Solar System
The Solar System is our neighborhood in space. At its center is the Sun, our local star and the largest object in the system. Eight planets, three dwarf planets, 169 known moons, millions of rocky asteroids and icy comets, dust and gas travel around the Sun.
About 4.6 billion years ago, the Solar System was born from the solar nebula, a swirling cloud of dust and gas possibly disturbed by the explosion of a nearby star. Under the force of gravity, most of the material collapsed toward the center of the cloud. Gas collected there, heated up, and became the Sun. Other clumps of dust and gas formed the planets and smaller objects. (Image Right: Our Solar System, Courtesy of NASA)
DID YOU KNOW?
In ancient times, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were thought to be "wandering stars."
