Overview
Our Solar System
The solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust. Today it holds one star, eight planets, at least several hundred moons, five officially recognized dwarf planets, and countless asteroids and comets — all bound together by the Sun's gravity. Sunlight takes just over 8 minutes to reach Earth, but more than 4 hours to reach Neptune.
From the Sun outward
- 1. The Sun
Our star holds 99.8% of the solar system's mass and powers everything around it.
- 2. Inner rocky planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — small, dense worlds with solid surfaces.
- 3. Asteroid belt
A ring of rocky leftovers between Mars and Jupiter, home to the dwarf planet Ceres.
- 4. Giant planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — enormous worlds of gas and ice.
- 5. Kuiper Belt & beyond
A frigid zone of icy bodies including Pluto and Eris, stretching far past Neptune.
Explore every world
G-type main-sequence star
The Sun
The star at the center
Terrestrial planet
Mercury
The swift planet
Terrestrial planet
Venus
The veiled planet
Terrestrial planet
Earth
The blue planet
Terrestrial planet
Mars
The red planet
Gas giant
Jupiter
The giant planet
Gas giant
Saturn
The ringed planet
Ice giant
Uranus
The tilted planet
Ice giant
Neptune
The blue world
Earth's natural satellite
The Moon
Our constant companion
Dwarf planet
Pluto
The famous dwarf planet
Dwarf planet
Ceres
The asteroid belt dwarf
Dwarf planet
Eris
The planet-definition trigger