Discover the wonders of the Sun, planets, moons, and everything else that makes our solar system extraordinary.
Our solar system is home to the Sun, eight planets, dozens of moons, countless asteroids, comets, and other celestial objects. Located in the Milky Way galaxy, it's the only place we know of that harbors life – on Earth.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest in our solar system. It has no atmosphere, and its surface temperatures vary drastically between day and night.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is known for its thick, toxic atmosphere. Its surface is hotter than any other planet in the solar system due to the greenhouse effect.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only planet known to support life. It has one natural satellite, the Moon.
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is often called the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance caused by iron oxide on its surface. It's a prime candidate for future human exploration.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It's known for its massive size, Great Red Spot (a giant storm), and many moons, including the four largest: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Saturn is famous for its stunning ring system, which is made up of ice and rock. It's the second-largest planet in the solar system and has numerous moons, including Titan, its largest.
Uranus is unique for its sideways rotation and faint ring system. It's an ice giant with a frigid atmosphere composed mainly of hydrogen, helium, and methane.
Neptune, the furthest planet from the Sun, is a deep blue ice giant. Its most prominent feature is the Great Dark Spot, a storm system similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth-largest moon in the solar system. Its phases have been integral to human culture for millennia.
Titan is Saturn's largest moon and has a thick atmosphere and liquid methane lakes. It's one of the most Earth-like worlds in the solar system, despite its frigid temperatures.
Europa, one of Jupiter's Galilean moons, is covered in ice. Scientists believe there's a vast ocean beneath its frozen surface, making it a prime candidate for finding extraterrestrial life.
The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter and contains thousands of rocky bodies. Ceres, the largest object here, is considered a dwarf planet.
Comets are icy bodies that originate from the outer solar system. When they approach the Sun, their ice turns to gas, forming a bright tail visible from Earth.
The Kuiper Belt is a region beyond Neptune filled with icy bodies and dwarf planets, including Pluto. It's similar to the asteroid belt but far larger and more distant.