jupiter. These lines, which are wide in the parts close to the equator, are extremely faint at some points. Rich in hydrogen, helium and ammonia, Saturn’s red clouds are caused by ammonia, which is concentrated in the clouds. These clouds form the outer layer of the planet. This layer of ammonia clouds turns white when exposed to sunlight. Depending on the intensity of the light and the cloud, a golden color may appear.

Uranus – Blue and green

Uranus is an ice and gas giant. Most of the planet’s atmosphere consists of methane, helium and hydrogen gases. The reason why the planet Uranus is cyan, consisting of blue and green tones, is the methane gas in this atmosphere. Because methane gas can absorb long wavelength rays that give red and orange color, but not short wavelengths that give blue and green color. As short wavelengths are reflected, a blue and green color emerges and a sweet cyan color formed by these two is seen.

Neptune – Blue

Uranus and Neptune have similar components in structure. Therefore, they are very similar to each other in terms of color. In Neptune, an ice and gas giant, there is intense hydrogen and helium; some hydrocarbons and nitrogen, and methane gas in the upper atmosphere. Methane gas can absorb long wavelength rays that give red and orange color, but it reflects blue color. This is the reason for Neptune’s blue color. Different components and gas densities determine the shades of blue.

Conclusion: Why are the colors of the planets different?

As we mentioned while explaining the details of the reasons for the planetary colors that make up the Solar System, the main reason why the colors of the planets are different is the atmosphere. The structure of the gas components that make up the atmosphere, whichever light length it absorbs or reflects, the color of the planet emerges accordingly.

Of course, other factors that determine planet colors are earth colors and the angles of receiving sunlight. Since they reflect sunlight, they have a color according to whichever angle they receive this light. If they have a thin atmosphere like Mars, this time the atmospheric gases do not matter and the color of the earth comes out.

Answering the question of what are the colors of the planets that make up the Solar System, each one more colorful than the other, we talked about the reasons for these colors. Who knows what kind of colors there are in other parts of the universe that we haven’t seen yet. You can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.