The solar system consists of the Sun; the eight official planets, at least three "dwarf planets", more than 130 satellites of the planets, a large number of small bodies (the comets and asteroids), and the interplanetary medium. (There are probably also many more planetary satellites that have not yet been discovered.)
Traditionally, the solar system has been divided into planets (the big bodies orbiting the Sun), their satellites (a.k.a. moons, variously sized objects orbiting the planets), asteroids (small dense objects orbiting the Sun) and comets (small icy objects with highly eccentric orbits). Unfortunately, the solar system has been found to be more complicated than this would suggest:
there are several moons larger than Pluto and two larger than Mercury;
there are many small moons that are probably started out as asteroids and were only later captured by a planet;
comets sometimes fizzle out and become indistinguishable from asteroids;
the Kuiper Belt objects (including Pluto) and others like Chiron don't fit this scheme well
The Earth/Moon and Pluto/Charon systems are sometimes considered "double planets".
2007-09-14 03:41:57
·
answer #1
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
Fact One:
All of the planets within our Solar System orbit a star called The Sun.
Fact Two:
Our star is only one of more than 200 Billion other stars within the Milky Way Galaxy. Each of those other stars could have from 0 to 10 (or more) planets orbiting around them along with their associated moons.
Fact Three:
Our star, The Sun, produces heat, light, and other forms of radiant energy from the nuclear fusion of Hydrogen Gas into Helium Gas. That process has been going on for an estimated 5 Billion years. There is enough Hydrogen Gas still contained within the mass of the Sun to permit continued fusion for about another 5 Billion More years. At that time the Sun will begin a long phase of dieing.
Fact Four:
Our Solar System contains the Sun and Nine Planets (or Eight Planets if you discount Pluto, as many have done recently). The closest planet to the Sun is Mercury which is 36,000,000 Miles from the Sun. The fartherest planet from the Sun (discounting Pluto at 3.7 Billion Miles) is Neptune which is 2.8 Billion Miles away.
2007-09-10 16:46:24
·
answer #2
·
answered by zahbudar 6
·
0⤊
0⤋
Take your pick:
The Solar System or solar system consists of the Sun and the other celestial objects gravitationally bound to it: the eight planets, their 165 known moons, three dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, and Eris and their four known moons), and billions of small bodies. This last category includes asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, comets, meteoroids, and interplanetary dust.
In broad terms, the charted regions of the Solar System consist of the Sun, four terrestrial inner planets, an asteroid belt composed of small rocky bodies, four gas giant outer planets, and a second belt, called the Kuiper belt, composed of icy objects. Beyond the Kuiper belt lies the scattered disc, the heliopause, and ultimately the hypothetical Oort cloud.
In order of their distances from the Sun, the planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Six of the eight planets are in turn orbited by natural satellites, usually termed "moons" after Earth's Moon, and each of the outer planets is encircled by planetary rings of dust and other particles. All the planets except Earth are named after gods and goddesses from Greco-Roman mythology. The three dwarf planets are Pluto, the largest known Kuiper belt object; Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt; and Eris, which lies in the scattered disc.
2007-09-10 16:43:29
·
answer #3
·
answered by Tony 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
Well one fact is it takes 250 million years for our solar system to orbit our galaxy. (That would be the milky way galaxy). Another fact is that six of our eight planets are in turn orbited by natural satellites, usually termed "moons" after Earth's Moon.
2007-09-10 16:41:04
·
answer #4
·
answered by scarlettrhett 5
·
0⤊
0⤋
1 sun
8 planets
2007-09-10 16:38:28
·
answer #5
·
answered by Jonathan S 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
1) we're in it, and 2) it's bigger than a breadbox.
2007-09-10 16:57:19
·
answer #6
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋