The Solar System is our cosmic neighborhood, consisting of the Sun and all celestial objects that orbit around it. At the center is our Sun, a massive star that provides light and heat to all the planets. The inner planets include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, which are rocky worlds closest to the Sun.
The Sun is the heart of our Solar System, a massive ball of hot gas that generates energy through nuclear fusion in its core. With a surface temperature of about 5,500 degrees Celsius and containing 99.86% of the Solar System's total mass, the Sun is 333,000 times more massive than Earth. Its gravitational pull keeps all the planets in their orbits.
The four inner planets are rocky worlds closest to the Sun. Mercury is the smallest planet and closest to the Sun, with extreme temperature variations. Venus is the hottest planet at 462 degrees Celsius, covered in thick clouds of sulfuric acid. Earth is our home planet, the only known world with liquid water and life. Mars, the red planet, has polar ice caps and features the largest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons.
The four outer planets are gas giants, much larger than the inner rocky planets. Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System, featuring the famous Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth. Saturn is known for its spectacular ring system made of ice and rock particles. Uranus is unique because it rotates on its side, likely due to an ancient collision. Neptune is the windiest planet with storm winds reaching speeds up to 2,100 kilometers per hour.
Beyond the planets, our Solar System contains many other fascinating objects. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, containing thousands of rocky fragments. Comets come from the outer edges of the Solar System, developing spectacular tails when they approach the Sun. Many planets have moons orbiting them, like our own Moon around Earth. Dwarf planets like Pluto exist in the outer regions, too small to be considered full planets but still important members of our cosmic neighborhood.