Our Solar System
The Solar System that we inhabit includes all of the planets, moons and other elements that comprise the environment that orbits the Sun. The planets and objects are moving rapidly away from the sun while the gravity of the sun is pulling everything toward it. This combination results in everything revolving around the sun. While the solar … Keep Reading → system has only eight identified planets (plus Pluto), there are thousands of other objects such as moons and smaller planet like objects, not to mention all of the comets and asteroids. The planets that are closest to the sun are known as terrestrial planets due to the rocky nature of their surfaces. These are Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. The other four planets are known as the gas giants because of their primarily gas based composition. These include Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune. Pluto is considered to be solid but very icy.
