Solar System [dropdown information]

The Milky Way galaxy continued to swirl around in space collecting dust, gas and other space debris.

In one very, very, very small part of this galaxy, a dense cloud of gas and dust collapsed in on itself, exploded and created a star, our Sun.

The explosion sent debris out into space to form our Solar [sun] System about 4.5 billion years ago.

The order and arrangement of the planets is due to the way the solar system formed.

Those nearest the Sun, had to be made of rocky material which could withstand the heat when the solar system was young.

For this reason, only the first four planets are called terrestrial [land] planets. They are small with solid, rocky surfaces.

They include Mercury

Venus

Earth

and Mars.

Meanwhile, other materials such as ice, liquid or gas settled in the outer regions of the young solar system where it was cooler.

As gravity pulled these materials together this is where we find the gas giants of Jupiter

and Saturn

and the ice giants of Uranus

and Neptune.

Those remaining bits and pieces became the asteroid belt forming a barrier between the terrestrial and the ice-gas planets.

So what should you have learned?.....

Part of the Milky Way collapsed in on itself creating our Sun.
Other matter created our Solar System.
Those planets nearest the Sun are made of rock and called terrestrial planets.
These are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
Those planets made up of gas are called gas giants.
These are Jupiter and Saturn.
Those planets made up of ice and liquids are called ice giants.
These are Uranus and Neptune.

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