The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects
bound to it by gravity, all of which formed from the collapse of a
giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Of the many
objects that orbit the Sun, most of the mass is contained within eight
relatively solitary planets whose orbits are almost circular and lie
within a nearly flat disc called the ecliptic plane. The four smaller
inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, also called the
terrestrial planets, are primarily composed of rock and metal. The four
outer planets, the gas giants, are substantially more massive than the
terrestrials. The two largest, Jupiter and Saturn, are composed mainly
of hydrogen and helium; the two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune,
are composed largely of ices, such as water, ammonia and methane, and
are often referred to separately as "ice giants".
These computer generated images illustrate the scale of the
Solar System.
Unbelievable computer-rendered images which illustrate how our solar
system looks. If you think the Sun is huge, do not miss the last picture
and see Betelgeuse. Basically it's models of the stars in our solar
system that give a sense of perspective.
These computer generated images illustrate the scale of the Solar System.
Unbelievable computer-rendered images which illustrate how our solar
system looks. If you think the Sun is huge, do not miss the last picture
and see Betelgeuse. Basically it's models of the stars in our solar
system that give a sense of perspective.
