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OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM |
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Most astronomers believe that all the
members of the solar system, from the giant Sun to the smallest asteroid, were born out of
a vast, spinning cloud of gas and dust - the solar nebula. The process began 5 billion
years ago with the formation of the Sun. The planets and other objects formed from unused
material. When the solar system was nearly complete, 500 million years later, just 0.002
percent of the solar nebula's original mass remained. The rest had been blown away or
pushed out into space.
Hurling around our sun are nine
planets, more than 60 moons, millions of asteroids and other rocky objects, and countless
comets. Together, they make up the solar system, which fills a volume of space 15 trillion
kilometers in diameter. Closest to the Sun is the disk-shaped part of the system that
contains the planets. Way beyond, in the outer reaches of the solar system, is the Oort
Cloud, a sphere-shaped region of comets.
Check out more detailed information
about our ever-changing solar system below... |
WHAT'S
INSIDE |
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Sun |
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This is an ordinary G2 star that
contains more than 99 percent of the solar system's mass. The pull of its gravity holds
the system together. To learn tons more, check out this page devoted just to our Sun.
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Mercury |
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This is the planet closest to the Sun
and has the shortest and fastest orbit around the Sun. So check out more about this planet
here!
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Venus |
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Almost identical in size to Earth, this
planet has no satellites(moons) and is the second planet from the Sun. It also has the
hottest surface temperature of all the planets. Learn more about this planet, where women
are supposedly from in a famous metaphor, in this section.
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Earth |
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This very familiar planet is the third
planet from the Sun and the best place I'd like to be. This only known planet to have
liquid water and life. This is also the first planet, in order, to have a satellite. If
you'd like to learn more, from an cosmological point of view, come on in...
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Mars |
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This is the fourth planet from the Sun
and has two satellites. It's colder than Earth and has been researched extensively for the
search of life that could have existed. Learn more about this planet, where men are
supposedly from in a famous metaphor, in this section.
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Jupiter |
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This is the largest and most massive
planet in our solar system. It is also the fastest spinner and has several satellites!
Click here to find out more about our fifth planet from the Sun here.
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Saturn |
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This planet has the most extensive ring
system and the largest family of moons. So check out this section for more detailed stats
for our sixth planet from the Sun.
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Uranus |
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Our seventh planet from the Sun has
it's rings, moons, and self orbit the Sun on its side. This is because it is tilted by 98o!
You can learn more about this unusual obtuse angle and it's 20 satellites in this section.
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Neptune |
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The eigth (some times ninth) planet
from the Sun is the smallest of the four gas giants and has several moons which you can
learn tons more about in this section!
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Pluto |
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This most distant and ninth (some times
eigth) planet in our solar system. It has the most elongated orbit and only one satellite
(but is have the planet's size!). Check out more about this tiny planet in this section...
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Kuiper's Belt and Oort Cloud |
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At least 70,000 objects, with diameters
of more than 100 km, are believed to exist in the Kuiper Belt. Also in this section is the
Oort Cloud, this region stretches from the orbit of Neptune into the outer solar
system. Consisting of about 10 trillion comets discovery more about the Oort Cloud and
Kuiper's Belt in this section.
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Asteroid Belt |
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Where most of the asteroids are found.
Others have orbits that take them beyond the paths of the planets.
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Planet Probes |
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Including: Pioneer 10 & 11, Mariner
10, Venera 9, Vikings 1 & 2, Ulysses, Cassini, Magellan, Voyagers 1 & 2, and
Galileo.
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SOLAR SYSTEM 