Volcanic planets. Volcanoes on earth and other planets of the solar system

Volcano in the eyes ancient man was like a real natural God who came to punish mankind for sins. A huge mountain spewing out waves of fiery water, destroying everything in its path and knowing no compassion. Volcano crater - abyss into hellish hell. To get there is to get a one-way ticket. Around the volcanoes, many legends and legends have developed, even now, when the nature of this phenomenon is known, and the forthcoming eruptions are predicted by scientists, we are not able to contain our inner trepidation before the collision with the fiery element.

The most famous volcano

It is not surprising that the most popular among tourists and the most famous in the world is the Vesuvius volcano. August 24, A.D. 79 he covered three cities in the Roman Empire with ashes: Pompeii, Oplontis and Herculaneum. The destructive power of Vesuvius was reflected in the work of such artists as Pierre Jacques Volard “The Eruption of Vesuvius”, Karl Pavlovich Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”, and the English artist Joseph Wright witnessed the volcanic eruption and dedicated several dozen paintings to this phenomenon. Until now, this volcano is considered active and is located in Italy, 15 km from Naples, reminding people of the domination of the elements over man.

The most picturesque volcano

The Japanese volcano Fujiyama amazes with its beauty and harmony, its height is 3776 m (the most high point Japan). The mountain has an almost perfect conical shape and is considered a sacred site for the indigenous population. Since ancient times, Fujiyama has been portrayed by Japanese painters, and in the digital era, the Internet is replete with photographs of the volcano at sunset. At the top of the mountain is the Shinto Great Temple of Hongu Sengen. In 1974, the Japanese Supreme Court transferred the mountain to the private property of the temple.

The most mysterious volcano

The Bromo volcano in Indonesia is shrouded in a veil of secrets and legends. The most common version says that during the Majapahit kingdom, the young princess Raru Anteng married a young man named Jaka Seger. The lovers fled from their father's house and established their kingdom at the foot of the Bromo volcano. For many years they had no heirs and then, in despair, they climbed to the top of the volcano and prayed to the Gods for help day and night. The Wise Gods took mercy on the king and queen and gave them children on the condition that they sacrifice the youngest, throwing them into the mouth of a volcano. But the couple did not want to fulfill this vow and paid for it. The gods were very angry with them, and since then every year people have thrown one child into the mouth of the volcano. Traditions and customs have changed, but in our times, representatives of the Buddhist ethnic group Tenger bring sacrifices to the gods in the form of rice, fruits and livestock.

Northernmost volcano

The northernmost active volcano on our planet belongs to Norway and is called Beerenberg, which means Bear Mountain in Russian. The top of the volcano is covered with a cap of ice and snow. For a long time, Bear Mountain was considered a dormant volcano, but on September 20, 1970, life suddenly woke up in it. The volcano threw hot magma and ash into the air, endangering the lives of 39 inhabitants of the island.

Tallest volcano

The highest volcano on Earth - Ojos del Salado is located on the border of Argentina and Chile, its height is 6893 m. Throughout its history, the volcano has not had a single eruption, but emissions of sulfur and water vapor into the atmosphere have been recorded. The conquest of the volcano took place in 1937 by Polish climbers, but the path to the top of the volcano was difficult and dangerous. On April 21, 2007, Chilean athlete Gonzalo Bravo managed on a modified Suzuki sj climb the slope of Ojos del Salado to a height of 6,688 meters, thus setting a world climb record for cars.

The oldest volcano

The championship in the category among the oldest volcanoes is deservedly received by the Brazilian volcano Zhamanshin. After long calculations and research, scientists managed to find out the approximate age of the volcano - 2 billion years. Despite its longevity, the volcano rises 250 meters above ground level. For several million years it ceased to function, but in his “golden years” Zhamanshin was able to cover an area 22 km around with ash and lava.

The most unusual volcano

Dallol volcano, located in Ethiopia, strikes with its magical and inimitable view. The landscapes surrounding the volcano's crater are believed by scientists to be similar to the landscape of Jupiter's moon Io. And, indeed, such an abundance of colors on Earth is nowhere else to be found. In 1926, there was a strong explosion, and it formed a lake of yellow and purple colors in the vicinity of the volcano. In addition to being unique, Dallol volcano earns another championship - the lowest volcano. The height of its crater above sea level is only 45 meters.

Text: Yulia Tsvetkova

Most of the volcanoes of our planet are located in the "ring of fire", which stretches along the shores of the entire Pacific Ocean. In total, there are about 1.5 thousand volcanoes on Earth, of which 540 are active.

Here is a list of the most dangerous ones.

1. Nyiragongo, 3470 m, Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Africa. Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded here. The main crater is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide, and contains a lake of actively bubbling lava. This lava is unusually fluid and its flows can reach speeds of 100 km / h. In 2002, an eruption killed 147 people and left 120,000 homeless. The last eruption to date happened in 2016.

2. Taal, height 311 m, Philippines


It is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet. Since 1572, it has erupted 34 times. Located on the island of Luzon, on Lake Taal. The strongest eruption of this volcano in the 20th century occurred in 1911 - in 10 minutes, 1335 people and all living things died at a distance of up to 10 km. In 1965, 200 people died. Last eruption - 1977

3. Mauna Loa, height 4,169 m, Hawaii (USA)


There are many volcanoes in Hawaii, but this is the largest and most dangerous of all. Since 1832, 39 eruptions have been recorded. The last eruption took place in 1984, the last violent eruption in 1950.

4. Vesuvius, height 1 281 m, Italy


One of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world is located just 15 km east of Naples. The most famous historical eruption occurred in 79 AD. As a result of this disaster, two cities - Pompeii and Herculaneum - disappeared from the face of the Earth. V modern history the last eruption of Vesuvius happened in 1944.

5. Merapi, height 2 930 m, Indonesia


This active volcano in Indonesia is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. "Merapi" translates as "mountain of fire". The volcano is young, so it puffs with enviable regularity. Large eruptions occur every 7 years on average. In 1930, about 1,300 people died, in 1974 two villages were destroyed, in 2010 353 people died. The last eruption was in 2011.

6. St. Helens, altitude 2,550 m, USA


Located 154 km from Seattle and 85 km from Portland. The most famous eruption of this active volcano occurred in 1980, when 57 people died. The eruption was of a rare type - "directed blast". The process of the volcanic eruption and the spread of the ash cloud was captured by photographer Robert Landsburg, who died in this eruption, but preserved the film. The last activity to date was recorded in 2008.

7. Etna, height 3 350 m, Italy


Mount Etna is located on the east coast of Sicily. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe. Throughout its existence, it has erupted about 200 times. In 1992, one of the largest eruptions was recorded, during which the town of Zafferana barely escaped. On December 3, 2015, the volcano's central crater ejected a kilometer-high lava fountain. The last eruption was on February 27, 2017.

8.Sakurajima, height 1,117 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Osumi Peninsula of Kyushu Island in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. There is almost always a cloud of smoke over the volcano. The eruptions were recorded on August 18, 2013, in March 2009. The last eruption was recorded on July 26, 2016.

9. Galeras, height 4,276 m, Colombia


Over the past 7 thousand years, at least six large eruptions and many small ones have occurred on Galeras. In 1993, during research works six volcanologists and three tourists died in the crater (then the eruption also began). Last recorded eruptions: January 2008, February 2009, January and August 2010

10. Popocatepetl, height 5426 m, Mexico


The name translates as "smoking hill". The volcano is located near Mexico City. Since 1519, it has erupted 20 times. The last eruption was recorded in 2015.

11. Unzen, height 1,500 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Shimabara Peninsula. The eruption of the Unzen volcano in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of the number of human victims. The eruption caused a tsunami 55 meters high, which killed more than 15 thousand people. And in 1991, 43 people died during the eruption. There have been no eruptions since 1996.

12. Krakatoa, height 813 m, Indonesia


This active volcano is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Before the historic eruption of 1883, the volcano was much higher and represented one big Island... However, the most powerful eruption in 1883 destroyed the island and the volcano. Krakatoa is still active today and small eruptions occur fairly regularly. The last activity was 2014.

13. Santa Maria, height 3,772 m, Guatemala


The first recorded eruption of this volcano took place in October 1902, before that it "rested" for 500 years. The explosion was heard 800 km away in Costa Rica, and the ash column rose 28 km. About 6 thousand people died. Today the volcano is active. The last eruption was recorded in 2011.

14. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, height 4835 m, Russia


The volcano is located in the east of Kamchatka, 60 km from the coast. It is the largest active volcano in Russia. Over the past 270 years, more than 50 eruptions have been recorded, the last in April 2016.

15. Karymskaya Sopka, height 1468 m, Russia


Also located in Kamchatka. More than 20 eruptions have been recorded since 1852. Eruptions in recent years: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015. Very turbulent volcano.

Ecology

In 2018, scientists dared to predict the intensification of volcanic activity on the planet, frightening the inhabitants disastrous consequences in the form of global climate change, destruction of cities and loss of life.

Such gloomy forecasts of specialists are not unreasonable: for many years now there has been an increasing volcanic activity along the area of ​​the Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire, where more than three hundred active volcanoes are located.

Alarming behavior and a couple of other active volcanoes that have managed over the past ten to twenty years spoil the lives of a significant number of people on our planet. But there are about nine hundred active volcanoes on land alone.

Volcanoes are an integral part of the Earth and remind us of how destructive nature's fury can be. We bring to your attention a list of the ten most dangerous active volcanoes on our planet today.

Active volcanoes

Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii

While the whole world gazes at how the Kilauea volcano covers the most large island Hawaii, not so far away from him peacefully slumbers megavolcano mauna loa, whose height is 4169 meters (that is, almost three thousand meters higher than Kilauea!).

Mauna Loa, whose name translates as "long mountain", is the largest active volcano On the Earth. V this moment it is a place of pilgrimage for tourists and a platform for the work of representatives of the scientific world.

The formation of this volcano began about 700,000 years ago, while its activity continues to this day... The most recent eruption of Mauna Loa occurred in 1984. The underwater part of this volcano is the largest on the planet and is 80 thousand cubic kilometers.

The volcano expels intense lava flows that threaten not only the huge ecosystem that has settled on its slopes, but also the nearest human settlements. Hawaiians in their mythology have allocated Mauna Loa the place of one of the sisters Pele - the goddess of fire, volcanoes and strong winds.

Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland

For some time now Eyjafjallajökull has become one of the most famous volcanoes on our planet. And this despite the fact that very few can pronounce its name without hesitation... This volcano is 1,666 meters high (a mysterious combination of three sixes, isn't it?) Located in the south of Iceland.

It is part of several small glaciers of this island nation... The volcano's crater itself, with a diameter of three to four kilometers, was also covered with glaciers. However, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, which began on March 20, 2010, melted its ice.

Despite the fact that Eyjafjallajökull is not the most large volcano in Iceland, its eruption caused trouble throughout Europe. The height reached by volcanic ash was 13 kilometers. And its significant spread led to the suspension of flights over the entire Northern Europe.

Almost a month later, volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was recorded over a huge part of the territory. Russian Federation... As a result of the last eruption, a new crack was formed on the volcano in the direction from north to south, the length of which was two kilometers.

Mount Vesuvius, Italy

Speaking about the most dangerous active volcanoes on the planet, it would be an unforgivable frivolity not to mention the Italian Vesuvius. This volcano the last eruption of which was recorded in 1944, is the most famous in the world because of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum that were erased from the face of the Earth in 79 AD.

The location of this volcano, the only one active on the territory of continental Europe, makes it one of the most dangerous in the world. The reason is the proximity of densely populated regions. Suffice it to say that just fifteen kilometers from Vesuvius is Naples, the agglomeration of which exceeds three million people.

Vesuvius is not distinguished by its outstanding height - it is only 1281 meters above sea level. Its quite frequent activity (one eruption about once every twenty years) due to the relative youth of the volcano - it was formed about 25,000 years ago.

We most often recall the tragedy of Pompeii, where about two thousand people were buried during the eruption. At the same time, we forget that during the eruption on July 26, 1805 (far from the strongest eruption of this volcano!), Vesuvius took the lives of 26 thousand people!

Active volcanoes

Nyiragongo volcano, Congo

If we talk about activity, then the volcano Nyiragongo, whose height is 3469 meters, can rightfully be considered one of the most active. It is known that 34 eruptions have been recorded since 1882... Some of these eruptions continued for months and even years.

In fact, the "conscience" of Nyiragongo and his neighbor Nyamlagir accounts for forty percent of all eruptions that continue to this day on the African continent. If we talk about the most destructive eruptions of Nyiragongo, the last one occurred on January 10, 1977.

As a result of that cataclysm, about two thousand people died, and the tragedy occurred literally within the first half hour from the moment the eruption began. Deadliest eruption of Nyiragongo this century happened in 2002, when 45 people perished under lava flows.

Nyiragongo is also famous for having the most big lake molten lava, with a diameter of two kilometers. The lava temperature is 1200 degrees Celsius. Itself lake of fire, which can be seen even from space, resembles in size the red cyclopean eye, or, if you prefer, the eye of Sauron.

Taal volcano, Philippines

Taal Volcano, whose height is only some 311 meters, is located on the island of Luzon, just 50 kilometers away from more than one and a half million city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. In fact, it is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet.

Despite its size, Taal sent many thousands of people to the next world. It is known that this volcano has erupted at least thirty times since 1572. It was thanks to its activity that the third largest lake in the Philippines was formed, the maximum depth of which is 172 meters. It is called the same - Taal.

One of the most powerful eruptions of Taal, as a result of which within a few minutes all living things perished at a distance of up to ten kilometers from the volcano, occurred on January 30, 1911. Then masses of superheated steam and hot ash killed 1335 people. It is noteworthy that the volcano did not throw out lava.

A huge ash cloud, according to sources of those years, was visible at a distance of more than four hundred kilometers. Last thing powerful eruption Taala was also recorded in the last century. It happened in 1965, taking the lives of more than two hundred people.

Volcano Merapi, Indonesia

Some volcanoes destroy settlements and villages, like Nyamlagira and Taal. Others, like Vesuvius, whole cities. It is known about the Merapi volcano that he destroyed the whole Javanese-Indian kingdom, which was located on the territory of modern Indonesia. It happened in the 1006th year.

The highest point of Merapi is 2968 meters. "Mountain of Fire" (and this is how the name of this volcano is translated) does not skimp on deadly eruptions. And this is not surprising, since Merapi is the youngest volcano from the group of its many "relatives" located in the south of Java.

In the first half of the last century, there were 13 eruptions of the "mountain of fire". It is known, for example, that 1,300 people died due to the activity of this volcano in 1930. And now in 1974 Merapi wipes two villages off the face of the earth, and after just a year - another village, causing huge damage to the infrastructure of the region. Then 29 people died.

The last powerful eruption of Merapi in 2010 forced more than 350,000 to leave the nearby region. local residents... Some of them, however, dared to return, for which many of them paid with their lives - the volcano sent 353 people to the next world.

The most dangerous volcanoes

Volcano Galeras, Colombia

In Colombia, not far from the border with the Republic of Ecuador, there is the majestic volcano Galeras. The height of this giant is 4276 meters. The crater's depth (about 80 meters) and its diameter (320 meters) turn this volcano into a kind of cannon that has fired more than once.

Volcano Galeras continues to operate, which can be seen from numerous small eruptions. There were not so many really strong eruptions on Galeras. According to scientists, over the past seven thousand years there have been about six large bursts of its activity.

Galeras is very popular place for tourists on the territory South America who also come to admire the beauty of the mountain located at the foot of the mountain national reserve , the area of ​​which is several thousand hectares.

Galeras constantly keeps in suspense almost half a million people living near the volcano, which, according to experts, remains active for at least a million years. Because of small eruptions, people often die there, and because of the threat of large authorities, many thousands of residents are periodically evacuated.

Sakurajima volcano, Japan

Acting japanese volcano Sakurajima was once independent island... However, after the eruption of 1914, it became part of the Osumi Peninsula, connecting with it through solidified lava flows.

Sakurajima has been incessantly active since 1955, posing a serious threat to the city of Kagoshima, which has a population of over 600,000. However, this did not prevent (but rather helped) the residents of the city to benefit from such a dangerous neighborhood, making the volcano a tourist attraction.

There is a regular ferry to Mount Sakurajima, and from the city itself to the volcano, whose height is 1117 meters, a breathtakingly beautiful view opens up... Considering the volcanic continual small eruptions, it's no wonder residents are used to it. For example, in 2014 alone, there were 471 eruptions!

10 largest and most dangerous volcanoes on Earth.

A volcano is a geological formation that arose due to the movement of tectonic plates, their collision and the formation of faults. As a result of collisions of tectonic plates, faults are formed, and magma is released to the surface of the Earth. As a rule, volcanoes are a mountain, at the end of which there is a crater, which is the place where lava emerges.

Volcanoes are divided into:

- active;
- sleeping;
- extinct;

Active volcanoes include those that erupted in the near historical perspective (approximately in a period of 12,000 years)
Dormant volcanoes are volcanoes that have not erupted in the near historical perspective, but their eruption is practically possible.
TO extinct volcanoes include those that did not erupt in the near historical perspective, but the top has the shape of a crater, but such volcanoes are unlikely to erupt.

List of 10 most dangerous volcanoes on the planet:

1. (Hawaiian Islands, USA)

2. Taal volcano (Philippines)

3. Volcano Merapi (Java island)

4. Volcano Santa Maria (Guatemala)

This is one of the most active volcanoes of the 20th century.
It is located at a distance of 130 kilometers from the city of Guatemala, and is located in the Pacific so-called. Ring of Fire. The crater in Santa Maria was formed after its eruption in 1902. Then about 6,000 people died. The last eruption took place in March 2011.

5. Volcano Ulavun (Papua - New Guinea)

Volcano Ulawun, located in the New Guinea region, began to erupt in the early 18th century. Since then, eruptions have been recorded 22 times.
In 1980, the largest volcanic eruption occurred. The ejected ash covered an area of ​​more than 20 square kilometers.
Now this volcano is the highest peak in the region.
The last volcanic eruption occurred in the year 2010.

6. Volcano Galeras (Colombia)

7. Sakurajima Volcano (Japan)

8. Nyiragongo (DR Congo)

Every student knows that Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun in our solar system. Nevertheless, for several decades in the 19th century, many of the world's leading scientists had good reason to believe that the planet, dubbed Vulcan, was somewhere within the orbit of Mercury. The famous French mathematician first suggested the existence of this phantom planet in 1859, and it remained one of the most wanted celestial objects until Albert Einstein's theory of relativity finally debunked the mystery in 1915.

In 1859, the French scientist Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier began work on one of the most mysterious problems in astronomy: the orbit of Mercury. For years, astronomers have noted that this small planet in the solar system appears to be following its own course as it orbits the sun. In particular, its perihelion - the point where the planet is closest to the Sun - shifts slightly in each orbit. According to Sir Isaac Newton's law of gravitation, this discrepancy can easily be explained by the presence of other celestial objects. Yet even after Le Verrier calculated the gravitational pulls of Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, his predictions of Mercury's orbit were always slightly inaccurate. The planet never ended up where it should have been.

Le Verrier hypothesis

After carefully checking and re-doing his calculations, Le Verrier proposed an innovative hypothesis: some other object, unknown and invisible, is exerting gravitational attraction into the orbit of Mercury. This planet, or a group of small planets orbiting in the immediate vicinity of the orbit of Mercury, is capable of performing an anomalous effect, which is felt by the last planet. Le Verrier suggested that the glare of the sun prevented the identification of this object in the past. However, he argued that it could be easily detected under the right conditions.

Dear Astronomer

The scientific community welcomed Le Verrier's theory, and for good reason, since he already had experience in finding new planets. Thirteen years earlier, he had made a similar prediction, trying to explain the gravitational fluctuations in the orbit of the planet Uranus. When astronomers scanned the sky, they discovered the previously unknown planet Neptune. The discovery provided Le Verrier with international scientific fame and secured admission to the French Order of the Legion of Honor and the post of head of the Paris Observatory. His intelligence has been described as "almost superhuman."

"Discovery" of a new planet

Armed with a fresh prediction from the discoverer of Neptune, astronomers immediately began their hunt for a new planet. But it turned out that the breakthrough happened a few months earlier, and was made by an amateur named Edmond Modest Lecarbolle. A physician by trade, Lecarbolle was also a keen astrologer who built his own makeshift observatory in the countryside. Looking through his telescope on March 26, 1859, he saw a small black dot - possibly a planet - drifting across the sun's surface. At that time, the doctor did not tell anyone about his discovery, but after reading notes on the hypothetical planet Le Verrier, he sent him a letter with a full report.

After receiving the letter, Le Verrier went to meet with Medicola to examine his equipment and notes. After this meeting, he was even more convinced that there is another planet closer to the Sun than Mercury. Le Verrier announced the discovery in early 1860. Obeying the tradition of calling the planets by the names of mythical gods, he gave her the name Vulcan, in honor of the Roman god of blacksmithing.

Unsuccessful observation attempts

The discovery of the Volcano was a big step forward for science. Medicol was admitted to the Order of the Legion of Honor, and Le Verrier was once again called a genius. There was only one problem: the new planet was frustratingly hard to find. Scattered information about the observation of the Volcano poured from all over the globe but most of them were from amateur astronomers. Le Verrier still required independent confirmation from a respected professional. Hoping to get this confirmation, Le Verrier's supporters calculated that the planet could be seen in late March - early April 1860. Astronomers set up their telescopes, but when the appointed time came, Vulcan never showed up. Many soon began to wonder if this planet actually existed.

Hunt for the Volcano

Over the next several years, the Volcano became the subject of international hunting. There were many observations during the 1860s, but for every astronomer who claimed to have seen the planet, there were so many who tried but never found anything. The ranks of skeptics continued to grow until 1871, when a team of English astronomers failed to locate the planet for the third year in a row. The question of the Volcano has remained open since 1859, as the author Thomas Levenson wrote in his book "The Hunt for the Volcano". Accidental observations and seemingly sequential calculations fueled this interest.

In 1876, the fate of Vulcan seemed to be sealed. A qualified astronomer reported that he was observing the transit of a planet near the Sun, and the newspapers received a new flurry of messages from amateurs. The enthusiasm was so high that there was even an article in The New York Times claiming that "the existence of Vulcan can no longer be denied or ignored." According to the article, the Earth should henceforth be named the fourth planet from the Sun, and children in public schools who study the old-fashioned order of the planets should definitely remember Volcano and its place in the solar system.

Fall from Olympus

Le Verrier died in 1877, but the most eventful period in the life of Vulcan was still ahead. Only a year later, on July 29, 1878, a complete solar eclipse that could be observed in Russia and North America... An event like this was very convenient for observing Vulcan, and therefore legions of astronomers set up their telescopes and cameras in the hope of seeing it. Most surrendered quickly enough, but two respected astronomers - James Craig Watson and Lewis Swift - claimed to have spotted the planet. Newspapers began to trumpet the existence of Vulcan again, but this triumph was short-lived. Critics said that scientists actually saw two well-known stars, and most scientific community rejected these observations as erroneous.

After the observations of Watson and Swift were criticized, the scientific community's faith in Vulcan practically disappeared. This planet became the equivalent of the El Dorado myth in astronomy, which most scientists abandoned, although some still continued to search for it. However, if Vulcan does not exist, scientists have again begun to wonder what is causing the displacement of Mercury's orbit.

Resolving issues

The final answer to this question finally appeared in 1915, when Einstein threw a scientific bomb, which became his theory of general relativity. Unlike Newton's theories of gravity, which could only explain Mercury's orbit by the existence of an unknown planet, general relativity states that a supermassive object - in this case the Sun - is capable of bending space and time and changing the path of light. Shortly before his theory was published, Einstein applied it to Mercury and found that it perfectly explains the inconsistency of its orbit. Thus, Mercury is not attracted by any object, and we are talking about moving through a distorted time space.

As a result of Einstein's breakthrough, Volcano was forever thrown from the astronomical sky. Astronomers have erased the planet from their charts, and the news of past observations was attributed to the appearance of unidentified stars or sunspots. The volcano at the same time became one of the most famous dead ends in scientific history, but his "doom" did not put an end to the hunt for new worlds within the solar system. In 1930, after a long search, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered. Meanwhile in last years scientists have found enough evidence that a hypothetical "ninth planet" may be located somewhere on the outer edge of the solar system.