Solar system life

Which planets are known to host life?

Among the stunning variety of worlds in our solar system, only Earth is known to host life. But other moons and planets show signs of potential habitability.

What are some interesting facts about our Solar System?

Our solar system is in one of the Milky Way galaxy’s spiral arms called the Orion Spur. 5. A Long Way Around Our solar system takes about 230 million years to orbit the galactic center. 6. Spiraling Through Space The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. 7. Room to Breathe Our solar system has many worlds with many types of atmospheres. 8.

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.

How many planets are in the Solar System?

Our solar system has one star, eight planets, five officially named dwarf planets, hundreds of moons, thousands of comets, and more than a million asteroids. Learn about the planets in our solar system. The solar system has eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

What enables the presence of life in the Solar System?

Besides solar energy, the primary characteristic of the Solar System enabling the presence of life is the heliosphere and planetary magnetic fields (for those planets that have them). These magnetic fields partially shield the Solar System from high-energy interstellar particles called cosmic rays.

What planets are in the Solar System?

It includes the rocky inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars; the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn; and the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. Between Mars and Jupiter is a collection of asteroids known as the asteroid belt, while beyond Neptune is where small icy bodies, like Pluto and comets, live. How old is our solar system?