One star, many worlds
The Sun anchors our solar system through gravity. Moving outward, the eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, and comets are also part of the system.
Two families of planets
The inner four planets have rocky surfaces. Farther out, Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, while Uranus and Neptune are ice giants. This pattern reflects the conditions in the disk of material from which the system formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
Beyond Neptune
The Kuiper Belt contains icy bodies beyond Neptune. Much farther away, the proposed Oort Cloud is inferred from observations and models rather than directly imaged as a whole.
A useful warning about diagrams
A page-sized illustration cannot easily show both realistic planet sizes and realistic separations. Our diagram shows their order, not their relative sizes or distances. A scale drawing that makes Earth easy to see would need an enormous amount of empty space.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 13 November 2026. These organisations provide reference material and do not endorse this website.
