The Solar System consists of the Sun and various objects that orbit around it.  The Earth’s Solar System consists of eight planets, some dwarf planets (Pluto is not a planet - it is the largest dwarf planet), comets and asteroids. The Earth’s Solar System is located in the Milky Way Galaxy. It was formed some 4.6 billion years ago. The majority of the System’s mass is found in the Sun. The principal component of the Solar System is the Sun that contains 99.86 percent of the system's known mass and dominates it gravitationally. The Sun is 1.4 million kilometers wide. However, the Solar System... Show more

The Solar System consists of the Sun and various objects that orbit around it.  The Earth’s Solar System consists of eight planets, some dwarf planets (Pluto is not a planet - it is the largest dwarf planet), comets and asteroids. The Earth’s Solar System is located in the Milky Way Galaxy. It was formed some 4.6 billion years ago. The majority of the System’s mass is found in the Sun. The principal component of the Solar System is the Sun that contains 99.86 percent of the system's known mass and dominates it gravitationally. The Sun is 1.4 million kilometers wide. However, the Solar System is made up of many other objects and traits. The largest planet in our solar system is Jupiter, shown here with its moon called 'Io'. 1,300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter. For thousands of years, humanity, with a few notable exceptions, did not recognize the existence of the Solar System. We believed Earth was the center of the universe. The Earth spins round on its axis once in 24 hours and it is this that gives us day and night. 

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