GENERAL STUDIES / GEOGRAPHY / THE SOLAR SYSTEM / THE UNIVERSE

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS | BASIC AND AMAZING

by Richa Rastogi · Published October 28, 2018 · Updated May 21, 2024

If you’re intrigued by space’s wonders or curious about our cosmic neighborhood, you’re in the right spot. Throughout history, humanity has probed the solar system to uncover its mysteries. As we discover more, its wonders only deepen. Thanks to technological progress, astronomers continually unearth astonishing solar system facts. Though we can’t cover all in one page, we’ve curated essential facts for budding astronomy enthusiasts. From the Sun’s scorching heat to the outer planets’ icy realms, our solar system offers endless intrigue. Join us as we embark on a journey through space, uncovering fascinating new insights along the way!

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BASIC SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS

The Solar System took shape approximately 4.6 billion years ago, emerging from a swirling cloud of gas and dust surrounding the newborn star, the Sun.
Positioned at its heart, the Sun, our star, exerts an invisible gravitational force, anchoring everything within the Solar System.
Whirling cloud of gas and dust
Remarkably, the Sun constitutes a staggering 99.8% of the Solar System’s total mass, with planets, comets, meteoroids, asteroids, and other celestial bodies comprising the remaining 0.2%.
Our solar system hosts eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, with Jupiter reigning as the largest and Mercury claiming the title of the smallest.

The inner quartet—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are predominantly rocky, characterized by solid compositions of minerals and rock. In contrast, the outer quartet—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are gas giants, featuring vast atmospheres primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.
The asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, contains approximately 40,000 rocky objects.
In addition to the eight major planets, our solar system includes five dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Just as the planets orbit the Sun, natural satellites, or moons, orbit planets. All planets except Mercury and Venus have moons. Jupiter has the most, with 63 moons. Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, is the largest in our solar system, with a diameter of 5,263 kilometers.
The solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a speed of 285 kilometers per second, completing one revolution every 224 million years.
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, with surface temperatures around 500⁰C. Despite being closer to the Sun, Mercury is cooler due to Venus’s thick atmosphere rich in greenhouse gases.

Solar System Facts for Kids

WHAT IS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM CALLED?

Kids often ask, “What is our solar system called?” This question arises because our solar system isn’t unique in the universe; many other stars have similar planetary systems, known as stellar systems. The term “stellar” means “relating to a star or stars.” Our solar system gets its name from our star, the Sun, which we derive from the Latin word “Sol.” Therefore, we refer to our stellar system as the Solar System.

WHERE IS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM LOCATED IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY?

Just as the planets revolve around the Sun, our solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a speed of 285 kilometers per second, completing one revolution every 224 million years. Our solar system lies approximately 27,000 light-years from Sagittarius A*, a massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The image below shows the approximate location of our solar system within the Milky Way galaxy.

Location of Solar System in Milky Way Galaxy

SEVEN UNCOMMON AND AMAZING SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS

Our Sun might be the big daddy of our solar system, but it is relatively small when we compare it to other stars in the universe. It will likely end its life as a white dwarf star.
The edge of the solar system extends beyond Pluto’s orbit, reaching into the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. The Kuiper Belt, similar to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is a region filled with icy bodies and dwarf planets. The Oort Cloud is a spherical shell surrounding the entire solar system, containing countless comets.

Representation of Oort Cloud

We measure the size of the solar system in Astronomical Units (AU), with 1 AU equal to the distance between the Earth and the Sun. The outer extent of the Oort Cloud is considered the “edge” of our solar system, where the Sun’s gravitational influence wanes. This makes our solar system about 100,000 AU in diameter.
Some astronomers believe there may be a ninth planet, often called “Super-Earth,” which orbits far beyond the Kuiper Belt.
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has a topography similar to Earth, with rivers, lakes, and mountains. However, Titan’s rivers are composed of liquid methane, and its mountains are made of frozen water.

Interesting facts about the solar system - Titan the moon of the Saturn, with the presence of mountains and river have same topography as that of earth

Titan’s Surface which looks similar to that of the Earth

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, with a diameter of approximately 945 kilometers. Recently, Ceres was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
Water, once considered rare in the universe, is quite common. Many planets, comets, and moons contain water in various forms.