our solar system is one of over 500
known solar systems in the entire milky
way galaxy
the solar system came into being about
4.5 billion years ago when a cloud of
interstellar gas and dust collapsed
resulting in a solar nebula a swirling
disk of material that collided to form
the solar system
the solar system is located in the milky
way's orion star cluster only 15 percent
of stars in the galaxy host planetary
systems and one of those stars is our
own sun
revolving around the sun are eight
planets
the planets are divided into two
categories based on their composition
terrestrial and jovian
terrestrial planets including mercury
venus earth and mars are primarily made
of rocky material their surfaces are
solid they don't have ring systems they
have very few or no moons and they are
relatively small
the smallest and closest to the sun is
mercury which has the shortest orbit in
the solar system at about three earth
months
venus is the hottest planet with
temperatures of up to
867 degrees fahrenheit due to an
atmosphere of carbon dioxide and
extensive lava flows
next to this world of fire is a world of
water
earth
the water systems on this planet help
create the only known environment in the
universe capable of sustaining life
the last of the terrestrial planets mars
might have also supported life about 3.7
billion years ago when the planet had a
watery surface and moist atmosphere
beyond the four terrestrial planets of
the inner solar system lie the jovian
planets of the outer solar system the
jovian planets include gas giants
jupiter and saturn and ice giants uranus
and neptune
the gas giants are predominantly made of
helium and hydrogen and the ice giants
also contain rock ice and a liquid
mixture of water methane and ammonia
all four jovian planets have multiple
moons sport ring systems have no solid
surface and are immense
the largest jovian is also the largest
planet in the solar system jupiter
nearby is saturn the solar system's
second largest planet
its signature rings are wide enough to
fit between earth and the moon
but are barely a kilometer thick
past saturn are the ice giants uranus
and neptune the slightly bigger of these
ice giants uranus is famous for rotating
on its side
next uranus is neptune the outermost
planet in the solar system and also one
of the coldest
orbiting the terrestrial planets is the
asteroid belt a flat disk of rocky
objects full of remnants from the solar
system's formation from microscopic dust
particles to the largest known object
the dwarf planet ceres
another disk of space debris lies much
further out and orbits the jovian
planets
the icy kuiper belt
apart from asteroids the kuiper belt is
also home to dwarf planets such as pluto
and is the birthplace of many comets
beyond the kuiper belt is the oort cloud
a vast spherical collection of icy
debris it is considered the edge of the
solar system since that is where the
gravitational and physical influences of
the sun end
our solar system's particular
configuration of planets and other
celestial objects all revolving around a
life-giving star make it a special place
to call home
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