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Discovery and exploration of the Solar System is observation, visitation, and increase in knowledge and understanding of Earth's "cosmic neighborhood". This includes the Sun , Earth and the Moon , the major planets Mercury , Venus , Mars , Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus , and Neptune , their satellites , as well as smaller bodies including comets ...
Solar System Exploration - NASA Science. Join us as we explore our planetary neighborhood: The Sun, planets, moons, and millions of asteroids and comets. 10 THINGS about our solar system. 1. Many Worlds. Our solar system has eight planets, and five dwarf planets. 2. Small Worlds, Too. 3. Lots of Moons. Our solar system has more than 200 moons. 4.
(April 2023) NASA. Keep Exploring. Discover More Topics From NASA. Explore the 3D world of the Solar System. Learn about past and future missions.
- Exploring Our Solar System - What are the origins of the planets? How have they changed? Is there life out there? Over the last 60 years, NASA has launched a variety of spacecraft to explore our solar system. The Moon, the closest celestial body to Earth, was the logical first target.
The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it. It was formed 4.6 billion years ago when a dense region of a molecular cloud collapsed, forming the Sun and a protoplanetary disc.
10 Things. Our solar system is made up of a star, eight planets, and countless smaller bodies such as dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets. Our solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph). We’re in one of the galaxy’s four spiral arms.
Moons. There are more than 200 known moons in our solar system and several more awaiting confirmation of discovery. Of the eight planets, Mercury and Venus are the only ones with no moons. The giant planets Jupiter and Saturn lead our solar system’s moon counts.
