What is the solar system?

The solar system is a collection of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies that orbit around the Sun. It includes eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The solar system also contains the dwarf planet Pluto and numerous smaller objects. The Sun is at the center of the solar system, and all of the planets and other objects orbit around it due to its gravitational pull.

The solar system is a gravitationally bound system of the Sun, eight planets, dwarf planets, and many moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

The Sun is the dominant member of the solar system, accounting for more than 99.8% of the system's mass. The planets are divided into two groups: the inner planets and the outer planets. The inner planets are made of rock and metal and include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The outer planets are made of gas and ice and include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The dwarf planets are objects that are similar to planets but are too small to have cleared their orbits of debris. The solar system also contains numerous moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

The solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from the collapse of a large molecular cloud. The Sun formed at the center of the cloud, and the planets, moons, and other objects formed from the remaining gas and dust. The solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe.