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Solar System

The system of our Sun and its planets, including moons, asteroids, and comets.

Resources

Asteroid

Asteroids February 19, 2016

Venus

Venus February 10, 2016

Realm of the Giants June 10, 2010

Radio Programs

Sample Returns Lessons from tiny bits of rock and dirt September 21, 2023

Venus and Mars Planetary opposites get close June 29, 2023

Morning Jupiter A giant planet protects our own June 23, 2023

Growing Population The solar system’s growing population December 19, 2022

Mars and Uranus Red and green in the pre-dawn sky July 31, 2022

Danger Zone Surviving the danger zone July 15, 2022

Mars and Jupiter Planets with a shared history May 27, 2022

Moon and Planets Adding up the missions to other worlds February 26, 2022

Johann Bode Counting off the planets January 19, 2022

Zodiacal Light A pyramid of light before dawn September 8, 2021

Moon and Planets Sending packages through the solar system August 20, 2021

Jupiter at Opposition “Wandering” across the night sky August 19, 2021

Planet Nine Searching for an elusive planet May 28, 2021

FarFarOut An object that’s far, far out there May 27, 2021

Beyond Neptune Denizens of the deep solar system May 26, 2021

Space Rocks Digging into the history of the solar system May 14, 2021

Moon and Planets Moving around some giant planets May 3, 2021

Planning Ahead Looking at future missions of exploration April 30, 2021

More Moon and Mars The Moon takes a heavy beating April 17, 2021

Mercury and Jupiter Crossing paths in the dawn sky March 2, 2021

Mars and Uranus A pair of “threes” in the evening sky January 15, 2021

Getting Moons Many ways to acquire moons September 23, 2020

Neptune at Opposition Giving a giant planet a shove September 10, 2020

Hunting by Gravity Using gravity to track down planets July 24, 2020

Jupiter at Opposition The giant influence of a giant planet July 12, 2020

Moon and Planets Measuring out the solar system July 5, 2020

Oort Cloud Notes from the edge of the solar system June 22, 2020

Moon and Jupiter The king of the Olympics May 11, 2020

Moon and Jupiter The Moon tours the solar system February 18, 2020

Making Models Big models of the solar system November 26, 2019

Disappearing Acts Slipping behind the Sun September 2, 2019

Vega Stirring up dust around a bright star June 14, 2019

Jupiter at Opposition III A big move for a giant planet June 11, 2019

Moon and Planets Growing giants beyond the snow line April 23, 2019

Vernal Equinox Moving Earth away from the middle March 19, 2019

The Dominator Dominating the solar system March 17, 2019

Mars and Uranus Red and green in the evening sky February 9, 2019

Allende Meteorite Rocks that are older than Earth February 8, 2019

Morning Lights Lighting up the dawn of the new year December 31, 2018

Jupiter and Mercury Bright worlds in the dawn sky December 19, 2018

OSIRIS-REx Snuggling up to an asteroid November 29, 2018

Round Earth Rounding off planet Earth September 3, 2018

More Moon and Venus Putting Venus in its place August 14, 2018

Far from the Sun Measuring the distance to the Sun July 6, 2018

More Saturn at Opposition A planet “opposes” the Sun June 27, 2018

Saturn at Opposition Racing past three bright planets June 24, 2018

Moon and Jupiter A shoving match in the early solar system April 29, 2018

Morning Mercury Building a little planet April 20, 2018

Venus and Jupiter Bright planets in the dawn sky November 11, 2017

Neptune III Splitting up a set of twins September 5, 2017

Alexis Bouvard Inklings of an eighth planet June 26, 2017

Heading North Heading north through the Milky Way May 26, 2017

Asteroid Belt A ring of debris around the Sun May 1, 2017

Moon, Mars, and Mercury Balls of rock in the evening sky March 29, 2017

Moon and Planets Too hot, too cold, and just right January 30, 2017

Moon and Mercury A bowling-ball planet January 24, 2017

Moon and Saturn A new idea about the rings of Saturn January 23, 2017

Featured Images

Hiding in the Sunlight October 31, 2022

hubble space telescope portraits of jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune

The Neighbors November 20, 2021

Artist's concept of Farfarout

Farfarout! May 27, 2021

Possible ice plumes from Europa

Cold Volcanoes? August 28, 2020

A comparison of the Vega system and our solar system

Scaled-Up Solar System June 14, 2019

Hayabusa 2 on Ryugu; Beresheet heads for the Moon

Space Shots February 22, 2019

2014 MU69, a ball of ice and rock about four billion miles from Earth, is the next target for New Horizons

Next Target December 28, 2018

Diagram of the asteroid belt

Leftovers May 1, 2017

Cassini view of Earth, Moon, and Saturn's rings

Looking Back April 24, 2017

Artist's concept of a young Jupiter-like planet

Young Giant August 27, 2015

Three dwarf planets shown to scale with Earth and Moon

Dwarf Planets January 5, 2015