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THE SOLAR SYSTEM

The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system, comprising The Sun and everything that orbits it. The most notable objects orbiting The Sun are the planets, currently identified as, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Other smaller spherical objects known as Dwarf Planets exist, and currently comprise, Ceres (within the asteroid belt), Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris (these four being classified also as Trans-Neptunian Objects). Furthermore, other object such as moons, asteroids, comets, etc., are all part of the Solar System.

The Sun with an enormous prominence erupting from the solar surface.


Image credit: Skylab, NASA.

Mercury looks much like The Moon.


Image credit: MESSENGER, NASA

Venus has dense clouds which constantly envelope the entire planet.


Image credit: Mariner 10, NASA.

Two-thirds of the Earth's surface, is covered with liquid water.


Image credit: Apollo 17, NASA.

Like Earth, Mars has polar ice-caps and an atmosphere.


Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/NASA.

Ceres is the largest inhabitant of the Asteroid Belt.


Image credit: Dawn, NASA.

The giant storm, known as the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, is so big, the Earth would fit in it, twice over.


Image credit: Cassini, ASI/ESA/NASA.

Saturn has an enormous but stunningly intricate ring-system.


Image credit: Cassini, ASI/ESA/NASA.

Uranus orbits the Sun lying on its side.


Image credit: Voyager 2, NASA.

A year on Neptune lasts for 164.8 Earth-years.


Image credit: Voyager 2, NASA.

Pluto has an eccentric orbit, which at times brings it inside the orbit of Neptune.


Image credit: New Horizons, NASA.

Haumea has two moons.


Image credit: Keck Telescope, Caltech.

It is estimated, that the average temperature on the surface of Makemake, is less than - 240 degrees Celsius.


Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/NASA.

During its orbit, Eris can be as distant as 14.5 billion kilometres (9 billion miles) from the Sun.


Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, ESA/NASA.

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