The solar system consists of the Sun and the planets, natural satellites, asteroids, meteoroids and comets that orbit it. These objects range in size from microscopic dust to the largest planets. They all have certain characteristics that scientists use to classify them. These include size, temperature and composition. Planets In our solar system, a planet…
The Sun is only one of billions of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. This means there are many other solar systems out in space, each with their own planets and moons. The eight planets in the Solar System and their hundreds of natural satellites (moons) are surrounded by countless asteroids, comets and other…
The Sun, the eight planets and their moons, and countless asteroids, comets, and other small, icy objects comprise our Solar System. The Solar System formed 4.5 billion years ago from leftover materials from the collapse of a cloud of interstellar material. The four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, were rocky, but the outer…
Animated gifs are a great way to show off a variety of subjects. Space is no exception. In a recent Twitter animation, planetary scientist James O’Donoghue from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shows us how Earth, our solar system and the galaxy are moving through space at different speeds. The Sun The Sun is…
Our Solar System is a collection of planets, moons and dwarf planets that orbit the Sun. The planets range in size from the rocky Earth to the gaseous Jupiter. The Solar System also contains a large number of comets, asteroids and other small objects that fall into the system from outer space. Many of these…
Most solar systems have only one sun, and this is because the Sun is just too massive to support life. However, it is possible for a planet to orbit two suns. Scientists have found that such worlds can retain their water vapor for long periods, making them a suitable habitat for life. The findings suggest…
The Solar System is a vast collection of celestial objects that orbit the Sun in a perpetual dance. It contains a star, eight planets, and a host of other objects such as asteroids, comets, dwarf planets, and other icy bodies. All the planets and other rocky objects in the Solar System orbit the Sun in…
A galaxy is a large, sprawling space system. It contains millions of stars, dust, interstellar gas, stellar remnants and dark matter all held together by gravity. There are many questions regarding whether solar systems can exist outside galaxies. Some of these questions have been answered. But there are still some questions that astronomers have not…
The solar system is made up of the Sun, planets, moons and countless other small objects such as dwarf planets, comets and asteroids. Our solar system was formed about 4.7 billion years ago when a cloud of gas and dust gathered into a clump that was pulled together by gravity. Over millions of years, this…
