Our Solar SystemA solar sytem is a collection of planets and other objects orbiting a central star, or stars. At the center of our solar system is the familiar Sun, orbitted by nine planets and many moons, asteroids, and comets.
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Our solar system started out as a large cloud of gas and dust. No star, no planets, but all of the basic ingredients needed to make them. About 4.5 billion years ago, something disturbed that cloud and it began to collapse. Clumps of gas and dust were pulled together by their mutual gravitational attractions, and the center of the cloud grew so hot and dense, it ignited into a star.
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as clumps of gas and dust formed into planets and moons. Powerful
energy flowing out from the Sun heated up the space around it, and
determined the characteristics of the new planets. |
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Contact:
CyberScientist@onr.navy.mil