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Thursday, July 7, 2016

Solar System



The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system comprising the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly

Of those objects that orbit the Sun directly, the largest 8 are the Planets with the remainder being significantly smaller objects, such as dwarf planets and small solar system bodies

The 8 planets of the Solar System (by decreasing size) are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury.

The 4 smaller inner planets, Mercury, Venus,Earth and Mars are Terrestrial Planets, being primarily composed of rock and metal. 

The 4 outer planets are Giant Planets, being substantially more massive than the terrestrials. 

The two largest, Jupiter and Saturn are Gas Giants being composed mainly of  Hydrogen and Helium 

The two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune are  Ice Giants being composed mostly of substances with relatively high melting points compared with hydrogen and helium, called Ices such as water, Ammonia and Methane

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