The Solar System: Our Cosmic Neighbourhood

As Spid discovers in Spid the Spider Goes to the Moon, our solar system is a captivating place so here’s a free to download poster to display on your home or school wall.  Also a brief overview for parents and teachers to share, and discuss with your curious young ones.

The solar system is 4.5 billion years old and filled with celestial wonders. It consists of a central star – the Sun – and a variety of objects bound to it by gravity.

1. Mercury:

   • Closest planet to the Sun.
   • Small and rocky.
   • No moons.
   • Distance from the Sun: About 36 million miles (58 million kilometers) ¹.

2. Venus:

   • Known as Earth’s “sister planet.”
   • Also rocky, with a thick atmosphere.
   • No moons.
   • Distance from the Sun: Approximately 67 million miles (108 million kilometers) ¹.

3. Earth:

   • Our home planet!
   • Rocky with oceans and an atmosphere.
   • One moon (simply called “Moon”). It has a diameter of 2,159 miles and a density of 60% of the Earth’s.  It also has lower gravity than Earth meaning a person would weigh 1/6th of their Earth weight. Our moon is the fifth largest in the solar system.
   • Distance from the Sun: Roughly 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) ¹.

4. Mars:

   • The “Red Planet.”
   • Rocky and dusty.
   • Two tiny moons: Phobos and Deimos.
   • Distance from the Sun: About 142 million miles (228 million kilometers) ¹.

5. Jupiter:

   • Largest planet in our solar system.
   • Gas giant with colorful bands.
   • A whopping 95 moons! These include Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system (with a  diameter of 3,293 miles). Ganymede comprises silicate rock and water in roughly equal proportions. It has an iron-rich, liquid core and an internal ocean that potentially contains more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined.
   • Distance from the Sun: Approximately 484 million miles (778 million kilometers) ¹.

6. Saturn:

   • Known for its stunning rings.
   • Another gas giant.
   • 146 moons, including Titan (largest) and Enceladus.
   • Distance from the Sun: About 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) ¹.

7. Uranus:

   • Ice giant with a faint ring system.
   • 27 moons, including Titania (diameter 980 miles) and Oberon (diameter 945 miles).
   • Distance from the Sun: Roughly 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) ¹.

8. Neptune:

   • The farthest known planet.
   • Another ice giant.
   • 14 moons, including Triton (possibly a captured Kuiper Belt object).
   • Distance from the Sun: Approximately 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers) ¹.

9. Pluto (considered a dwarf planet):

   • Once considered the ninth planet.
   • Has five moons, including Charon (almost half Pluto’s size).
   • Distance from the Sun: Varies due to its elliptical orbit ².

Conclusion

Our solar system is a captivating playground of planets and moons, each with its own unique features. Share this cosmic knowledge with young readers, to encourage them to dream of exploring the solar system like Spid! 🚀🌠³⁴.  For context, life on Earth emerged approximately 3.7 billion years ago, we know this from the oldest fossils.