In depth solar system

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.

Where is our Solar System located?

Our solar system is located in the Milky Way, a barred spiral galaxy with two major arms, and two minor arms. Our Sun is in a small, partial arm of the Milky Way called the Orion Arm, or Orion Spur, between the Sagittarius and Perseus arms. Our solar system orbits the center of the galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph).

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.

Where is the Sun located in the Solar System?

orbits The orbits of the planets and other bodies of the solar system. Located at the centre of the solar system and influencing the motion of all the other bodies through its gravitational force is the Sun, which in itself contains more than 99 percent of the mass of the system.

Which planets are located at the centre of the Solar System?

Located at the centre of the solar system and influencing the motion of all the other bodies through its gravitational force is the Sun, which in itself contains more than 99 percent of the mass of the system. The planets, in order of their distance outward from the Sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

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.