The Solar System

The solar system consists of the Sun, the nine planets orbiting the Sun, satellites of the planets, asteroids, comets, and interplanetary medium. The solar system can be divided into two parts: the inner solar system and the outer solar system. The inner solar system consists of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, while the outer solar system is made up of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The solar system can also be divided by the composition of the planets. In this arrangement, the terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The jovian (gas) planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Unfortunately, Pluto does not fit into either of these categories. The planets that are closer to the Sun than Earth are termed inferior planets, while those farther away from the Sun than Earth are superior planets.