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solar system
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solar system solar system orbits
Understand the relative size of the Sun, the Moon, and other solar system objects
solar system to scale Jovian planets Gaspra Comet Wild 2
Hear about the band of dust and debris left by comets, which are visible as meteors (shooting stars)
Discover how the solar system, which started as a shapeless spherical blob ended up being flat
For Students
solar system to scale
solar system summary
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
Saturn. Saturn and its rings. Second largest planet of the solar system. Space Art
Planets and the Earth’s Moon
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Related Questions
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Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
Background: abstract bubble planets with clouds. astrology, astronomy, atomosphere, big bang, bubbles, fantasy, future, galaxy, universe, stars
9 Ghostly Planets
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
Solar system illustration. (planets; sun)
Why Are Planets Round?
Specially designed Cassini orbits place Earth and Cassini on opposite sides of Saturn's rings, a geometry known as occultation. Cassini conducted the first radio occultation observation of Saturn's rings on May 3, 2005. (solar system, planets)
10 Places to Visit in the Solar System
Discover
Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist
The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity
solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space
How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?
Julius Caesar in full Gaius Julius Caesar (100? BCE-44 BCE) statue in Rimini, Italy. Roman general and statesman and dictator
The Time Julius Caesar Was Captured by Pirates
After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.
7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
Solar eclipse of the sun.
The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses
earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.
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The current approach to the origin of the solar system treats it as part of the general process of star formation. As observational information has steadily increased, the field of plausible models for this process has narrowed. This information ranges from observations of star-forming regions in giant interstellar clouds to subtle clues revealed in the existing chemical composition of the objects present in the solar system. Many scientists have contributed to the modern perspective, most notably the Canadian-born American astrophysicist Alistair G.W. Cameron. The favoured paradigm for the origin of the solar system begins with the gravitational collapse of part ...(100 of 6329 words)

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