A Voyage Through The System
The Sun lies at the heart of the solar system, where it is by far the largest object. It holds 99.8% of the solar system's mass and is roughly 109 times the diameter of Earth.
The smallest planet in our solar system and closest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon. Despite its proximity to the Sun, it is not the hottest planet.
Venus spins slowly in the opposite direction from most planets. Its thick atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in our solar system.
Our home planet is the only place we know of so far that's inhabited by living things. It's also the only planet in our solar system with liquid water on the surface.
Mars is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. There is strong evidence that billions of years ago Mars was wetter and warmer, with a thick atmosphere.
Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined. The giant planet's Great Red Spot is a centuries-old storm bigger than Earth.
Adorned with a dazzling, complex system of icy rings, Saturn is unique in our solar system. The other giant planets have rings, but none are as spectacular as Saturn's.
Uranus creates a unique visual as it rotates on its side. It was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel.
Dark, cold, and whipped by supersonic winds, ice giant Neptune is the eighth and most distant major planet orbiting our Sun. It is more than 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth.