Solar system basic knowledge

How old is the Solar System?

The Solar System is the Sun and all the objects that travel around it. The Sun is orbited by planets, asteroids, comets and other things. Planets and dwarf planets of the Solar System. Compared with each other, the sizes are correct, but the distances are not The Solar System is about 4.568 billion years old. [ 1 ]

What are some facts about the Solar System?

Learn facts about the solar system's genesis, plus its planets, moons, and asteroids. Space is sometimes called “the final frontier,” a phrase popularized by the iconic Star Trek television series. But it is an apt description of humanity’s scant understanding of the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies beyond Earth.

How did the Solar System form?

The mass at its centre collected to form the Sun and a flat disk of dust around it. This eventually formed the planets and other bodies of the solar system. The solar system consists of the Sun, planets, dwarf planets, moons, and numerous smaller objects such as comets and asteroids.

How many planets are in the Solar System?

Solar system, assemblage consisting of the Sun and those bodies orbiting it: 8 planets with about 210 known planetary satellites; many asteroids, some with their own satellites; comets and other icy bodies; and vast reaches of highly tenuous gas and dust known as the interplanetary medium.

What is a small body in the Solar System?

Any natural solar system object other than the Sun, a planet, a dwarf planet, or a moon is called a small body; these include asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. Most of the more than one million asteroids, or minor planets, orbit between Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt.

Do we understand the parts of our Solar System better than others?

Although, we understand the parts of our own solar system better than those outside of it, we still have a lot to learn. Watch these National Geographic 101 videos to learn more about our cosmic neighborhood. The sun keeps the planets in its orbit with a tremendous gravitational force.