The Solar System

The Solar System

The solar system is the group of planets that orbit our Sun. There are nine known planets in our solar system, but some observers think they have spotted others beyond the orbit of Pluto.

The Terrestrial Planets

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called terrestrial planets because they have rocky surfaces. Earth, of course, is the planet we live on. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Venus, which is also called the evening star, has a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius and clouds of sulfuric acid. Mars is known as the red planet. Recently, frozen water was discovered there.

The Gaseous Planets

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called gas giants because they are big and made mostly of gas. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Saturn is famous for its rings. Uranus also has rings but is not as famous as Saturn. Neptune is named after the god of the sea.

Planetoids: Asteroids and Comets

There are many other planetoids in the solar system. Between Mars and Jupiter there is a belt of small rocky objects called asteroids. As well, balls of ice and rock called comet occasionally come close to the sun creating a bright tail that can be seen from Earth. Some scientists think the dinosaurs became extinct when one of these comets came crashing into the Earth.

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# If something such as satellite orbits a planet, moon, or sun, it moves around it in a continuous, curving path.

# Pluto is the planet in the solar system that is furthest from the sun.

# Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, nearest to the sun.

# Venus is the planet in the solar system that is second in order of distance from the sun, between Mercury and the earth.

# Earth or the Earth is the planet on which we live. People usually say Earth when they are referring to the planet as part of the universe, and the Earth when they are talking about the planet as the place where we live.

# Mars is the planet in the solar system that is fourth in order of distance from the sun, between the Earth and Jupiter.

# A terrestrial animal or plant lives on land or on the ground rather than in the sea, in trees, or in the air.

# Sulfuric acid or Sulphuric acid is a colourless, oily, and very powerful acid.

# Jupiter is the largest planet of the solar system, fifth in order of distance from the sun.

# Saturn is a large planet in the solar system that has rings around it and is 6th in order of distance from the sun.

# Uranus is the planet in the solar system that is 7th in order of distance from the sun.

# Neptune is a planet in the solar system that is 8th in order of distance from the sun.

# An asteroid is one of the very small planets that move around the sun between Mars and Jupiter.

# A comet is a bright object with a long tail that travels around the sun.

# A species of animal or plant that is extinct no longer has any living members, either in the world or in a particular place.

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Sun - Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune - Pluto

When I was a high school student, I dreamed about visiting to the moon or another planets. I liked science fiction novels such as From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne and Movies such as Back to the future series. Actually, the reason why I chose my English nickname, Albert is that I was so curious and respected famous theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein. Anyway, the solar system is very interesting. It's difficult to memorize the planet name in order of distance from the sun in Korean and memorizing its name in English is not easy even though I've already memorized them in Korean. The more I am accustomed to use the solar system terminology for example I read the science book or watch the science movie, the more I can easily recall them. And before I read this article, I don't know what terrestrial planets and the gaseous planets are. I find out the people can't live in the gaseous planets because they are no air and mostly of gas. I want to see the comet and make my wish. After that, the comet makes my hope come true.