Planets

• The solar system consists of Eight planets.They are Mercury,Venus,Earth, Mars(four inere planets).Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune ( four outer planets).
• The motion of planets in their orbits is due to the force of gravitation of the sun on them. The planet Mercury is nearest to the sun and Neptune is farthest from the sun.
• Jupiter is the largest of all the planets and Saturn is the second largest.
• Between Mars and Jupiter there is a belt of minor planets are called asteroids. They revolve in elliptical orbits around the sun.
• Mercury and Venus are called inferior planets,as their orbits are smaller than that of the earth.The other planets are called superior planets whose orbits are larger than that of the earth.
• In the solar system,only the sun emits its own light. The planets appear bright by reflecting the light falling on them from the sun.
• In addition on the sun,Eight planets and their satellites,and asteriods,the solar system contains many bodies called comets and metetors.
• It is believed that the sun has a total life of about 10 billion years. Out of which,nearly 5 billion years is already over.
• The sun is made up of extremely hot gases giving out huge flames.Also, sun is the only source of heat and light energy to all the heavenly bodies that revolve around it.