Chapter 19

LEARNING FROM THE SOLAR SYSTEM WITH AI 

The solar system, which formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a rotating cloud of gas and dust, is a planetary path composed of the sun and all celestial objects that are gravitationally bound to it. These objects include planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other smaller bodies. Throughout its history, it has experienced a series of events, including planet formation, collisions and extinction events on Earth, which is just one of the billions of star systems in the Milky Way galaxy. The energy generated by the SUN, without which there would be no life on Earth, is the result of the fusion of protein nuclei in a process called proton proton chain, to generate He 4 at a rate of 600 tons every second. The estimated life of the sun (11,000 thousand years) is in the middle of its existence, which will end as a white dwarf after going through a violent stage, in which the sun will expand to the vicinity of Mars, evaporating the oceans of the earth, and therefore destroying the life that appeared on earth 3,800 thousand years ago. The outer planets will possibly travel freely through space, awaiting the merger of the Milky Way with the Andromeda Nebula, our neighboring galaxy within the so-called LOCAL GROUP.

  The Sun: is a giant star located in the center of the system, composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. It is the largest body in the solar system and its gravity is the dominant force that keeps all other objects in orbit around it. The sun's energy is generated through nuclear reactions in its core, which produce light and heat; It constitutes approximately 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system. It is a G2V spectral type star, which means it is dwarf and yellow; It generates ignition through nuclear fusion in its core and is the primary source of energy for all bodies in the solar system.

Nuclear fusion is a process in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a third, heavier one, releasing a large amount of energy in the interval. This step is what powers the sun and other stars, where hydrogen fuses to form helium in its core, releasing a huge amount of energy in the form of light and heat. Nuclear fusion is different from nuclear fission, which is the process in which a heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei. The main difference is that fusion combines light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, while fission splits a heavy nucleus into smaller fragments. Nuclear fusion has the potential to be a clean and abundant energy source in the future. Unlike nuclear fission, which produces radioactive waste and presents associated safety risks, nuclear fusion does not produce long-lived radioactive waste and does not carry the risk of an uncontrollable chain reaction. Nuclear fusion on Earth is a significant technical challenge due to the high temperatures and sessions required to achieve it; A viable commercial fusion technology has not yet been developed.

Scientists and engineers are working on nuclear fusion research and development projects, such as the tokamak and laser fusion, in the hope that it can become a safe and sustainable energy source for electricity generation.

Planets: they are eight celestial bodies that orbit around the sun; in order of proximity to it: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets vary in size, composition and characteristics; Earth is the only planet known to support life; They are divided into two categories:

Inner or terrestrial planets, Venus, Earth and Mars are similar in composition to Earth, with a rocky, solid surface.

Outer or Jovian planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are much larger than the terrestrial planets and are composed mainly of gases and liquids. Jupiter and Saturn are known as "gas giants," while Uranus and Neptune are called "ice giants."

Five dwarf planets: carry some specific characteristics, but do not meet all the criteria to be considered major; Pluto and Eris are the most recognized and prominent.

Natural Satellites: Most planets in the solar system have native satellites, also known as moons. Earth has one moon, while Jupiter has more than 70 known moons.

Asteroid belt: between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, we find the belt densely populated with asteroids, which are rocky and metallic fragments that did not group together to form a planet.

Comets: They are icy objects that travel through space and occasionally come close to the sun. When they get close enough, they develop a bright tail due to the sublimation of their volatile components.

Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud: Beyond the orbit of Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, a region that is home to numerous icy objects, including some dwarf planets like Pluto. The Oort cloud is an even more distant region, where long-period comets are believed to originate.

• Space exploration: Exploration of the solar system has been carried out by space probes, such as Voyager, Cassini, and more recently, such as NASA's Perseverance mission to Mars and the New Horizons mission, which explored Pluto and the Kuiper belt with the goal of answering fundamental questions about the origin of our solar system and the possibility of life elsewhere.

Future of Exploration: Solar system research continues, with plans for missions to Mars, the Moon and beyond. In addition, the detection of exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) that could harbor life is sought.

Importance of the solar system: helps to better understand the formation and evolution of planets, the conditions for life and astronomical processes. It can also provide information about the history of our own planet; It is a fascinating field of study that continues to reveal secrets about the universe and our place in it. Space exploration and scientific research remain crucial to expanding our knowledge of this system and beyond. Space science is constantly evolving, so there is always more to discover and learn about our solar system and the universe in general.

An advance on these issues, Dr. Alberto Ramírez Villa believes that the project aimed at achieving nuclear fusion on Earth is the most important that science is currently developing, since this source of absolutely clean energy will be in a few decades. the solution to the world energy problem. The accompanying video offers a fascinating insight into the workings of the universe.
Regarding Dr. Alberto Ramírez Villa's opinion on nuclear fusion, it is an important perspective, since the search for sustainable and clean energy sources is a crucial challenge today. Nuclear fusion has the potential to be a solution to global energy problems, but it is also a significant technical challenge. It is encouraging to see the interest in the development of this technology. In summary, the article provides valuable information about the solar system and nuclear fusion, and highlights the importance of space exploration and scientific research in expanding our knowledge about the universe.