The Solar System

The sun is a star that gives our solar system heat and light. The sun is very hot. The sun's temperature can reach 27 million degrees Fahrenheit!

Mercury is a tiny planet and it is the planet closest to the sun. Mercury is a terrestrial planet, meaning that it is solid and has an "earthy" surface. Mercury doesn't have any air or water.

Venus is the second planet from the sun. Venus reflects the sun's light, which makes it appear very bright in the night sky. Venus is a terrestrial planet, too. Its clouds are not made of water and are extremely heavy.

Earth, where you live, is the third planet from our sun. Earth is a terrestrial planet and is the only planet that supports life.

Mars is the fourth planet from our sun. Mars is sometimes called "The Red Planet" and sometimes you can see it at night without a telescope. Mars is a terrestrial planet, too, but no life has been found there.

The largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, is the fifth planet from our sun. Jupiter is so big that you could fit 1,300 Earths inside it. Jupiter is not a solid or terrestrial planet; it is made up of hydrogen gas and liquid hydrogen.

Saturn is the sixth planet from our sun. Saturn has rings that stretch all the way around the planet. These rings are made of ice, dust and rocks. Saturn is not a solid planet; it is made of gases.

Uranus is the seventh planet from our sun. Uranus is not a solid planet; it is made of gases. It is tilted on its side.

Neptune is the eighth planet from our sun. Neptune is not a solid planet; it is made of gases. Astronomers, who are people that study planets and stars, think that Neptune is a frozen and stormy planet.

Pluto is the ninth planet from our sun and is the tiniest planet in our solar system. Because it is so far away from the sun, it takes Pluto 248 years to make a complete trip around the sun.

Planets are not the only things in our solar system that orbit the sun. Asteroids and comets also orbit or go around the sun. Asteroids are chucks of rock and metal that are probably all that is left of a planet from far away. Comets are made of dust, rock and ice. A comet's tail is made of gas or dust.