The Structure of the Solar System
Concept Map
Explore the Solar System, a complex assembly of celestial bodies dominated by the Sun, with eight major planets, dwarf planets, and various small bodies like asteroids and comets. The terrestrial planets include Earth, and the gas and ice giants comprise Jupiter and Neptune, respectively. Moons, rings, and the heliosphere add to the system's diversity, all orbiting within the Milky Way.
Summary
Outline
The Structure of the Solar System
Our Solar System is a complex and dynamic collection of celestial objects, all bound by the gravitational pull of the Sun, a G-type main-sequence star that accounts for 99.86% of the system's mass. At the core of the Solar System, the Sun provides the light and heat that sustains life on Earth. Orbiting the Sun are eight major planets, divided into two categories: the inner terrestrial planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—known for their rocky compositions, and the outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The latter group includes the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, and the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, which contain more ices in their makeup.Planetary Composition and Characteristics
The inner Solar System's terrestrial planets are dense and rocky, with Mercury being the smallest and closest to the Sun, and Mars featuring a thin atmosphere and the largest volcano and canyon in the Solar System. The outer planets are much larger and lack solid surfaces. Jupiter, the largest planet, has a Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth, while Saturn is distinguished by its extensive ring system. Uranus and Neptune, the ice giants, have a higher proportion of water, ammonia, and methane ices. The Solar System originated from a molecular cloud around 4.6 billion years ago, with the Sun forming first, followed by the planets coalescing from the remaining material in a protoplanetary disk.Dwarf Planets and Other Small Bodies
Dwarf planets, such as Ceres in the asteroid belt and Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris in the Kuiper belt, are significant members of the Solar System. These bodies, along with countless asteroids, comets, and meteoroids, constitute the small Solar System bodies. The asteroid belt contains remnants from the early Solar System that never formed into a planet, while the Kuiper belt, extending beyond Neptune's orbit, is home to many icy objects, including the dwarf planet Pluto. The scattered disc, a distant and sparsely populated region, is where some of the most distant known objects in the Solar System reside.Natural Satellites and the Heliosphere
The planets and some dwarf planets of the Solar System are accompanied by a diverse array of moons, ranging from tiny asteroid-sized bodies to those larger than the planet Mercury, such as Ganymede orbiting Jupiter and Titan around Saturn. The Solar System is also encompassed by the heliosphere, a protective bubble created by the solar wind that extends well beyond the orbit of Pluto. The boundary of the heliosphere, the heliopause, is where the solar wind's influence ends and interstellar space begins. This region is the frontier of the Solar System's influence in the cosmos.The Solar System in the Milky Way Galaxy
The Solar System resides in the Orion–Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, orbiting the galactic center at about 27,000 light-years away. It is part of the Local Bubble, a cavity in the interstellar medium within the Orion Arm, and is surrounded by the Local Interstellar Cloud. The nearest star system, the Alpha Centauri system, includes Proxima Centauri, which is approximately 4.24 light-years from Earth. The Solar System completes an orbit around the Milky Way's center roughly every 225 to 250 million years. The hypothesized Oort cloud, a spherical shell of icy objects believed to be the source of long-period comets, marks the outer edge of the Solar System, extending up to 100,000 astronomical units from the Sun.
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The Sun
G-type main-sequence star
The Sun is a G-type main-sequence star that accounts for 99.86% of the Solar System's mass
Light and heat provider
The Sun provides the light and heat that sustains life on Earth
Origin
The Sun formed first, followed by the planets coalescing from the remaining material in a protoplanetary disk
Planets
Inner terrestrial planets
The inner terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are known for their rocky compositions
Outer planets
Gas giants
Jupiter and Saturn, the gas giants, are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium
Ice giants
Uranus and Neptune, the ice giants, contain more ices in their makeup
Characteristics
The inner planets are dense and rocky, while the outer planets are much larger and lack solid surfaces
Dwarf Planets and Small Bodies
Dwarf planets
Dwarf planets, such as Ceres and Pluto, are significant members of the Solar System
Small Solar System bodies
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt contains remnants from the early Solar System that never formed into a planet
Kuiper belt
The Kuiper belt, extending beyond Neptune's orbit, is home to many icy objects, including the dwarf planet Pluto
Scattered disc
The scattered disc is a distant and sparsely populated region where some of the most distant known objects in the Solar System reside
Natural Satellites and the Heliosphere
Moons
The planets and some dwarf planets of the Solar System are accompanied by a diverse array of moons
Heliosphere
Solar wind
The heliosphere is a protective bubble created by the solar wind that extends well beyond the orbit of Pluto
Heliopause
The heliopause is the boundary where the solar wind's influence ends and interstellar space begins
Influence in the cosmos
The heliopause marks the outer edge of the Solar System's influence in the cosmos
The Solar System in the Milky Way Galaxy
Location
The Solar System resides in the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, orbiting the galactic center at about 27,000 light-years away
Surroundings
Local Bubble
The Solar System is part of the Local Bubble, a cavity in the interstellar medium within the Orion Arm
Local Interstellar Cloud
The Solar System is surrounded by the Local Interstellar Cloud
Nearest star system
The Alpha Centauri system, including Proxima Centauri, is approximately 4.24 light-years from Earth
Orbit
The Solar System completes an orbit around the Milky Way's center roughly every 225 to 250 million years
Outer edge
Oort cloud
The hypothesized Oort cloud marks the outer edge of the Solar System, extending up to 100,000 astronomical units from the Sun
The Structure of the Solar System
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Click on each card to learn more about the topic
00
The ______ System includes eight major planets orbiting a G-type main-sequence star known as the ______.
Solar
Sun
01
The gas giants, ______ and ______, are mainly made up of hydrogen and helium.
Jupiter
Saturn
02
The ice giants, ______ and ______, have a composition that includes more ices.
Uranus
Neptune
