Solar System

The Solar System is the group of celestial objects that are held together by the gravity of the Sun. It formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a large cloud of gas and dust that gradually gathered to create the Sun, planets, moons, and smaller objects.

The Sun contains most of the Solar System’s mass and provides the energy that allows life to exist on Earth. Around it, eight planets follow their own orbits, along with dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and countless smaller bodies.

The planets of the Solar System are divided into rocky planets close to the Sun and larger outer planets made mostly of gas and ice. Each world has different characteristics, such as its size, temperature, atmosphere, and geological activity.

The Solar System also includes regions like the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and the distant Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. By studying these objects, scientists learn more about how our planetary system formed and how similar systems may develop around other stars.