Outline Of The Solar System

Short description: Overview of and topical guide to the Solar System

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Solar System:

Solar System – gravitationally bound system comprising the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly. Of those objects that orbit the Sun directly, the largest eight are the planets (including Earth), with the remainder being significantly smaller objects, such as dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies. Of the objects that orbit the Sun indirectly, the moons, two are larger than the smallest planet, Mercury.

Planets, most of the moons, and some asteroids of the Solar System. Sizes are in logarithmic scale.

Regions and celestial objects of the Solar System

Planets and declared dwarf planets of the Solar System. Sizes are to scale. Distances from the Sun are not to scale.

Sun ☉
- Solar wind
Interplanetary medium
Inner Solar System
- Inner planets
  - Mercury ☿
  - Venus ♀
  - Earth 🜨
    - The Moon ☾
    - Near-Earth objects
    - Van Allen radiation belt
  - Mars ♂
    - Moons of Mars
- Asteroid belt
  - Asteroid groups
  - Asteroids
    - Ceres ⚳
    - Pallas ⚴
    - Juno ⚵
    - Vesta ⚶
    - Hygiea
    - Active asteroids
  - Kirkwood gaps
Outer Solar System
- Outer planets
  - Jupiter ♃
    - Moons of Jupiter
      - Io
      - Europa
      - Ganymede
      - Callisto
    - Rings of Jupiter
    - Magnetosphere of Jupiter
    - Jupiter trojans
  - Saturn ♄
    - Moons of Saturn
      - Titan
      - Rhea
      - Iapetus
      - Dione
      - Tethys
      - Enceladus
      - Mimas
    - Rings of Saturn
    - Shepherd moons
    - Magnetosphere of Saturn
  - Uranus ⛢
    - Moons of Uranus
      - Titania
      - Oberon
      - Umbriel
      - Ariel
      - Miranda
    - Rings of Uranus
  - Neptune ♆
    - Moons of Neptune
      - Triton
    - Rings of Neptune
- Trojans
- Centaurs
Ubiquitous
- Comets ☄
- Meteoroids
- Micrometeoroids
- Cosmic dust
- Interplanetary dust cloud
Trans-Neptunian region
- Trans-Neptunian objects
- Kuiper belt
  - Pluto ♇
    - Moons of Pluto
      - Charon
  - Haumea
  - Makemake
  - Quaoar
  - Orcus
- Scattered disc
  - Eris
  - Gonggong
Farthest regions
- Extreme trans-Neptunian objects
- Detached objects
  - Sedna
  - Leleākūhonua
- Oort cloud
- Heliosphere
  - Heliopause
  - Boundaries

Location of the Solar System

Universe
- Observable universe
  - Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex
    - Laniakea Supercluster
      - Virgo Supercluster
        Local Sheet
        Local Group
        Milky Way subgroup
        Milky Way
        Orion–Cygnus Arm
        Gould Belt
        Local Bubble
        Local Interstellar Cloud – immediate galactic neighborhood of the Solar System.
        Alpha Centauri – star system nearest to the Solar System, at about 4.4 light years away
        
        Solar System – star and planetary system where the Earth is located.
        Earth – the only planet known to have life, including intelligent life, including humans.

Structure and composition of the Solar System

Interplanetary space
Physical characteristics of the Sun
- Structure of the Sun
  - Solar core
  - Radiative zone
  - Convection zone
  - Photosphere
  - Chromosphere
  - Corona
- Solar granulation
- Sunspots
- Solar prominences
- Solar flares
Physical characteristics of Mercury
- Structure of Mercury
- Atmosphere of Mercury
- Geology of Mercury
Physical characteristics of Venus
- Structure of Venus
- Atmosphere of Venus
- Geology of Venus
  - Volcanism on Venus
Physical characteristics of the Earth
- Figure of the Earth
- Structure of the Earth
  - Earth's crust
  - Earth's mantle
  - Earth's outer core
  - Earth's inner core
- Earth's magnetic field
- Atmosphere of Earth
- Geology of Earth
  - Lithosphere of Earth
    - Plate tectonics
- Hydrosphere of Earth
  - Water distribution on Earth
  - Tides
Physical characteristics of Mars
- Structure of Mars
- Atmosphere of Mars
- Geology of Mars
  - Volcanism on Mars
- Geography of Mars
- Water on Mars
Physical characteristics of Jupiter
- Structure of Jupiter
- Atmosphere of Jupiter
- Great Red Spot
Physical characteristics of Saturn
- Structure of Saturn
- Atmosphere of Saturn
- Saturn's hexagon
Physical characteristics of Uranus
- Structure of Uranus
- Atmosphere of Uranus
Physical characteristics of Neptune
- Structure of Neptune
- Atmosphere of Neptune
- Great Dark Spot

History of the Solar System

Discovery and exploration of the Solar System

Discovery and exploration of the Solar System –

Timeline of Solar System astronomy
Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their moons
Timeline of Solar System exploration
Timeline of first images of Earth from space
Development of hypotheses
- Geocentric model –
- Heliocentrism –
- Historical models of the Solar System
- Planets beyond Neptune
- List of former planets
- List of hypothetical Solar System objects in astronomy
Space exploration – Exploration by celestial body
- Exploration of Mercury
- Observations and explorations of Venus
- Exploration of the Moon
- Exploration of Mars
- Exploration of Ceres
- Exploration of Jupiter
- Exploration of Saturn
- Exploration of Uranus
- Exploration of Neptune
- Exploration of Pluto
Solar System models

Formation and evolution of the Solar System

Formation and evolution of the Solar System –

Nebular hypothesis
Terrestrial planets
- Iron planets
  - Mercury
- Silicate planets
  - Geodynamics of Venus
  - History of Earth
    - Formation of Earth
  - Geological history of Mars
Giant planets
- Gas giants
  - Jupiter
  - Saturn
- Ice giants
  - Uranus
  - Neptune

Lists of Solar System objects and features

The number of currently known, or observed, objects of the Solar System are in the hundreds of thousands. Many of them are listed in the following articles:

By type

List of Solar System objects
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System
- Planetary-mass object
List of natural satellites
- Planetary-mass moon
List of possible dwarf planets
List of minor planets (numbered) and List of unnumbered minor planets
List of trans-Neptunian objects (numbered) and List of unnumbered trans-Neptunian objects
Lists of comets

By physical parameters and features

List of exceptional asteroids
Lists of geological features of the Solar System
- List of craters in the Solar System
List of Solar System extremes
- By size
  - List of Solar System objects by size
- By distance
  - List of Solar System objects most distant from the Sun
  - List of Solar System objects by greatest aphelion
- Features
  - List of tallest mountains in the Solar System
  - List of largest craters in the Solar System
  - List of largest rifts, canyons and valleys in the Solar System

Lists of Solar System exploring missions and spacecraft

Missions

List of missions to the Moon
List of missions to Venus
List of missions to Mars
List of missions to the outer planets
List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft
- List of missions to minor planets
- List of missions to comets

Spacecraft

List of Solar System probes
- List of artificial objects in heliocentric orbit
- List of objects at Lagrange points
- List of artificial objects leaving the Solar System
List of lunar probes
- Lunar Roving Vehicles
List of extraterrestrial orbiters
- List of Mars orbiters
List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies
- List of Mars landers
- List of artificial objects on extraterrestrial surfaces
- Deliberate crash landings on extraterrestrial bodies
List of rovers on extraterrestrial bodies

External links

dmoz page for Solar System
Origin of the Solar System (outline)
- A Cosmic History of the Solar System
A Tediously Accurate Map of the Solar System (web based scroll map scaled to the Moon being 1 pixel)
NASA/JPL Solar System main page
- NASA's Solar System Simulator
- Solar System Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration