The Solar System
Section: Physics | Syllabus: Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science (0653)
Components of the Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and all the objects that orbit it.
- One star: the Sun
- Eight planets, in order of increasing distance from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
- Memory aid: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles
- Minor planets: smaller bodies that orbit the Sun directly, including dwarf planets such as Pluto and asteroids - most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
- Moons: natural satellites that orbit the planets, e.g. Earth's Moon
The Sun, the eight planets, and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
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