SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORER
Explore the planets of our Solar System and discover their unique characteristics
EARTH
Our home planet and the only known celestial body to harbor life. Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field protect life from harmful solar radiation.
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide
- Only planet known to support life
- 71% of surface covered by water
- Active hydrosphere and atmosphere
- Strong magnetic field
SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS
Age
The Solar System formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud.
Structure
Our Solar System consists of the Sun, eight planets, five dwarf planets, 200+ moons, and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.
The Sun
The Sun contains 99.86% of the Solar System's mass and is primarily composed of hydrogen (73%) and helium (25%).
Kuiper Belt
Beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies including Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
Oort Cloud
The Oort Cloud is a theoretical cloud of predominantly icy planetesimals believed to surround the Sun at distances of up to 100,000 AU.
Exploration
Humans have sent spacecraft to visit all eight planets and several dwarf planets, with Voyager 1 and 2 now exploring interstellar space.