short essay about solar system

Solar System Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on solar system.

Our solar system consists of eight planets that revolve around the Sun, which is central to our solar system . These planets have broadly been classified into two categories that are inner planets and outer planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called inner planets. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and they are smaller in size as compared to the outer planets. These are also referred to as the Terrestrial planets. And the other four Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are termed as the outer planets. These four are massive in size and are often referred to as Giant planets.

The smallest planet in our solar system is Mercury, which is also closest to the Sun. The geological features of Mercury consist of lobed ridges and impact craters. Being closest to the Sun the Mercury’s temperature sores extremely high during the day time. Mercury can go as high as 450 degree Celsius but surprisingly the nights here are freezing cold. Mercury has a diameter of 4,878 km and Mercury does not have any natural satellite like Earth.

Venus is also said to be the hottest planet of our solar system. It has a toxic atmosphere that always traps heat. Venus is also the brightest planet and it is visible to the naked eye. Venus has a thick silicate layer around an iron core which is also similar to that of Earth. Astronomers have seen traces of internal geological activity on Venus planet. Venus has a diameter of 12,104 km and it is just like Mars. Venus also does not have any natural satellite like Earth.

Earth is the largest inner planet. It is covered two-third with water. Earth is the only planet in our solar system where life is possible. Earth’s atmosphere which is rich in nitrogen and oxygen makes it fit for the survival of various species of flora and fauna. However human activities are negatively impacting its atmosphere. Earth has a diameter of 12,760 km and Earth has one natural satellite that is the moon.

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Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and it is often referred to as the Red Planet. This planet has a reddish appeal because of the iron oxide present on this planet. Mars planet is a cold planet and it has geological features similar to that of Earth. This is the only reason why it has captured the interest of astronomers like no other planet. This planet has traces of frozen ice caps and it has been found on the planet. Mars has a diameter of 6,787 km and it has two natural satellites.

It is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter has a strong magnetic field . Jupiter largely consists of helium and hydrogen. It has a Great Red Spot and cloud bands. The giant storm is believed to have raged here for hundreds of years. Jupiter has a diameter of 139,822 km and it has as many as 79 natural satellites which are much more than of Earth and Mars.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is also known for its ring system and these rings are made of tiny particles of ice and rock. Saturn’s atmosphere is quite like that of Jupiter because it is also largely composed of hydrogen and helium. Saturn has a diameter of 120,500 km and It has 62 natural satellites that are mainly composed of ice. As compare with Jupiter it has less satellite.

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is the lightest of all the giant and outer planets. Presence of Methane in the atmosphere this Uranus planet has a blue tint. Uranus core is colder than the other giant planets and the planet orbits on its side. Uranus has a diameter of 51,120 km and it has 27 natural satellites.

Neptune is the last planet in our solar system. It is also the coldest of all the planets. Neptune is around the same size as the Uranus. And it is much more massive and dense. Neptune’s atmosphere is composed of helium, hydrogen, methane, and ammonia and it experiences extremely strong winds. It is the only planet in our solar system which is found by mathematical prediction. Neptune has a diameter of 49,530 km and it has 14 natural satellites which are more than of Earth and Mars.

Scientists and astronomers have been studying our solar system for centuries and then after they will findings are quite interesting. Various planets that form a part of our solar system have their own unique geological features and all are different from each other in several ways.

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Essay on Solar System

We see the sun every day shining in the sky and at night, we see the moon. Many other heavy bodies like satellites, meteoroids, and asteroids not visible to our naked eyes also make up the solar system. The sun and its planets together form the Solar System. The existence of the Solar System is about 4.6 billion years old.

100 Words Essay on The Solar System

200 words essay on the solar system, 500 words essay on the solar system.

The solar system comprises all the planets that revolve around the sun. The solar system also contains moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and different types of gases and dust.

The planets are categorised into two categories: internal planets and outer planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupyter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called inner planets . Earlier, there were nine planets considered till 2006, but now, Pluto does not lie in the list of planets, it does not meet the standard set for the planets.

It is now termed a dwarf planet. In our solar system, the earth is the only planet where life exists. There are many solar systems that exist in the universe, it is more than 500. Our solar system includes the Kuiper belt that lies past Neptune’s orbit.

The Sun is a star that is made up of massive hot gas that gives us heat and light . The Sun is the focal point of the solar system, every substance in the solar system revolves around the Sun. There are eight planets in the solar system, Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the solar system whereas Neptune is the farthest one and Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system.

Only Earth has a supportive environment for living creatures. The Earth rotates around its own axis and revolves around the Sun, similarly the moon orbits around the Earth. For complete rotation the earth takes one day and for completing one cycle around the sun it takes 365 days. It is what we call one year and due to gravity we all are stuck to the surface of the Earth.

A Comet is a large body in space made of rocks, ice, and frozen gas. The centre of a comet is called the nucleus. Asteroids are also large bodies in space made of rocks and minerals, they mostly orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter in an area called the Asteroid Belt.

The solar system comprises eight planets, about 170 natural planetary satellites, and uncountable asteroids, meteorites, and comets. The solar system is situated within the Orion-Cygnus arm of the Milky way galaxy . Alpha Centauri made up of the stars Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A, and Alpha Centauri B are the closest star systems to the solar system. The sun which is located at the centre of the solar system affects the motion of the body through its gravitational force. It contains more than 99% mass of the system.

Planets and Their Moons

Mercury | Mercury is the closest and smallest plate in the solar system, it orbits around the Sun and takes 87.97 earth days, it spins around slowly compared to Earth and it is slightly bigger than earth. It has a solid surface that is covered with craters and has a thin surface.

Venus | Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. Venus is very similar to the earth in shape and densityVenus is the hottest planet in the solar system, it has a thick and toxic atmosphere covered with carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid in the form of yellowish clouds, and trapped heat.

Earth | Earth is the only planet that has a livable environment that sustains life and the ecosystem. It is the third closest and fifth largest planet in the solar system. On earth, life is possible for various reasons, but the most essential thing is the availability of water and the presence of oxygen. Earth is also known as the ‘Blue Planet’ because 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with seas, oceans, and large rivers of water

Mars | Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in the solar system. It appears as a red, orange, and radish ball because of the presence of iron oxide which is why Mars is also known as the ‘Red Planet’. Mars is positioned just next to the Earth. The evidence of water and oxygen raised hopes about the possibility of life on Mars.

Jupiter | Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and the first of the four gas giants. It is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter also has a ring system like all the large gas planets, although these rings are not famous or as visible as Saturn’s ring.

Saturn | Saturn is the second largest and least dense planet in the solar system. Saturn can float in water because Saturn is made of gases, it's a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of earth. Saturn has rings that are made of gas and dust.

Uranus | Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, it revolves around the sun and takes 84 earth years to complete one rotation around the earth. Uranus is called an ‘Ice Giant’ planet because it is covered with ice and Hydrogen gas.

Neptune | Neptune is the eighth planet and farthest planet from the sun in the solar system, its atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane gas. Neptune is a dark, cold, and very windy planet in the solar system.

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• Essay On Solar System

Essay on Solar System

500+ words essay on solar system.

The Sun and all other planets and celestial bodies that revolve around it are together called a solar system. Our solar system consists of eight planets and an asteroid belt. These planets are termed inner and outer planets. Earth, Venus, Mercury and Mars are considered inner planets closer to the Sun and smaller, also known as terrestrial planets. The remaining four planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, are outer planets that are massive and termed giant planets.

This essay will discuss our solar system and give a detailed summary of the eight planets.

Planets are large celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun in fixed orbits. They don’t have their own lights and use the Sun’s light to reflect light. As stars, planets don’t twinkle because they are closer to us. The planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, remain in the inner solar system, and the outer solar system planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Among all the planets, Earth is the only planet where life exists.

Satellites are objects that revolve around the Sun. Satellites can be categorised into two types – natural and man-made. For example, the Moon is a natural satellite that revolves around the Earth.

Man-made Satellite

Man-made satellites are artificial satellites sent to space to gather information about other planets. The first artificial satellite sent by India into space is Aryabhatta.

Asteroids are small, rocky objects that revolve around the Sun. Most asteroids are made of different rocks, but some have clays or metals, such as nickel and iron. Asteroids have irregular shapes and are not round-like planets.

Comets are irregularly shaped bodies composed of non-volatile grains and frozen gases. For example, Haley’s comet is a comet that occurs once every 76 years.

Dwarf planets

Dwarf planets are heavenly bodies that are too small to be considered a planet but too large to fall under smaller categories. Example: Pluto

Our Solar System

The nearest and the smallest planet in our solar system is Mercury. The planet is hidden under the Sunlight, which can only be seen before sunrise or sunset.

Venus is the closest and brightest planet in our solar system other than the Sun and the Moon. It is known as the morning and evening star because it appears in the eastern sky before Sunrise and in the western sky after sunset.

In our solar system, the Earth is the only planet that favours life. On this planet, life is possible because of conditions like water and atmosphere and the favourable distance from the Sun. The Earth’s rotation of axis is tilted, due to which we witness seasonal changes, and the Moon is the only natural satellite of planet Earth. From outer space, the colour of the Earth appears bluish-green as light from the landmass and water bodies gets reflected.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is often called the “Red Planet” because the reddish iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance. Mars has two natural satellites.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. So big that it can accommodate 1300 piles of Earth. However, it is only 318 times heavier than Earth. Jupiter has at least 67 Moons. Jupiter has a big red spot, a gigantic one twice as wide as the Earth, that has been swirling for many years.

Saturn is the second-largest planet in our solar system. It is unique as it has thousands of beautiful rings. Saturn has numerous Moons.

Uranus and Neptune

Uranus rotates from west to east. Its axis has a huge tilt, making it look like it’s spinning on its side. Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet in our solar system. It has powerful winds, which are more potent than any other planet in the solar system.

Scientists and astronomers have been studying our solar system for centuries, and the findings are pretty interesting. Various planets that form a part of our solar system have their unique geological features, and all are different from each other in several ways. But, unfortunately, after years of exploration, the Universe has still more mysteries that are left unknown.

From our BYJU’S website, students can also access CBSE Essays related to different topics. It will help students to get good marks in their exams.

Frequently Asked Questions on Solar system Essay

Are there any other systems present in the universe.

Research has shown that there are several other systems existing in the universe other than our Solar system.

Does the solar system only consist of planets?

No, the solar system also consists of dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, etc.

Has the Solar system fully been discovered?

Although there are several types of research going on, there are still many undiscovered and unreachable regions of the Solar system.

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The solar system, explained

Our solar system is made up of the sun and all the amazing objects that travel around it.

The universe is filled with billions of star systems. Located inside galaxies, these cosmic arrangements are made up of at least one star and all the objects that travel around it, including planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. The star system we’re most familiar with, of course, is our own.

Home sweet home

If you were to look at a giant picture of space, zoom in on the Milky Way galaxy , and then zoom in again on one of its outer spiral arms, you’d find the solar system. Astronomers believe it formed about 4.5 billion years ago, when a massive interstellar cloud of gas and dust collapsed on itself, giving rise to the star that anchors our solar system—that big ball of warmth known as the sun.

Along with the sun, our cosmic neighborhood includes the eight major planets. The closest to the sun is Mercury , followed by Venus , Earth, and Mars . These are known as terrestrial planets, because they’re solid and rocky. Beyond the orbit of Mars, you’ll find the main asteroid belt , a region of space rocks left over from the formation of the planets. Next come the much bigger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn , which is known for its large ring systems made of ice, rock, or both. Farther out are the ice giants Uranus and Neptune . Beyond that, a host of smaller icy worlds congregate in an enormous stretch of space called the Kuiper Belt. Perhaps the most famous resident there is Pluto . Once considered the ninth planet, Pluto is now officially classified as a dwarf planet , along with three other Kuiper Belt objects and Ceres in the asteroid belt.

Moons and other matter

More than 150 moons orbit worlds in our solar system. Known as natural satellites, they orbit planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, and other debris. Among the planets, moons are more common in the outer reaches of the solar system. Mercury and Venus are moon-free, Mars has two small moons, and Earth has just one. Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn have dozens, and Uranus and Neptune each have more than 10. Even though it’s relatively small, Pluto has five moons, one of which is so close to Pluto in size that some astronomers argue Pluto and this moon, Charon, are a binary system.

Too small to be called planets, asteroids are rocky chunks that also orbit our sun along with the space rocks known as meteoroids. Tens of thousands of asteroids are gathered in the belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Comets, on the other hand, live inside the Kuiper Belt and even farther out in our solar system in a distant region called the Oort cloud .

Atmospheric conditions

The solar system is enveloped by a huge bubble called the heliosphere . Made of charged particles generated by the sun, the heliosphere shields planets and other objects from high-speed interstellar particles known as cosmic rays. Within the heliosphere, some of the planets are wrapped in their own bubbles—called magnetospheres —that protect them from the most harmful forms of solar radiation. Earth has a very strong magnetosphere, while Mars and Venus have none at all.

Most of the major planets also have atmospheres . Earth’s is composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen—key for sustaining life. The atmospheres on terrestrial Venus and Mars are mostly carbon dioxide, while the thick atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are made primarily of hydrogen and helium. Mercury doesn’t have an atmosphere at all. Instead scientists refer to its extremely thin covering of oxygen, hydrogen, sodium, helium, and potassium as an exosphere.

Moons can have atmospheres, too, but Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is the only one known to have a thick atmosphere, which is made mostly of nitrogen.

Life beyond?

For centuries astronomers believed that Earth was the center of the universe, with the sun and all the other stars revolving around it. But in the 16th century, German mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus upended that theory by providing strong evidence that Earth and the other planets travel around the sun.

Today, astronomers are studying other stars in our galaxy that host planets, including some star systems like our own that have multiple planetary companions. Based on the thousands of known worlds spotted so far, scientists estimate that billions of planetary systems must exist in the Milky Way galaxy alone.

So does Earth have a twin somewhere in the universe? With ever-advancing telescopes, robots, and other tools, astronomers of the future are sure to find out.

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Related Topics

• SOLAR SYSTEM
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• PLANETARY MOONS

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Essay On Solar System and Planets | Solar System and Planets Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay On Solar System and Planets:  Essay On Solar System and Planets: Our solar system consists of eight planets and the various satellites associated with it. There were nine planets before, but pluto was derecognised as a planet. In this essay on solar systems and planets, we will be talking about each planet and its properties and unique facts. We have the sun around which all the eight planets revolve. An informative and comprehensive essay on solar systems and planets will be provided below.

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Long and Short Essays on Solar System and Planets for Students and Kids in English

We have provided 600-word long essay on solar system and planets and a short essay on solar system and planets with a word limit of 200. These essays can be used by school students and children for project works, assignments, holidays homework, test, exam, quiz and essay writing competition.

Long Essay On Solar System And Planets 500 Words in English

Find below a long essay on solar system and planets with a word limit of 600 is helpful for students of classes 7,8,9 and 10.

The universe consists of more than 500 solar systems as of now or as of our limited knowledge on the universe. Our solar system is present inside the Milkyway galaxy.  The Milkyway galaxy is called so because the Romans named it as they found the earth’s skyline at night to resemble that of a band and a patch of milk. The solar system is the most important part of our Milkyway galaxy. According to experts and astronomers, the solar system is the only planetary body in the universe that supports life. And earth, a part of the solar system, is the only planet that supports life in the universe. But this can easily be false since man has not discovered all the aspects of our universe.

Solar systems consist of eight planets, which are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto was also a planet but it was derecognized a few years ago because of its size. The main criteria for being a planet are it should orbit around the sun, it should have sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium and it should have a clearly defined neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto failed in the second criterion. But Pluto is known as a dwarf planet. All these decisions of naming, recognizing and derecognizing of planetary objects are taken by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Basically, IAU is an international body that consists of astronomers and scientists all across the world with the main objective and goal of promoting and safeguarding the astronomical sciences in every sphere, through collective international cooperation.

Each planet present in the solar systems revolves around the sun inside their own orbits at their own speed. This is an essential criterion to be declared as a planet in the solar system.

Each of the planets that we mentioned has its own characteristics, which is given below

Characteristics of the Planets in the Solar System

• Mercury: Mercury also knows as the swift planet, is the smallest, hottest and the closet planet to the sun in the solar system. The temperature on Mercury can go as high as 450-degree Celcius on normal days but the nights are freezing cold. Mercury completes one revolution in 88 earth days. With a diameter of 4878 kilometers and a distance of 35 million miles from the sun, mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system
• Venus: Venus also called as a morning star, is the second closet planet to the sun in the solar system. With a distance of 67 million miles from the sun, Venus completes one complete revolution around the sun in 255 earth days. It is also known as the hottest planet in the solar system. On bright days, Venus is visible through the naked eye because it also one of the brightest planets
• Earth: The third planet in the solar system is the only known planet in the whole universe which can sustain life. Nicknamed as the blue planet, Earth completes one revolution around the sun in 365 earth days and is at a distance of 93 million miles from the sun. With a diameter of 12760 kilometres, the earth is covered with two-thirds of water on its surface. The presence of water and oxygen is what makes earth sustain life.
• Mars: Also known as the red planet is the fourth planet from the sun. It is called a red planet because of the presence of iron oxide on the Martian surface which gives it the red tinge.  With a distance of 142 million miles from the sun, Mars completes one full revolution around the sun in 687 earth days. It is considered to be a cold planet and has certain physical and geographical features that are similar to the earth. It is most likely to be the next home for human beings after the Earth
• Jupiter: Nick-named as the giant planet of the solar system is fourth in line from the Sun and is the biggest known planet soo far. With a huge diameter of 139,822 kilometers and a distance of 484 million miles from the sun, Jupiter takes almost 4333 earth days to complete one revolution around the sun. Jupiter is known to have 79 natural satellites revolving around it. It also has great red spots and cloud bands surrounding the planet.
• Saturn: Known as the ringed planet, because of the numerous rings around it, which are made up of ice particles. Saturn is at a distance of 887 million miles from the sun and takes 10,759 earth days to complete one complete revolution around the sun. It has 62 natural satellites composed of ice
• Uranus: Uranus is the second largest planet with a diameter of 51,120 kilometers and takes 30,687 earth days to complete one revolution. It is also the coldest planet in the solar system
• Neptune: The last planet in the line is Neptune also called a big blue planet. It is 2.8 billion miles away from the sun and takes 60,190 earth days to complete one revolution.

Short Essay On Solar System and Planets 200 Words in English

Find below a short essay on solar system and planets with a word limit of 200 is helpful for students of classes 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.

Our solar system is made up of eight planets, which are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Each of these planets has unique characteristics and properties. Pluto is known as a dwarf planet which as at the farthest distance from the sun.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun at a distance of 35 million miles from the sun. It is nicknamed as the swift planet. The second in line is the Venus, also knows as the morning star, is the brightest planet in the solar system which can be seen by human beings from earth. The third in line is Earth, known as the blue planet, which is the only known planet in the universe that supports life. The fourth in line is the Jupiter which is the biggest planet in the solar system with a diameter of 139,822 kilometres. The fifth in line is the Saturn known to be the ice planet of our solar system is at a distance of 887 million miles from the sun. The sixth in line is the Uranus which is the 2nd largest planet and is full of methane in its atmosphere. The last planet in the solar system is Neptune which is at a distance of 4.5 billion kilometres from the sun and has helium, hydrogen, ammonia and methane in its atmosphere.

10 Lines On Solar System and Planets Essay

• The Solar system consists of 8 planets and one Sun
• The 8 planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
• For a planetary body to be called a planet, it needs to fulfil the criteria given by IAU (International Astronomical Union)
• Internation Astronomical Union is responsible for discovering, naming and taking care of the science of astronomy in the world
• There are more than 500 solar systems in the universe.
• Each planet has its own properties and characteristics
• Earth is the only known planet to support life
• Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system
• Mercury is the smallest known planet
• Sun is not a planet but is considered as a star.

FAQ’s on Essay On Solar System and Planets

Question 1. How many planets are there?

Answer: There are 8 planets

Question 2. Is the sun a star or a planet?

Answer: Sun is a star located at the centre of our solar system

Question 3. What is the most Earth-like planet?

Answer: Kepler-452b is the most Earth-like planet in the universe

Question 4. What is the difference between a galaxy and a universe?

Answer: Galaxy is a cluster of stars while the universe consists of planets and celestial bodies.

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The Origins of the Solar System Essay

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Introduction

The nebular hypothesis, origin of the molecular cloud, runaway star hypothesis, formation of the sun and planets, creation of the earth, formation of the oceans: comet/proto-planet impact theory, reference list.

The origin of the Sun and its orbiting planets has been a point of hypothesis and conjecture ever since man looked upon the stars and planets and wondered about their origins. For the ancient Greek and Roman civilization the celestial bodies they observed in the sky were thought of as Gods and Goddesses, looking down up the Earth from some form of godlike platform. Today, it is an established fact that the heavenly bodies we see in the night sky are composed of planets and stars, celestial bodies of rock, gas and varying forms of elements that were formed billions of years ago. Even though such objects have been observed for hundreds of years it is only within the last 200 that humanity has begun to understand their unique qualities. While there have been conjectures, varying hypothesis and age old established theories what must be understood is that as the science of astronomy evolves humanity begins to slowly adapt to new information, new discoveries and subsequent re-evaluations of what we knew of as fact. For example, early studies of astronomy adopted the geocentric model in that they believed that the sun, planets, moon and stars revolved around the Earth, not only that there was also the belief that the Earth was in fact flat (Copernicus, 2009: 83). It is based on this that when examining the established theories on the origins of the solar system one must do so with both an open yet skeptical mind, taking into account the given data and observations yet not clearly adhering to any one theory as being definitive proof.

Another interesting topic that should be taken note of is the origin of the Earth itself for just as there have been numerous theories as to the origin of the solar system there have been a plethora of theories which have attempted to determine the origin of the Earth itself. Our home planet is unique in that it is the only planet within our solar system that has sufficiently developed to be able to support life. While there have been varying accounts of how life came to be on Earth, with religion and science vying for attention, the fact remains that the uniqueness of our planet should not be underestimated and as such bodes a certain degree of curiosity as to the origins of the unique circumstances that enabled Earth to become what it is today. It is based on the various questions presented that this paper will explore the origins of the solar system and of Earth itself in order to attain a clear picture of where it came from and what its possible end could be.

Currently, one of the most widely accepted theories regarding the formation of the solar system is that of the nebular hypothesis which states that the solar system originated from a molecular cloud wherein through the introduction of an external force caused a gravitational collapse of the fragment resulting in the creation of A pre-solar nebula that would eventually become our solar system (Glassmeier, 2006: 1 – 5). While there has been no definitive evidence as to the exact origin of the external force that caused a section of the molecular cloud to collapse rather than dispersing it into space it is theorized that the energy from a nearby supernova produced sufficient enough force to cause the collapse and help trigger the necessary events needed to create the solar system. While few studies dispute the nebular hypothesis several do call into question the theory that a supernova caused the initial collapse. Studies such as those by Woolfson (2010) state that the energies from a supernova instead of causing a section of the molecular cloud to collapse would have actually dispersed a majority of the cloud into space thus preventing the formation of the solar system (Woolfson, 2000: 1 – 15). Furthermore, while the nebular hypothesis has been well established as a guiding concept in understanding the creation of celestial bodies little is known as to the precise origins of the molecular cloud that gave birth to the solar system itself. Several scientists such as Lognonne et al. (2007) state that origin of the Sun and its surrounding planets was a molecular cloud and go to great lengths explaining how it led to the creation of the solar system yet a lot of studies neglect to mention how the molecular cloud came to be in the first place (Lognonne et al., 2007: 1 -3)

While this paper has so far expounded on the nebular theory involving the Solar system’s origins as coming from a giant molecular cloud a rather interesting question comes to mind, “if the origin of the solar system is that of a giant molecular cloud where did the molecular cloud come from?”. Studies such as those by Sorrell (2008) explain that while our own sun is 4.5 billion years old the age of the universe itself has been estimated at roughly 13.75 billion years (estimate subject to change due to varying accounts as to the proper calculation) (Sorrell, 2008: 45 – 49). Furthermore it must be noted that our sun is not the oldest sun in the universe let alone in our galaxy and in fact can be considered in the prime of its “youth” as a main sequence star (Naylor, 2009: 432). It has been theorized by researchers such as Freire (2008) that a few billion years after the Big Bang, Super Massive stars, many times the temperature of our current sun and several times its size, were among the first stars to form within the universe (Freire, 2008: 459-460). These celestial bodies were able to grow to such great size due to less “competition” for available materials in order to coalesce into stars; it must be noted though that at this point in time planets were unable to form due to the lack of heavier elements in which a sufficient enough solid mass could coalesce into a planet (Dessart, 2010: 2113-2125).

Rather interestingly, it was actually due to the inherent instability of Super Massive stars that the universe became what it is today; this is due to the theory that as a direct result of their internal instability most of the original Super Massive stars became supernovas which actually caused the original molecular clouds in the universe to form (Dessart et al., 2010: 2120 – 2125). The original state of the universe was actually more “pure” in the sense that there was a distinct lack of heavier elements, as such the question of “where did the heavier elements come from?” comes to mind. This is actually resolved by looking at the activity of our own sun wherein through a process called stellar nucleosynthesis in which the nuclear reactions within the sun itself is able to help build the nuclei of elements that are heavier than hydrogen (Chiosi, 2010).

In relation to the explanation of the origins of the molecular cloud as coming from the debris from Super Massive stars Courtland (2010) presents a new theory that details exactly how the molecular cloud that spawned the solar system came to be. In her study which involved the examination of various meteorites she discovered that sealed within the rock were calcium-aluminum rich incisions (Al-26) that could only have been formed by stars that were at least 10 times as massive as the sun (Courtland, 2010: 8). Due to the fact that Super Massive stars usually form within clusters with Al 26 usually decaying rapidly due to the intense heat within such clusters it is hypothesized by Courtland (2010) that a run away must have been tossed out of its orbit as a direct result of either an explosion of a nearby Super Massive star or due to combined gravitational push by its sibling stars within the cluster (Courtland, 2010: 8). Due to Super Massive stars having a relatively short life cycle when the star became a supernova the dispersed molecules and elements became the molecular cloud that we know of today as being the primary basis of the nebular hypothesis.

Creation of the Sun

Since this paper has now established the various theories which attempt to explain the origins of the molecular cloud that brought about the creation of the solar it is now necessary to explain the current prevailing theory on how the planets and the creation of the sun came about. As mentioned earlier, in the section detailing the nebular theory, it was explained that as a direct result of a gravitational collapse of a section of the molecular cloud this precipitated the creation of the solar system (Boeyens, 2009: 493-499). A better explanation of this would be that as section of the nebula collapsed this produced a certain degree of angular momentum wherein the nebula actually began to spin faster as it collapsed in on itself. This spinning combined within the collapse produced a great deal of kinetic energy within the core of the molecular cloud until the result was a contraction of the center of the molecular cloud, which had now become a disc shaped object, into what is known as a proto-star, namely a star that has yet to have hydrogen fusion occur at its core (Boeyens, 2009: 493-499). Within 50 million years the internal temperature and pressure of the core itself was able to build to sufficient levels resulting in the start of hydrogen fusion marking the entry of the sun into its life as a main sequence star (Boeyens, 2009: 493-499)

Theory of Accretion

The theory of accretion is currently the most widely accepted theory proposing the creation of the planets, in it the theory indicates that the leftover material from the sun’s creation continued to spin around the sun slowly clumping together piece by piece until larger dust shaped particles were created (Ogihara et al., 2007: 522-530). Gradually these dust particles also began clumping together resulting in the creation of larger and larger objects until finally the entire solar system was composed of literally dozens of moon sized objects that crashed into each over a period of several million years (Ogihara et al., 2007: 522-530). It must be noted that the reason why such a process didn’t just create a system of bits and pieces of rock is due to the fact that these moon sized objects actually had viscous outer cores in the sense that their composition was similar to lava due to the high temperatures of the sun at the time and the process of accretion itself. As such when the objects collided what resulted was not a titanic clash that mutually shattered the objects but rather a process where both objects combined to form a larger structure or surfaces were “swapped” in the sense that certain parts of either proto-planet’s surface accreted to the colliding object (Ogihara et al., 2007: 522-530).

Originally the Earth was a proto-planet no bigger than the moon yet over several million years the process of accretion was able to slowly build up the Earth to its present shape. It must be noted though that the early outer core of the planet was fluid in that due to the intense heat present at the time metals that had accumulated on the planet’s surface slowly submerged into the inner core creating the metallic core that is present today (Robin, 2008: 4061 -4075). Within 150 million years of the planet reaching its current mass the surface sufficiently cooled resulting in the creation of a primitive crust, yet unlike today the surface of the Earth is estimated by studies as being roughly 1600 degrees Celsius with numerous volcanoes dotting the landscape releasing gases into the atmosphere which formed the initial atmosphere of the planet which was kept in place by Earth’s inherent gravity (Robin, 2008: 4061 -4075).

Most scientists agree that the presence of water on the Earth was the pivotal necessity necessary in order for life to start on the planet. When examining the process of Earth’s creation though there seems to be few indicators of water actually forming directly from the process of creation or within the Earth itself (Robin, 2008: 4061 -4075). One theory that attempts to explain this is the comet/proto-planet impact theory which states that proto-planets, planetoids and comets that were composed of ice were actually prevalent in the inner system during the later stages of the process of accretion. (Robin, 2008: 4061 -4075) As such as the Earth continued to orbit around the sun it supposedly impact millions of comets along with several icy proto-planets to create the water that can be seen in the oceans today. In fact, 4.4 billion years after the creation of the sun the Earth had actually sufficiently cooled enough to actually create clouds, rain, and the even oceans on the planets surface (Robin, 2008: 4061 -4075). This particular period marks the creation of the atmosphere that is present in the world today which is a combination of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases.

By the end of this paper it has become apparent that the process of creation of our solar system and even of our planet has been an accumulation of fortunate incidents that culminated in humanity evolving into its present state. When examining the theories explaining the creation of the molecular cloud, how Courtland (2010) presented the notion that the molecular cloud our present system came from originated from a rogue Super Massive star that coincidentally was shot out of its group by gravitational forces, that it was able to travel far enough to an area ideal enough for uninterrupted growth, that the creation of our planet was in the right place, at the right time with readily available water literally crashing into the planet in order to support life; a combination of all of these completely coincidental factors almost leads one to believe that the creation of humanity itself was no accident but on purpose. On the other hand there are quite literally billions upon billions of solar systems within the universe and it might actually be the case that the process that created the Earth is not so coincidental and that somewhere out there life similarly exists on thousands of planetary systems with the exact same composition as that of humanity yet far away enough that we cannot see the similarities at the present.

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‘Copernicus’ 2009, American Heritage Student Science Dictionary , p. 83, Science Reference Center.

Courtland, R 2010, ‘Runaway star may have spawned the solar system’, New Scientist , 205, 2754, p. 8, Academic Search Premier.

Chiosi, C 2010, ‘Primordial and Stellar Nucleosynthesis Chemical Evolution of Galaxies’, AIP Conference Proceedings , 1213, 1, pp. 42-63, Academic Search Premier.

Dessart, L, Livne, E, & Waldman, R 2010, ‘Shock-heating of stellar envelopes: a possible common mechanism at the origin of explosions and eruptions in massive stars’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 405, 4, pp. 2113-2131, Academic Search Premier.

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Lognonne, P, Des Marais, D, Raulin, F, & Fishbaugh, K 2007, ‘Epilogue: The Origins of Life in the Solar System and Future Exploration’, Space Science Reviews , 129, 1-3, pp. 301-304, Academic Search Premier.

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Essay on Solar System

The universe is a vast and mysterious place, and at the heart of it lies our solar system—a captivating and wondrous collection of celestial bodies. In this essay, we will explore the incredible beauty and fascinating science of our solar system, revealing why it continues to be a source of wonder and inspiration.

The Sun: Our Radiant Star

At the center of our solar system shines the Sun, a blazing ball of hot gases. It provides us with warmth, light, and the energy needed for life on Earth. Did you know that the Sun is so massive that it makes up 99.86% of the solar system’s total mass? That’s an astounding statistic!

The Planets: Our Cosmic Companions

Our solar system is home to eight planets, each with its unique characteristics. The four inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are rocky and terrestrial. The four outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are giant gas planets. Jupiter, the largest, is even larger than all the other planets combined!

Earth: Our Precious Home

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only one known to support life. Its diverse ecosystems, from lush rainforests to vast oceans, provide habitats for countless species, including us humans. It’s crucial that we take good care of our planet to ensure a healthy future for all.

The Moon: Earth’s Faithful Companion

Earth is not alone in its journey around the Sun; it has a loyal companion—the Moon. The Moon’s gravitational pull creates tides, and its surface is marked by craters, mountains, and plains. Human beings have even set foot on the Moon during the Apollo missions!

Asteroids and Comets: Cosmic Wanderers

Beyond the planets, our solar system is teeming with smaller objects like asteroids and comets. Asteroids are rocky remnants from the early solar system, while comets are icy bodies that release beautiful tails when they approach the Sun. Studying these objects helps us understand the solar system’s history.

Space Exploration: Unraveling Mysteries

Humans have always been curious about the solar system, and our desire to explore it has led to amazing discoveries. Space missions like Voyager, Hubble, and Mars rovers have provided us with breathtaking images and invaluable information about distant planets, stars, and galaxies.

The Solar System’s Mysteries

Despite our advances in space exploration, there is still much we don’t know about the solar system. Mysteries abound, from the potential existence of a ninth planet beyond Neptune to the origin of life on Earth. Scientists continue to conduct research and missions to uncover these secrets.

Conclusion of Essay on Solar System

In conclusion, the solar system is a source of wonder and inspiration for people of all ages. It reminds us of our small place in the vast universe and the beauty and complexity of the cosmos. From the blazing Sun to the distant reaches of space, there is always something new and exciting to discover.

As we gaze up at the night sky, let us remember the remarkable journey of exploration and discovery that has brought us closer to understanding the solar system’s wonders. Let us also recognize the importance of protecting our own planet, Earth, and preserving the beauty of the solar system for future generations. In doing so, we honor the legacy of those who have ventured into the cosmos and continue to inspire future generations of explorers. The solar system, our cosmic neighborhood, beckons us to explore, learn, and marvel at the wonders of the universe.

Also Check: List of 500+ Topics for Writing Essay

Solar System Essay in English For School Students

Unlock the secrets of our solar system with our comprehensive Solar System essay on its formation, structure, and fascinating celestial bodies.

November 1, 2023

Table of Contents

The solar system essay is a remarkable and awe-inspiring essay about encompassing the Sun and its eight major planets, their moons, countless asteroids, and a myriad of comets. At its center is the Sun – a blazing ball of nuclear fusion that sustains life on Earth and all other celestial bodies nearby. Orbiting this source of energy are diverse planets, each with unique characteristics and mysteries waiting to be unraveled. From Mercury’s scorching inferno to Neptune’s icy desolation, our system showcases a wide range of environments.

Our home planet, Earth, stands out as the only known place in the universe where life thrives – making it particularly intriguing to both scientists and philosophers alike. The natural satellites of these planets – such as Earth’s Moon, Ganymede, and Titan – provide valuable insights into their parent bodies’ history and geology. In addition to these planets and their moons, the solar system also hosts numerous asteroids and comets which have played significant roles in shaping Earth’s past through impact events. Studying this vast system not only expands our understanding of the cosmos but also offers the potential for answers about the origin of life and habitable worlds beyond our own. As we continue exploring this wonderous celestial arrangement, it

It is a large celestial body that revolves in a fixed orbit around the Sun. It doesn’t have its lights and uses sunlight to reflect light. Because planets are closer to us, they don’t twinkle as stars. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars remain in the inner solar system, while Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are in the outer solar system.

Our Solar System

There are eight planets are divided into two groups: inner planets and outer planets. Inner planets, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are more minor and closer to the Sun. The remaining four planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – are much larger and often called Giant planets.

The most minor planet in our solar system is Mercury, which is also closest to the Sun. Mercury’s geological features include lobed ridges and impact craters. Mercury has a very high surface temperature due to its proximity to the Sun. It can reach temperatures of 450 degrees Celsius during the daytime, but at night, Mercury is cold. Mercury’s diameter is 4,878 kilometres, and it lacks a natural satellite.

As well as being the hottest planet in our solar system, Venus has a toxic atmosphere always traps heat. Venus is also the brightest planet and can be seen from the ground. Venus has the same iron core as Earth and has a thick silicate layer surrounding it. The Venus planet has a diameter of 12,104 km and is similar to Mars. Astronomers have seen evidence of internal geological activity. As with Mars, Venus does not have any natural satellites like Earth.

During the Earth’s lifetime, life is possible because it is covered two-thirds with water. The atmosphere on Earth, which is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, makes it an ideal place for various flora and fauna to survive. Earth has a diameter of 12,760 km and one natural satellite, the moon. 

Often referred to as the Red Planet, Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. This planet is cold and has similar geological features to Earth.This is the only reason why it has captured the interest of astronomers like no other planet. An ice cap has been discovered on this planet. 

Jupiter has a strong magnetic field and is primarily made up of helium and hydrogen. It also has a Great Red Spot and cloud bands. This giant storm is believed to have raged here for hundreds of years. There are 79 natural satellites on Jupiter, which is much more than there are on Earth and Mars combined. Jupiter has a diameter of 139,822 km.

As the sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn is also known for its ring system, composed primarily of ice and rock particles. Saturn’s atmosphere is quite like Jupiter’s because it is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium. Saturn has a diameter of 120,500 km and has 62 natural satellites, most of which are made up of ice. Saturn has fewer satellites than Jupiter.

The seventh planet from the Sun, Uranus, is the lightest. Uranus has a blue tint due to methane in its atmosphere. Its core is colder than the other giant planets, and it orbits on its side.

It is the coldest, Neptune is the largest and densest. Neptune has an atmosphere made up of helium, hydrogen, methane, and ammonia and has extremely strong winds. It is the only planet in our solar system that was discovered mathematically. Neptune has a diameter of 49,530 km and has 14 natural satellites, which is more than Earth or Mars combined.

Solar System Essay FAQs

Solar system essays examine the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets of our celestial neighbourhood. They explore their characteristics, orbits, and the vastness of space.

The solar system is a collection of celestial bodies centred around the sun. It includes eight major planets, their moons, asteroids, comets, and other objects. The sun's gravity holds these bodies in orbit, creating a complex and fascinating cosmic neighbourhood.

Our solar system consists of the sun, a star at the centre, and various celestial objects orbiting it. This includes eight planets, their moons, asteroids, and comets. Earth, our home, is one of these planets and supports life as we know it.

The solar system comprises:

The sun is a massive star at the centre. Eight significant planets, including Earth, orbiting the sun. Numerous moons orbiting these planets. Asteroids are rocky objects, some of which are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are icy bodies that travel in elliptical orbits around the sun, occasionally becoming visible from Earth.

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What is the solar system?

The solar system comprises 8 planets , approximately 170 natural planetary satellites (moons), and countless asteroids , meteorites , and comets .

There are eight planets in the solar system. The four inner terrestrial planets are Mercury , Venus , Earth , and Mars , all of which consist mainly of rock. The four outer planets are Jupiter , Saturn , Neptune , and Uranus , giant planets that consist mainly of either gases or ice. Pluto was considered the ninth planet until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union voted to classify Pluto as a dwarf planet instead.

Where is the solar system?

The solar system is situated within the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy . Alpha Centauri , made up of the stars Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A, and Alpha Centauri B, is the closest star system to the solar system.

Scientists have multiple theories that explain how the solar system formed. The favoured theory proposes that the solar system formed from a solar nebula , where the Sun was born out of a concentration of kinetic energy and heat at the centre, while debris rotating the nebula collided to create the planets .

Is there life in the solar system aside from on Earth?

Europa and Enceladus , moons of Jupiter and Saturn respectively, are ice-covered rocky objects that scientists think may harbour life in the water beneath the surface. Some geological evidence points to the possibility of microorganisms on Mars .

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solar system , assemblage consisting of the Sun —an average star in the Milky Way Galaxy —and those bodies orbiting around it: 8 (formerly 9) planets with more than 210 known planetary satellites (moons); many asteroids , some with their own satellites; comets and other icy bodies; and vast reaches of highly tenuous gas and dust known as the interplanetary medium . The solar system is part of the " observable universe ," the region of space that humans can actually or theoretically observe with the aid of technology. Unlike the observable universe, the universe is possibly infinite .

The Sun, Moon , and brightest planets were visible to the naked eyes of ancient astronomers, and their observations and calculations of the movements of these bodies gave rise to the science of astronomy . Today the amount of information on the motions, properties, and compositions of the planets and smaller bodies has grown to immense proportions, and the range of observational instruments has extended far beyond the solar system to other galaxies and the edge of the known universe. Yet the solar system and its immediate outer boundary still represent the limit of our physical reach, and they remain the core of our theoretical understanding of the cosmos as well. Earth -launched space probes and landers have gathered data on planets, moons, asteroids, and other bodies, and this data has been added to the measurements collected with telescopes and other instruments from below and above Earth’s atmosphere and to the information extracted from meteorites and from Moon rocks returned by astronauts. All this information is scrutinized in attempts to understand in detail the origin and evolution of the solar system—a goal toward which astronomers continue to make great strides.

Composition of the solar system

Located at the centre of the solar system and influencing the motion of all the other bodies through its gravitational force is the Sun , which in itself contains more than 99 percent of the mass of the system. The planets, in order of their distance outward from the Sun, are Mercury , Venus , Earth , Mars , Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus , and Neptune . Four planets—Jupiter through Neptune—have ring systems, and all but Mercury and Venus have one or more moons. Pluto had been officially listed among the planets since it was discovered in 1930 orbiting beyond Neptune, but in 1992 an icy object was discovered still farther from the Sun than Pluto. Many other such discoveries followed, including an object named Eris that appears to be at least as large as Pluto. It became apparent that Pluto was simply one of the larger members of this new group of objects, collectively known as the Kuiper belt . Accordingly, in August 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the organization charged by the scientific community with classifying astronomical objects, voted to revoke Pluto’s planetary status and place it under a new classification called dwarf planet . For a discussion of that action and of the definition of planet approved by the IAU, see planet .

Any natural solar system object other than the Sun, a planet, a dwarf planet, or a moon is called a small body ; these include asteroids , meteoroids , and comets . Most of the more than one million asteroids, or minor planets, orbit between Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt. The myriad fragments of asteroids and other small pieces of solid matter (smaller than a few tens of metres across) that populate interplanetary space are often termed meteoroids to distinguish them from the larger asteroidal bodies.

The solar system’s several billion comets are found mainly in two distinct reservoirs. The more-distant one, called the Oort cloud , is a spherical shell surrounding the solar system at a distance of approximately 50,000 astronomical units (AU)—more than 1,000 times the distance of Pluto’s orbit. The other reservoir, the Kuiper belt , is a thick disk-shaped zone whose main concentration extends 30–50 AU from the Sun, beyond the orbit of Neptune but including a portion of the orbit of Pluto. (One astronomical unit is the average distance from Earth to the Sun—about 150 million km [93 million miles].) Just as asteroids can be regarded as rocky debris left over from the formation of the inner planets, Pluto, its moon Charon , Eris, and the myriad other Kuiper belt objects can be seen as surviving representatives of the icy bodies that accreted to form the cores of Neptune and Uranus. As such, Pluto and Charon may also be considered to be very large comet nuclei. The Centaur objects , a population of comet nuclei having diameters as large as 200 km (125 miles), orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, probably having been gravitationally perturbed inward from the Kuiper belt. The interplanetary medium —an exceedingly tenuous plasma (ionized gas) laced with concentrations of dust particles —extends outward from the Sun to about 123 AU.

The solar system even contains objects from interstellar space that are just passing through. Two such interstellar objects have been observed. ‘Oumuamua had an unusual cigarlike or pancakelike shape and was possibly composed of nitrogen ice. Comet Borisov was much like the comets of the solar system but with a much higher abundance of carbon monoxide .

All the planets and dwarf planets, the rocky asteroids, and the icy bodies in the Kuiper belt move around the Sun in elliptical orbits in the same direction that the Sun rotates. This motion is termed prograde, or direct, motion. Looking down on the system from a vantage point above Earth’s North Pole , an observer would find that all these orbital motions are in a counterclockwise direction. In striking contrast, the comet nuclei in the Oort cloud are in orbits having random directions, corresponding to their spherical distribution around the plane of the planets.

The shape of an object’s orbit is defined in terms of its eccentricity . For a perfectly circular orbit, the eccentricity is 0; with increasing elongation of the orbit’s shape, the eccentricity increases toward a value of 1, the eccentricity of a parabola. Of the eight major planets, Venus and Neptune have the most circular orbits around the Sun, with eccentricities of 0.007 and 0.009, respectively. Mercury, the closest planet, has the highest eccentricity, with 0.21; the dwarf planet Pluto, with 0.25, is even more eccentric . Another defining attribute of an object’s orbit around the Sun is its inclination , which is the angle that it makes with the plane of Earth’s orbit—the ecliptic plane. Again, of the planets, Mercury’s has the greatest inclination, its orbit lying at 7° to the ecliptic; Pluto’s orbit, by comparison, is much more steeply inclined, at 17.1°. The orbits of the small bodies generally have both higher eccentricities and higher inclinations than those of the planets. Some comets from the Oort cloud have inclinations greater than 90°; their motion around the Sun is thus opposite that of the Sun’s rotation, or retrograde.

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• Solar System Essay

Introduction to Essay Writing on Solar System on Vedantu

An essay is a piece of writing where an author expresses in detail all the information on a particular topic. An essay differs from other writing because it is more structured and it provides the author with their own perspective. In this particular essay, we shall know in detail about the solar system. Use this essay as a reference essay and try writing an essay on the solar system.

Let us begin our learning!

Essay on Solar System

The solar system consists of the sun, eight planets, and sixty-seven satellites of the planets, and a large number of small bodies (comets and asteroids). Earlier, Pluto was considered the smallest planet but now Pluto is not recognized anymore as a planet. The inner solar system comprises Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune form the outer solar system. These four planets are massive in size; hence they are called Giant Planets. Each planet revolves around the sun in its own orbits at its own speed.

Let us explore all the celestial bodies present in the Solar system.

The Sun was born 4.6 billions of years ago and it was formed from a giant rotating cloud of gasses and dust known as solar Nebula. The sun is the biggest star present at the center of the solar system. It is a self-luminous sphere of gasses. Its gravitational force holds the entire solar system. It has a radius of 695,508 kilometers and is 150 million kilometers away from Earth.

Mercury is the smallest and closest planet to the sun. It is also called Swift planet because it completes its revolution in 88 earth days. Its diameter is only one third of Earth but its density is about the same. The temperature of this planet is as high as 450 degrees Celsius in the mornings and nights are freezing cold. The surface of this planet is filled with craters, mountains and valleys.

Venus is the second closest planet to the sun and the hottest. Venus is the brightest planet and hence called the morning star. Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of love and beauty. Venus completes one revolution around the sun in 255 earth days. Venus spins clockwise on its orbits unlike other planets. Its surface is covered with clouds, craters, mountains and lava plains.

The third planet in the solar system is Earth. This is the only planet that sustains life. It is called the Blue planet because 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. Earth takes 365 days to complete one revolution around the sun. This planet has only one natural satellite, the Moon.

The fourth planet from the sun in the solar system is Mars. It appears as a red-orange ball because of the presence of iron oxide and so it is called the Red planet. It is the second smallest planet after Mercury. Mars is named after the Roman God of war. Its surface is covered with volcanoes, craters all over.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is rich in hydrogen and helium gas and so it is also called a Gas Giant planet. Jupiter takes 4333 earth days to complete one revolution around the sun. This planet has 79 satellites. Jupiter has four rings.

Saturn is the least dense planet in the solar system. It is the second-largest planet. Saturn can float in water because it is made up of gasses like helium. The beautiful rings around the planet are made up of bits of ice, rock, and dust. Saturn revolves very slowly around the sun. This planet is named after the Roman God of agriculture and wealth.

Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system. It takes 84 earth years to complete one revolution around the sun. Uranus is called an ice giant planet because its layer is made of ice and hydrogen, helium and methane. Uranus looks blue in color because of the presence of methane. Uranus has 27 satellites.

Neptune is the eighth and the farthest planet from the sun in the solar system. Neptune is named after the Roman God of the sea. Its atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium and methane and the presence of methane gives the color blue to the planet. It takes 165 earth years to complete one revolution. Neptune has 6 rings.

Comets and Asteroids:

Comets and Asteroids are the small celestial bodies that rotate around the sun. Asteroids are made up of rocks, metals and water. Comets are made up of frozen ammonia, methane and small amounts of rocky material.

FAQs on Solar System Essay

1. How many planets are there in the solar system?

There are eight planets in the solar system.

2. Is the sun a planet or star?

The sun is a big star located at the centre of the solar system.

3. Which planet sustains life?

The Earth planet sustains life.

4. Which is the coldest planet in the solar system?

Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system.

5. How to write well on any topic?

It is very important for the students to learn to write on their own. To write a good essay students should follow the following steps - 

Try to understand the topic you want to write about 

Read from multiple sources to get an idea of the topic 

Prepare a structure that is what all you want to cover in your writing 

Note down all the important points according to your structure 

Arrange the collected information in the pre-decided structure 

Remember to keep your readers engaged in your essay

Try to use idea and words which doesn't hurt anyone's emotions

Start writing and with time you would get better in the process

 You can also send us your essays or writing which will be evaluated by the faculty.

6. What should be the structure on which an essay can be written?

Like every writing, an essay also has three parts that are the introduction, body, and conclusion. Keep the introduction very interesting, get the attention of your reader by starting with a short story then gradually introduce your topic through that story. Secondly, make the audience aware of the keywords of the topic. In the body, write in detail about the topic like state the historical, economical, social, environmental, cultural factors of your topic. And then conclude your essay by summarizing the key message and the takeaways of the essay. Try to practice with this framework and in due course of time, you will be able to write an excellent essay. Also, try to read from some great essays.

7. What is the process of planet formation called?

The process by which planets are formed is called planetesimals. In the process, the clouds of gasses came together due to gravitational differences . The area of more clouds had higher gravitation and thus attracted more clouds towards them. The ball of clouds takes a round shape through the process of accretion.  

Read the article on Solar systems on the website of Vedantu.

8. What are terrestrial and jovian planets?

Terrestrial planets are planets closer to the Sun, it is also called inner planets. These planets are also called Earth-like planets as their features are similar to the Earth. It includes four planets which are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Whereas jovian planets are the outer planets which are farther from the Sun. They are also called Jupiter-like planets as they share features similar to Jupiter. It includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

9. Can we draw diagrams in an essay? 

Some diagrammatic representation in an essay can be done. However, it is recommended that we should avoid drawing diagrams in an essay as it breaks the flow of the writing. Read some good essays to improve your writing style.

• The Solar System and its planets

The Solar System is made up of the Sun and all of the smaller objects that move around it. Apart from the Sun, the largest members of the Solar System are the eight major planets. Nearest the Sun are four fairly small, rocky planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Beyond Mars is the asteroid belt – a region populated by millions of rocky objects. These are left-overs from the formation of the planets, 4.5 billion years ago.

On the far side of the asteroid belt are the four gas giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets are much bigger than Earth, but very lightweight for their size. They are mostly made of hydrogen and helium.

Until recently, the furthest known planet was an icy world called Pluto. However, Pluto is dwarfed by Earth’s Moon and many astronomers think it is too small to be called a true planet.

An object named Eris, which is at least as big as Pluto, was discovered very far from the Sun in 2005. More than 1,000 icy worlds such as Eris have been discovered beyond Pluto in recent years. These are called Kuiper Belt Objects. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided that Pluto and Eris must be classed as “dwarf planets”.

Even further out are the comets of the Oort Cloud. These are so far away that they are invisible in even the largest telescopes. Every so often one of these comets is disturbed and heads towards the Sun. It then becomes visible in the night sky.

Related articles

• Earth – traveller in space
• Mars - the red planet
• Saturn the gas giant
• The Kuiper Belt

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Essay on Solar System for School Students

• Updated on  
• Dec 23, 2023

Essay on Solar System: Our solar system consists of one Sun and eight (formerly nine) planets. These eight planets are gravitationally bound by the Sun on their orbits. Apart from these eight planets, there are more than 210 known planetary satellites, asteroids, comets, and other icy bodies that are assembled in the Solar system. 

The first four planets are called terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) the two gas planets (Jupiter and Saturn), and the other remaining ones are ice giants (Neptune and Uranus.)

Table of Contents

• 2 Inner Planets (Terrestrial Planets):
• 3 Outer Planets (Gas Giants)
• 5 FAQs 

Learn about the smallest planet in our solar system

The Sun is the primary source of light and energy and is about 93 million miles from the Earth. It is the only star in our solar system and one of the more than 100 billion stars in the Milky Way. The surface of the Sun is about 5,500 degrees Celsius (10,000 degrees Fahrenheit) hot and the temperature reaches 15 million Celsius (27 million Fahrenheit). 

In terms of age and size, the Sun is 4.5 billion years old, composed of hydrogen and helium with a diameter of about 865,000 miles which is approximately 1.4 million kilometres. 

Inner Planets (Terrestrial Planets):

The planets that are made of rocks and metals are known as Inner Planets or Terrestrial Planets. These planets are comparatively small in size compared to the other outer planets. The description of these four planets is as follows:

1. Mercury—The Swift Planet

Mercury is the swiftest planet in our solar system which completes an orbit around the Sun in just 88 Earth days. Its proximity to the Sun contributes to extreme temperature variations, from scorching highs to freezing lows. 

With minimal atmosphere, Mercury lacks the protective blanket found on the Earth, exposing its surface to harsh solar radiation. 

2. Venus—The Evening Star or Morning Star

Venus, which is often referred to as the evening star or morning star, depends on its position relative to the Sun. When Venus is trailing the Sun, it is the evening star, visible after the sunset. Conversely, when ahead of the Sun, it is the morning star, appearing before sunrise. 

This dual identity arises from Venus´s orbit, positioning it closer to the Sun than Earth and causing varied visibility during different parts of the orbital journey. 

3. Earth—Blue Planet

The home planet to all living things is Earth. It is the only planet that is known for the existence of life. 

The surface of the Earth is made up of the crust, the core, and the mantle. It is a giant rocky planet with a circumference of about 40,075 kilometers; 71 percent or ¾ th of the Earth is covered with oceans and seas. A large area covered with water makes this planet a Blue Planet. 

4. Mars—Red Planet

The fourth planet of the solar system, Mars, is the most explored planet by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA.) The reason behind so many missions or research for Mars is to hope for the existence of extraterrestrial life on the planet. 

Apart from the possibility of life on Mars, the planet is also known for its presence of iron oxide that turns the planet reddish in appearance. 

Want to know more about our Planet Earth? Read Essay on Earth for more information.

Outer Planets (Gas Giants)

5. Jupiter—King of Planets

Jupiter is the first planet of our solar system in the category of outer planets, also known as gas giants. According to NASA, the U.S. government agency, the planet’s size is more than twice that of all other planets combined. 

Except for Jupiter’s size, the solar system’s first outer planet is made up of leftover gases from the formation of the Sun. 

6. Saturn—Ringed Planet

The sixth planet from the Sun is Saturn. It is also known as the ringed planet and the second-largest solar system planet. 

The three distinctive features that make Saturn different from other planets are its huge 145 moons, visibility from the Earth with the naked eye, and the seven main rings named D, C, B, A, F, G, and E from the outward side of the planet. 

7. Uranus—Ice Giant

The seventh planet from the Sun, Uranus, is one of the two ice giants in the list of the outer solar system. The planet is featured with the third largest diameter which makes the planet the third largest in the solar system. 

Other than massive size, Uranus is made up of three dense icy materials, methane, ammonia, and water – above all a small rocky core. 

8. Neptune—Blue Giant

The third largest and eighth planet of the solar system is Neptune. According to NASA, the farthest planet from the Sun is more than 17 times Earth’s size and nearly 58 times the dimensions of Earth’s volume. 

The cool blue planet, due to the absorption of infrared light by the planet’s Methane atmosphere, comprises a core with the capacity to pick up a lot of gas, making Neptune impossible for the existence of life. 

Also Read: Essay on Space Exploration

Our Solar system is incomplete without the Moon, a planetary large natural object that travels around the Earth. However, the Moon does not make its light but it reflects the light of the sunlight. 

The total number of moons in our Solar system is 290, out of which one Moon belongs to Earth, two to Mars, 27 to Uranus, 95 to Jupiter, 146 to Saturn, 5 to dwarf planet Pluto, and 14 to Neptune.

The solar system consists of the Sun, terrestrial planets, gas giants, Earth’s Moon, celestial bodies , and various other objects. The unique formation and dynamics continue to amaze scientists offering a glimpse into the vastness and beauty of our cosmic neighbourhood. 

Also Read: How to Prepare for UPSC in 6 Months?

Ans: The Nebular Theory, which states that the solar system is made up of interstellar clouds of dust and gas, is the best theory for the solar system.

Ans: Arybhatta, the mathematician and astronomer was the first to discover that the Earth revolves around the Sun. 

Ans: There is only one solar system in the universe. 

Ans: Our solar system consists of only stars and we know it as The Sun. 

Ans: The size of the solar system is almost 12 trillion miles, nearly 2 light years. 

Related Articles: 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with educational and informative content expertise. She has hands-on experience in Education, Study Abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and analysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particularly in the education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs related to her field to expand her expertise further. In her personal life, she loves creative writing and aspires to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Essay On Solar System – 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay for Children and Students

Key Points to Remember When Writing an Essay on the Solar System

10 lines on solar system, a paragraph on solar system, short essay on solar system, long essay of the solar system in english, what will your child learn from the essay on the solar system.

Writing essays can be an incredible journey of exploration, especially when diving into fascinating topics like the solar system. A solar system essay, like the one we’re about to embark on, provides an opportunity to understand the vast universe we are a part of. By attempting this essay in English, students can improve their language skills, enhance their creativity, and develop a deeper appreciation for the wonders beyond our planet. Now, let’s travel through space and time to understand the marvellous entity we call the solar system.

When you embark on the enlightening journey of writing an essay on the solar system, it’s essential to remember some fundamental aspects to make your essay stand out. These points ensure that your content is rich and informative and captivates your readers.

• Research Thoroughly:  Before starting, gather information from credible sources. The solar system is vast, and discoveries are made regularly.
• Keep It Organised:  Structure your essay with a proper introduction, body, and conclusion. This will help readers follow your thoughts.
• Use Simple Language:  If it’s meant for children and students, keep your language simple and avoid jargon.
• Include Visuals:  Include images or diagrams of planets, orbits, or other celestial bodies to make your essay more engaging and to help explain complex concepts.
• Discuss Recent Discoveries:  Astronomy is a constantly evolving field. To keep your essay current, mention any new findings or missions.
• Maintain Accuracy:  When mentioning facts or figures, ensure they are accurate. Mistakes in such essays can misinform readers.
• Personal Touch:  Share anecdotes or experiences related to stargazing or space exploration. This adds a warm, personal touch to the essay.
• Include Interesting Facts:  Sprinkle your essay with fascinating tidbits about the  solar system , like the storms on Jupiter or the possibility of water on Mars .
• Stay Updated:  The realm of space exploration and astronomy is constantly advancing. Ensure you are updated with the latest information.
• Proofread:  After finishing your essay, review it for any grammatical or factual errors. A well-polished essay makes a better impression.

For primary class students just beginning their exploration into the vast wonders of space, breaking down the vastness of the solar system into digestible bites is essential. The solar system can be awe-inspiring with its planets, moons, and other celestial wonders. Here’s a simple solar system 10-line essay perfect for budding astronomers and an essay for primary-class students.

1. The solar system comprises the sun and all the celestial objects around it.

2. There are eight planets:  Mercury , Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,  Saturn , Uranus, and Neptune.

3. The sun is a giant star that gives us light and warmth.

4.  Earth , our home, is the third planet from the sun and the only one known to have life.

5. The  moon  is Earth’s natural satellite and orbits around us.

6.  Jupiter , the largest planet, has a giant red storm raging for centuries.

7. Between Mars and Jupiter, there’s an asteroid belt filled with rocky objects  (4) .

8. The solar system also includes comets with tails that glow when close to the sun.

9. Neptune, the farthest planet, has strong winds and dark storms  (5) .

10. Exploring our solar system helps us learn more about our place in the universe.

Young students can use these lines as a foundation and further expand their knowledge by exploring each point in depth as they grow.

Writing an essay for classes 1 & 2 can be a great way for young students to understand the solar system. To help them grasp the essentials, here’s a short essay in 100 words tailored to their comprehension level.

The solar system is like a big family in space. At the centre is the  sun , shining bright and giving us light. Around the sun, eight planets move in circles called orbits.  Earth  is one of them, and it’s where we live. Some planets have rings, like Saturn, and some have many moons. There are also tiny rocks called asteroids and icy bodies known as comets. Every member of this space family has its own unique story. By reading and learning about the solar system, kids can begin to understand the vast world beyond our blue sky.

The allure of the night sky, dotted with twinkling stars and distant planets, has always been a source of wonder for humans. Exploring the solar system’s mysteries offers profound insights into the cosmos and our place within it. The following essay, in 200 words, captures the essence of this mesmerising expanse.

Our solar system is a cosmic marvel, a vast expanse dominated by the sun’s brilliant glow. The centre of the solar system is occupied by the sun, a colossal sphere of fiery gas that makes up over 99% of the solar system’s total mass  (3) . Orbits around this central star are eight diverse planets with unique features and mysteries. The rocky planets Mercury, Venus , Earth, and  Mars  are nearest to the sun. These are followed by the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, and the ice giants,  Uranus  and Neptune.

In contrast, each planet provides a distinct study, from Mercury and Venus’s scorching surfaces to Neptune’s frozen realms. Beyond the planets, the solar system also shelters asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets like Pluto. As we send probes and satellites farther into space, our understanding of this vast system deepens, revealing secrets that challenge our understanding of existence. The solar system, with its intricate dance of celestial bodies, is a testament to the grandeur of the universe, beckoning us to explore and discover.

For every student and reader, understanding our solar system is the first step towards unravelling the deeper mysteries of the cosmos.

The cosmos has always fascinated mankind. Its vastness and mysteries have piqued our curiosity for centuries. To comprehend the universe’s grandeur, we must begin with our neighbourhood in space: the solar system. This solar system essay for class 3 and above offers more profound insights into our cosmic home.

What Is the Solar System?

The solar system comprises various celestial bodies held together by the sun’s gravitational pull, which sits at its centre. This dynamic system is located in the  Milky Way galaxy  and spans a distance of billions of miles. The major constituents of the solar system are the sun, eight planets, their moons, and a range of smaller objects like asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets. It is an intricate dance of objects revolving around the sun, each following its unique path and exhibiting individual characteristics.

How Does the Solar System Work?

The sun is the heart of the solar system, a colossal ball of gas undergoing nuclear fusion. It emits immense heat and light, making life possible on Earth. The sun’s gravitational force is so strong that it keeps all the planets and celestial bodies in their orbits.

The planets orbit the sun in elliptical paths. Like Mercury and Venus, those closest to the sun complete their orbits quicker than those farther away, such as  Neptune . The force of gravity also ensures that moons orbit planets. For example, our Earth has one moon, while Jupiter boasts 79 known moons!

The balance of gravity and the momentum of celestial objects keep everything in place. Without the sun’s gravitational pull, planets would drift away into the vastness of space.

Celestial Bodies Exist in the Solar System

Our solar system’s central star provides energy and light that drive life on Earth.

There are eight in total. The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are rocky, while the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are gas giants or ice giants.

Natural satellites that orbit planets. Their number varies from planet to planet.

4. Asteroids

Rocky fragments remain from the formation of the solar system. Most are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Comets are icy bodies that come from the solar system’s outer regions. When they approach the sun, they develop glowing tails.

6. Dwarf Planets

These celestial bodies orbit the sun and have enough mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces  (2) . However, they still need to clear their neighbouring region of other objects. Pluto  is the most famous dwarf planet.

7. Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud

These are regions beyond Neptune filled with millions of icy objects. The Kuiper Belt is closer than the Oort Cloud and is the birthplace of short-term comets  (1) .

Our solar system is breathtakingly vast and dynamic, filled with various celestial bodies. Its complex mechanisms and operations provide invaluable insights into the universe’s workings. Understanding the solar system is not just a part of the curriculum for students in class 3 and above; it is a journey into the wondrous realm of space. This essay aims to be a guide, igniting young minds’ curiosity and exploration.

Through the essay on the solar system, your child will gain a foundational understanding of our cosmic neighbourhood, grasping the vastness and intricacies of space. Beyond mere facts, the essay fosters curiosity, inspiring them to dig deeper into the mysteries of the universe and comprehend the grandeur and significance of the celestial dance above us.

1. Where is the solar system situated?

The solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy, in one of its spiral arms called the Orion Arm.

2. How many total solar systems exist?

Numerous solar systems exist, with billions believed to reside in our Milky Way galaxy alone. This showcases the vast expanse and diversity of solar systems.

The solar system’s myriad celestial bodies and dynamic interplays provide a window into the cosmos’s infinite wonders. Understanding and appreciating its grandeur satiates our innate curiosity and helps us find our humble place within the vast tapestry of the universe.

References/Resources:

1. Relationship of the Kuiper Belt to the Oort Cloud; The European Space Agency; https://esahubble.org/images/opo0204i/

2. What is a Dwarf Planet?; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/what-is-a-dwarf-planet ; April 2015

3. Our Sun: Facts; NASA; https://science.nasa.gov/sun/facts/

4. Asteroids: Facts; NASA; https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/facts/

5. Neptune Facts; NASA; https://science.nasa.gov/neptune/facts/

Also Read: 

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solar system

Introduction.

The solar system itself is only a small part of a huge system of stars and other objects called the Milky Way galaxy . The solar system orbits around the center of the galaxy about once every 225 million years. The Milky Way galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies that in turn make up the universe .

The Solar Wind

The gases that surround the Sun shoot out a stream of tiny particles called the solar wind. It flows outward through the whole solar system. The solar wind is what causes auroras, or displays of colored light in the night sky in parts of Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere these auroras are called the northern lights.

The Planets

Scientists used to call Pluto the ninth planet. But in 2006 scientists decided that several objects in the solar system, including Pluto, should be called dwarf planets.

Millions of small chunks of metal and rock called asteroids also orbit the Sun. Most asteroids are found in a ring between Mars and Jupiter. They are believed to be debris, or bits of material, left over from collisions between other bodies in the solar system. The largest asteroids are hundreds of miles in diameter, but most are much smaller. Small asteroids regularly fall to Earth or burn up in the sky as glowing meteors .

Outer Regions

Beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, a flat ring of millions of small, icy objects. These objects orbit the Sun at a very great distance. They are mostly 30 to 50 times farther from the Sun than Earth is.

At the outer reaches of the solar system is the Oort Cloud. It is a huge cloud of countless small, icy objects. The Oort Cloud surrounds the rest of the solar system.

How the Solar System Was Formed

The solar system was formed about 4.7 billion years ago. It probably started as a loose cloud of gas and dust. Scientists think that a force called gravity pulled parts of the cloud together into clumps. The largest clump was squeezed together so tightly that it got very hot. This clump eventually became the Sun. Over millions of years the other clumps became the planets. The Sun’s strong gravity eventually pulled the planets into their orbits. Over time some of the leftover clumps became asteroids, comets, and other small, icy objects.

Exploring the Solar System

Other Planetary Systems

The solar system is also known as a planetary system. Since the 1990s scientists have found many planetary systems beyond our solar system. In these systems, one or more planets orbit a star—just as the eight planets in our solar system orbit the Sun. These planets are called extrasolar planets. Finding other planetary systems is not easy, however, because extrasolar planets appear much dimmer than the stars they orbit. As space probes travel farther away from Earth, they are likely to discover more extrasolar planets.

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Solar System and Planets Essay

Our solar system consists of a sun, eight planets, satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids and comets. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Earlier it had nine planets. However, Pluto, the ninth planet does not meet the latest standards set for the planets. It has now been termed as a dwarf planet thereby increasing the count of the dwarf planets in our solar system to five.

Long and Short Essays on Solar System and Planets in English

Here are long and short essay on solar system and planets in English, to help you with the topic in your exams or essay writing/debate competitions.

After going through these solar system and planets essay, you will know about the formation of solar system, when the planets were discovered, the dwarf planets, satellites and characteristics of individual planets etc.

All in all, these Solar System and Planets Essays will make you familiar with the universe we are a part of, so much so, that you can confidently take part in debates, talk shows and discussions, on our solar system and its planets. Please go through these essays to select your needed ones:

Short Essay on Solar System and Planets (200 words)

The universe is massive. It is much bigger than we can imagine and our solar system is just a small part of it. Our solar system houses a big, bright star called the Sun. The Sun is a rich source of electromagnetic energy that it exudes in the form of light and heat. There are eight planets in our solar system namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets revolve around the sun in a fixed path referred to as the orbit. Several other smaller objects also move around the sun.

Many planets in our solar system have natural satellites called the moon. While Earth has one moon, Mars has two, Neptune has 14 moons, Uranus has 27 moons, Saturn has 62 moons and Jupiter has as many as 79 moons. Even the dwarf planet Pluto has 5 moons. Mercury and Venus, on the other hand, do not have any moon. Just as the planets move around the Sun in a fixed path, moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the Sun, planets and moons, our solar system consists of several other celestial bodies called the comets, asteroids and meteoroids. While our solar system has only one star, many other solar systems are known to have at least two stars.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (300 words)

Introduction

Our solar system was formed billions of years ago. It consists of numerous celestial bodies including planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, meteorites and a massive star. Our solar system forms a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. Various celestial bodies in our solar system revolve around the Sun directly or indirectly.

The Formation of the Solar System

It is believed that around 4.6 billion years ago, the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud gave shape to our solar system. Major part of the collapsing mass collated at the centre, that formed the Sun. The remaining mass flattened into a proto planetary disk and formed the planets, satellites and other objects in the solar system. Planet Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, contains major chunk of the remaining mass.

Our solar system is believed to have evolved substantially since its inception. Many new moons have come into shape from the gases and dust around the planets. Several collisions among the celestial bodies have also occurred and still continue to occur thereby contributing to the evolution of the solar system.

The Discovery of Planets

For thousands of years astronomers believed that Earth was stationary and formed the centre of the universe. It was in the 18 th century that the astronomers accepted that Earth orbits around the Sun.

In 2 nd millennium BC, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were identified by ancient Babylonian astronomers. Later, Nicolaus Copernicus also identified them. Uranus was discovered by famous astronomer, Sir William Herschel in 1781. Neptune was discovered by English astronomer and mathematician, John Couch Adams in the year 1846. It was in the year 1930 that the ninth planet, Pluto was discovered. Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto which is now identified as a dwarf planet.

The study of the universe and heavenly bodies is one of the most fascinating studies. Through continuous research, astronomers have found out several surprising facts about the universe and our solar system. Our solar system is ever evolving and newer facts are being discovered and studied by researchers year after year.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (400 words)

Celestial bodies are objects that naturally occur in the observable universe. These include the stars, natural satellites, planets, asteroids, galaxies, comets and meteorites. Our solar system consists of a Sun, eight planets their moons, five dwarf planets and asteroids among other celestial bodies. Brief information about each of the celestial bodies present in our solar system is given below.

The Sun is the only star on our solar system. It is stationary and the other objects in our solar system revolve around it. It is the most massive component of our solar system. Research states that it comprises of 99.86% of the entire mass of our solar system.

The Planets

There are eight planets in the solar system. These are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planets have been divided into two groups – Terrestrial Planets and Giant Planets. Planets vary based on their size, geological features, mass, number of satellites and various other factors. No traces of life have been found on any planet apart from Earth.

The Dwarf Planets

There are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Eris and Makemake. While Ceres is situated in the asteroid belt others are located in the outer solar system. Dwarf planets are quite like the full size planets. The only difference is that the full size planets have cleared the objects in the area of their orbit whereas the dwarf planets have not.

Astronomers claim that there are six other objects in our solar system that are akin to the dwarf planets. These may be officially recognized as dwarf planets in the times to come.

There are a total of 193 moons in our solar system as per a research conducted in the year 2008. Out of these, 185 moons orbit around the full size planets and 8 moons revolve around the dwarf planets. Moons come in various sizes and shapes. They differ from each other in various ways. Most of the moons are airless. However, there are some that have atmosphere. Some even have hidden oceans. Each planet has different number of moons. Earth has just one moon while Jupiter has the highest number of moons. It has a total of 79 moons.  Moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are many other celestial bodies in our solar system. These include the Interplanetary Medium, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, asteroids and meteoroids. The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud comprise of billions of icy objects. Each celestial body in our solar system is unique with its own set of features.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (500 words)

Our Solar System – A Small Part of the Universe

Our solar system is huge but nothing compared to the size of the universe. The universe is humongous and is believed to encompass numerous solar systems consisting of several planets, stars and other heavenly bodies. The universe is all space and time and it is not possible to calculate its spatial size. The size of the observable universe is estimated to be 93 billion light years.

The Galaxies and Solar Systems

Research shows that just like our solar system there are numerous other solar systems in the universe. The universe consists of billions of galaxies. Each of these galaxies has uncountable stars and many of these stars are said to have solar systems of their own. The size of the stars, the number of planets, the geological features of the planets, the number and size of the natural satellites vary from solar system to solar system.

Our solar system is a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is huge. It has more than 100 billion stars. More than 2500 stars with planets orbiting around them have been discovered in the Milky Way Galaxy. The study in this field is going on constantly. There are numerous planetary systems that the scientists and astronomers are yet to discover.

Our Solar System

Our solar system encompasses Sun which is a big ball of fire. Sun is stationary and forms the centre of our solar system. Eight planets namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune revolve around the Sun. Each of these planets move in a fixed path in its own set speed. The geological features of each of these planets are different. While Neptune is freezing cold, Venus is scorching hot. Similarly, while Jupiter is massively big, Mercury is comparatively very small in size. The planet is even smaller than some of the moons in our solar system. The atmosphere of each of the planets is different. Planets have been divided into two groups and the features of the planets within each group also vary vastly.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system which is known to have life. It is filled with vast oceans and gases such as oxygen and nitrogen that render life. Mars is said to share some similarities with Earth. Evidences of ice have been found on the planet. The planet is extremely cold and thus life there seems impossible. However, it is believed that the planet was once wet and warm and life existed here. Astronomers are studying this planet closely and have found many interesting facts about the same. These planets have different numbers of natural satellites.

Apart from this, there are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, Eris and Pluto. Earlier there were nine planets in our solar system and Pluto was one among them. However, it has now been termed as a dwarf planet.

The Universe is vast and there is a lot to study and discover. Scientists have studied our solar system deeply for centuries and are now moving beyond to study other solar systems and galaxies. A lot of interesting facts about this enchanting universe are likely to surface in the times to come.

Long Essay on Solar System and Planets (600 words)

Our solar system consists of eight planets that revolve around the Sun, which is central to our solar system. These planets have broadly been classified into two categories – inner planets and outer planets. There are four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and smaller in size as compared to the outer planets. These are also referred to as the Terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are termed as the outer planets. These are massive in size and are often referred to as Giant planets.

Here is brief information about each of these planets:

The smallest planet in our solar system, Mercury is also the closest to the Sun. Its geological features consist of lobed ridges and impact craters. Being closest to the Sun, Mercury’s temperature sores extremely high during the day time. It can go as high as 450 degree Celsius. Surprisingly, the nights here are freezing cold.

Mercury has a diameter of 4,878 km. It does not have any natural satellite.

Venus is said to be the hottest planet of our solar system. It has a toxic atmosphere that traps heat. It is also the brightest planet and is visible to the naked eye. It has a thick silicate layer around an iron core which is similar to that of Earth. Astronomers have seen traces of internal geological activity on this planet.

Venus has a diameter of 12,104 km. Just like Mars, Venus also does not have any natural satellite.

Earth is the largest inner planet. Two-third of this planet is covered with water. It is the only planet in our solar system where life is known to exist. Earth’s atmosphere, which is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, makes it fit for the survival of various species of flora and fauna. However, human activities are having negative impact on its atmosphere.

Earth has a diameter of 12,760 km. It has one natural satellite, the moon.

Mars, the fourth planet from Sun, is often referred to as the Red Planet. The iron oxide present on this planet gives it a reddish appeal. The planet is cold and has geological features similar to that of Earth. This is the reason why it has captured the interest of astronomers like no other planet. Traces of frozen ice caps have been found on the planet.

Mars has a diameter of 6,787 km and two natural satellites.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It has a strong magnetic field. It largely consists of helium and hydrogen. It has a Great Red Spot and cloud bands. A giant storm is believed to have raged here for hundreds of years.

Jupiter has a diameter of 139,822 km and has as many as 79 natural satellites.

Saturn is known for its ring system. These rings are made of tiny particles of ice and rock. Its atmosphere is quite like that of Jupiter as it is also largely composed of hydrogen and helium.

Saturn has a diameter of 120,500 km. It has 62 natural satellites that are mainly composed of ice.

Uranus, the seventh planet from Sun, is the lightest of all the giant, outer planets. It has a blue tint which is because of the presence of Methane in the atmosphere. Its core is colder than the other giant planets. The planet orbits on its side.

Uranus has a diameter of 51,120 km and 27 natural satellites.

The last planet in our solar system, Neptune is also the coldest of all. It is around the same size as the Uranus but is much more massive and dense. Neptune’s atmosphere is composed of helium, hydrogen, methane and ammonia. It experiences extremely strong winds. It is the only planet in our solar system which is found by mathematical prediction.

Neptune has a diameter of 49,530 km. It has 14 natural satellites.

Scientists and astronomers have been studying our solar system for centuries and the findings are quite interesting. Various planets that form a part of our solar system have their own unique geological features and are different from each other in several ways.

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Essay on Solar System and Planets in English for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Our solar system consists of a sun, eight planets, satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids and comets. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Earlier it had nine planets. However, Pluto, the ninth planet does not meet the latest standards set for the planets. It has now been termed as a dwarf planet thereby increasing the count of the dwarf planets in our solar system to five.

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Long and Short Essays on Solar System and Planets in English

Here are long and short essay on solar system and planets in English, to help you with the topic in your exams or essay writing/debate competitions.

After going through these solar system and planets essay, you will know about the formation of solar system, when the planets were discovered, the dwarf planets, satellites and characteristics of individual planets etc.

All in all, these Solar System and Planets Essays will make you familiar with the universe we are a part of, so much so, that you can confidently take part in debates, talk shows and discussions, on our solar system and its planets. Please go through these essays to select your needed ones:

Short Essay on Solar System and Planets (200 words)

The universe is massive. It is much bigger than we can imagine and our solar system is just a small part of it. Our solar system houses a big, bright star called the Sun. The Sun is a rich source of electromagnetic energy that it exudes in the form of light and heat. There are eight planets in our solar system namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets revolve around the sun in a fixed path referred to as the orbit. Several other smaller objects also move around the sun.

Many planets in our solar system have natural satellites called the moon. While Earth has one moon, Mars has two, Neptune has 14 moons, Uranus has 27 moons, Saturn has 62 moons and Jupiter has as many as 79 moons. Even the dwarf planet Pluto has 5 moons. Mercury and Venus, on the other hand, do not have any moon. Just as the planets move around the Sun in a fixed path, moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the Sun, planets and moons, our solar system consists of several other celestial bodies called the comets, asteroids and meteoroids. While our solar system has only one star, many other solar systems are known to have at least two stars.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (300 words)

Introduction

Our solar system was formed billions of years ago. It consists of numerous celestial bodies including planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, meteorites and a massive star. Our solar system forms a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. Various celestial bodies in our solar system revolve around the Sun directly or indirectly.

The Formation of the Solar System

It is believed that around 4.6 billion years ago, the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud gave shape to our solar system. Major part of the collapsing mass collated at the centre, that formed the Sun. The remaining mass flattened into a proto planetary disk and formed the planets, satellites and other objects in the solar system. Planet Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, contains major chunk of the remaining mass.

Our solar system is believed to have evolved substantially since its inception. Many new moons have come into shape from the gases and dust around the planets. Several collisions among the celestial bodies have also occurred and still continue to occur thereby contributing to the evolution of the solar system.

The Discovery of Planets

For thousands of years astronomers believed that Earth was stationary and formed the centre of the universe. It was in the 18 th century that the astronomers accepted that Earth orbits around the Sun.

In 2 nd millennium BC, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were identified by ancient Babylonian astronomers. Later, Nicolaus Copernicus also identified them. Uranus was discovered by famous astronomer, Sir William Herschel in 1781. Neptune was discovered by English astronomer and mathematician, John Couch Adams in the year 1846. It was in the year 1930 that the ninth planet, Pluto was discovered. Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto which is now identified as a dwarf planet.

The study of the universe and heavenly bodies is one of the most fascinating studies. Through continuous research, astronomers have found out several surprising facts about the universe and our solar system. Our solar system is ever evolving and newer facts are being discovered and studied by researchers year after year.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (400 words)

Celestial bodies are objects that naturally occur in the observable universe. These include the stars, natural satellites, planets, asteroids, galaxies, comets and meteorites. Our solar system consists of a Sun, eight planets their moons, five dwarf planets and asteroids among other celestial bodies. Brief information about each of the celestial bodies present in our solar system is given below.

The Sun is the only star on our solar system. It is stationary and the other objects in our solar system revolve around it. It is the most massive component of our solar system. Research states that it comprises of 99.86% of the entire mass of our solar system.

The Planets

There are eight planets in the solar system. These are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planets have been divided into two groups – Terrestrial Planets and Giant Planets. Planets vary based on their size, geological features, mass, number of satellites and various other factors. No traces of life have been found on any planet apart from Earth.

The Dwarf Planets

There are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Eris and Makemake. While Ceres is situated in the asteroid belt others are located in the outer solar system. Dwarf planets are quite like the full size planets. The only difference is that the full size planets have cleared the objects in the area of their orbit whereas the dwarf planets have not.

Astronomers claim that there are six other objects in our solar system that are akin to the dwarf planets. These may be officially recognized as dwarf planets in the times to come.

There are a total of 193 moons in our solar system as per a research conducted in the year 2008. Out of these, 185 moons orbit around the full size planets and 8 moons revolve around the dwarf planets. Moons come in various sizes and shapes. They differ from each other in various ways. Most of the moons are airless. However, there are some that have atmosphere. Some even have hidden oceans. Each planet has different number of moons. Earth has just one moon while Jupiter has the highest number of moons. It has a total of 79 moons. Moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are many other celestial bodies in our solar system. These include the Interplanetary Medium, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, asteroids and meteoroids. The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud comprise of billions of icy objects. Each celestial body in our solar system is unique with its own set of features.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (500 words)

Our Solar System – A Small Part of the Universe

Our solar system is huge but nothing compared to the size of the universe. The universe is humongous and is believed to encompass numerous solar systems consisting of several planets, stars and other heavenly bodies. The universe is all space and time and it is not possible to calculate its spatial size. The size of the observable universe is estimated to be 93 billion light years.

The Galaxies and Solar Systems

Research shows that just like our solar system there are numerous other solar systems in the universe. The universe consists of billions of galaxies. Each of these galaxies has uncountable stars and many of these stars are said to have solar systems of their own. The size of the stars, the number of planets, the geological features of the planets, the number and size of the natural satellites vary from solar system to solar system.

Our solar system is a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is huge. It has more than 100 billion stars. More than 2500 stars with planets orbiting around them have been discovered in the Milky Way Galaxy. The study in this field is going on constantly. There are numerous planetary systems that the scientists and astronomers are yet to discover.

Our Solar System

Our solar system encompasses Sun which is a big ball of fire. Sun is stationary and forms the centre of our solar system. Eight planets namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune revolve around the Sun. Each of these planets move in a fixed path in its own set speed. The geological features of each of these planets are different. While Neptune is freezing cold, Venus is scorching hot. Similarly, while Jupiter is massively big, Mercury is comparatively very small in size. The planet is even smaller than some of the moons in our solar system. The atmosphere of each of the planets is different. Planets have been divided into two groups and the features of the planets within each group also vary vastly.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system which is known to have life. It is filled with vast oceans and gases such as oxygen and nitrogen that render life. Mars is said to share some similarities with Earth. Evidences of ice have been found on the planet. The planet is extremely cold and thus life there seems impossible. However, it is believed that the planet was once wet and warm and life existed here. Astronomers are studying this planet closely and have found many interesting facts about the same. These planets have different numbers of natural satellites.

Apart from this, there are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, Eris and Pluto. Earlier there were nine planets in our solar system and Pluto was one among them. However, it has now been termed as a dwarf planet.

The Universe is vast and there is a lot to study and discover. Scientists have studied our solar system deeply for centuries and are now moving beyond to study other solar systems and galaxies. A lot of interesting facts about this enchanting universe are likely to surface in the times to come.

Long Essay on Solar System and Planets (600 words)

Our solar system consists of eight planets that revolve around the Sun, which is central to our solar system. These planets have broadly been classified into two categories – inner planets and outer planets. There are four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and smaller in size as compared to the outer planets. These are also referred to as the Terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are termed as the outer planets. These are massive in size and are often referred to as Giant planets.

Here is brief information about each of these planets:

The smallest planet in our solar system, Mercury is also the closest to the Sun. Its geological features consist of lobed ridges and impact craters. Being closest to the Sun, Mercury’s temperature sores extremely high during the day time. It can go as high as 450 degree Celsius. Surprisingly, the nights here are freezing cold.

Mercury has a diameter of 4,878 km. It does not have any natural satellite.

Venus is said to be the hottest planet of our solar system. It has a toxic atmosphere that traps heat. It is also the brightest planet and is visible to the naked eye. It has a thick silicate layer around an iron core which is similar to that of Earth. Astronomers have seen traces of internal geological activity on this planet.

Venus has a diameter of 12,104 km. Just like Mars, Venus also does not have any natural satellite.

Earth is the largest inner planet. Two-third of this planet is covered with water. It is the only planet in our solar system where life is known to exist. Earth’s atmosphere, which is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, makes it fit for the survival of various species of flora and fauna. However, human activities are having negative impact on its atmosphere.

Earth has a diameter of 12,760 km. It has one natural satellite, the moon.

Mars, the fourth planet from Sun, is often referred to as the Red Planet. The iron oxide present on this planet gives it a reddish appeal. The planet is cold and has geological features similar to that of Earth. This is the reason why it has captured the interest of astronomers like no other planet. Traces of frozen ice caps have been found on the planet.

Mars has a diameter of 6,787 km and two natural satellites.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It has a strong magnetic field. It largely consists of helium and hydrogen. It has a Great Red Spot and cloud bands. A giant storm is believed to have raged here for hundreds of years.

Jupiter has a diameter of 139,822 km and has as many as 79 natural satellites.

Saturn is known for its ring system. These rings are made of tiny particles of ice and rock. Its atmosphere is quite like that of Jupiter as it is also largely composed of hydrogen and helium.

Saturn has a diameter of 120,500 km. It has 62 natural satellites that are mainly composed of ice.

Uranus, the seventh planet from Sun, is the lightest of all the giant, outer planets. It has a blue tint which is because of the presence of Methane in the atmosphere. Its core is colder than the other giant planets. The planet orbits on its side.

Uranus has a diameter of 51,120 km and 27 natural satellites.

The last planet in our solar system, Neptune is also the coldest of all. It is around the same size as the Uranus but is much more massive and dense. Neptune’s atmosphere is composed of helium, hydrogen, methane and ammonia. It experiences extremely strong winds. It is the only planet in our solar system which is found by mathematical prediction.

Neptune has a diameter of 49,530 km. It has 14 natural satellites.

Scientists and astronomers have been studying our solar system for centuries and the findings are quite interesting. Various planets that form a part of our solar system have their own unique geological features and are different from each other in several ways.

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How NASA Uses and Improves Solar Power

The sun is the most energetic object in our solar system ..

Humans have been finding creative ways to harness the Sun's heat and light for thousands of years. But the practice of converting the Sun’s energy into electricity — what we now call solar power — is less than 200 years old. Yet in that short time, solar power has revealed the Sun’s limitless potential to power an increasingly technological society. Since the 1950s, NASA has harnessed the energy of the Sun to power spacecraft and drive scientific discovery across our solar system. Today, NASA continues to advance solar panel technology and test new innovations. Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Lacey Young

A Brief History of Solar Power

Even before the light bulb, scientists had inklings of the power locked up in a ray of sunlight.

In 1839, French scientist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel (who was 19 at the time) was working in his father’s laboratory, experimenting with two metal sheets placed in an electricity-conducting liquid. As he shined light on the device, he detected a weak electric current — what we now know to be a flow of electrons through the material. This phenomenon was the first demonstration that light could generate electricity, known today as the photovoltaic effect.

In 1872, scientists discovered the first solid material — selenium — that could pass an electrical current.

By 1884 selenium had been incorporated in the world’s first solar array, which was installed on a New York City rooftop. Scientists continued to develop and experiment with selenium and other photovoltaic materials for the next 70 years, but practical applications were limited by their low efficiency – only about 1% of light energy could be converted to electricity.

A breakthrough came in 1954.

That's when scientists at Bell Labs used an abundant material called silicon to create the first solar cell that achieved 6% efficiency. Solar panels today use this same basic design, with adjustments that have allowed industrial and commercial solar panels to achieve between 15% and 23% efficiency.

How Solar Panels Work

Silicon is an abundant material used in many technological applications because it is a very good “semiconductor,” or material whose ability to carry electric current can be easily manipulated by adding energy. In typical solar cells, silicon is layered in three thin sheets. A middle layer is made of pure silicon. The outer two silicon layers are injected with other elements (typically phosphorous on one side, and boron on the other) that differ in their capacity to “donate” or “accept” electrons. As light strikes the pure silicon layer, it energizes the silicon’s electrons, which then begin to move within the material. Those electrons are attracted to the silicon layer designed to “accept” electrons, leading to a buildup of negative and positive charges in the outer layers. These two sides are then connected with wires to form a circuit that facilitates the flow of electrons from one side to the other, generating usable power.

Silicon-based solar cells power many of NASA’s spacecraft, including the James Webb Space Telescope. Learn more about why this abundant material is used in solar panels in this excerpt from NASA’s Elements of Webb video series.

Solar Power in Space

A mere four years after the first viable solar cells were created, they made their way to space.

The Soviet Union kicked off the space race with the launch of Sputnik on Oct. 4, 1957, quickly followed by the United States’ Explorer 1 on Jan. 31, 1958. But as both satellites ran exclusively on battery power, they were dead within a few weeks. In March 1958, the United States launched the first solar-powered spacecraft, Vanguard 1 (pictured at right), which transmitted data for the next six years.

Solar cells became the de facto way to power spacecraft, and remain so today.

Some missions, such as NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, require specialized solar panels that can operate in extreme environments. Flying on an elliptical orbit into the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, Parker Solar Probe uses solar panels angled away and partially shaded from the Sun. It also uses a special cooling system to ensure the system isn’t overwhelmed by heat and was designed to be extra robust to deal with the intense ultraviolet rays it receives when close to the Sun, which can degrade materials rapidly. The spacecraft’s elliptical orbit also takes it far from the Sun, even beyond Venus. Engineers designed the solar array to compensate for how the light changes at different distances to the Sun, which alters the color and intensity of the sunlight it receives.

But sunlight drops dramatically with distance.

At Jupiter, which receives 25 times less light than Earth, the Juno spacecraft (pictured at right) needs three 30-foot-long panels to generate 500 watts of energy — about how much a typical refrigerator uses. Its orbit around Jupiter also helps keep the solar panels almost constantly exposed to sunlight to maximize power generation. Solar power becomes less viable for missions that venture even farther, where there’s not even enough light to charge a battery. Deep space missions like NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 rely instead on energy from the radioactive decay of plutonium-238 to keep them running well into interstellar space.

How NASA is Improving Solar Power

Perovskites for improved efficiency.

NASA scientists and other researchers around the world are working to improve the efficiency and durability of solar panels. In addition to using silicon, scientists have discovered that adding a layer of minerals known as perovskites can dramatically improve panel efficiency. Perovskites help capture bluer visible wavelengths, complimenting silicon’s redder wavelength coverage and allowing a solar cell to capture more light. In 2023, several independent research teams created small perovskite-silicon solar cells that exceeded 30% efficiency, and the best experimental cells today are approaching 50% efficiency.

ROSAs for Flexibility

NASA is also developing technology for flexible and rollable solar panels that can improve their use in constrained spaces. Using different materials for the base layer of a solar panel can make a panel lighter and more flexible — essential attributes for space missions that need to be packed into a small space in a rocket. The first two sets of solar arrays used by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in the 1990s and 2000s were designed with solar cells mounted to a flexible blanket-like material so they could be rolled up and stowed to fit inside the space shuttle cargo bay for launch. In 2009, NASA and its partners started working on the next iteration of flexible solar panels called roll-out solar arrays (ROSAs). These arrays, which unfurl like a roll of paper towels, are even lighter and more affordable than previous arrays. They have been used on NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, on commercial geostationary satellites, and on the International Space Station to augment its traditional solar array. NASA plans to include ROSAs on Gateway, an orbiting outpost crucial to NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Vertical Arrays for Lunar Applications

NASA is also involved with envisioning the next generation of solar power usage in space. To advance the Artemis campaign, NASA tasked three companies with developing and building prototypes of vertical deployable solar array systems to power human and robotic exploration of the Moon. Most space solar array structures are designed to be used horizontally, but on the Moon, vertically oriented structures atop tall masts will be needed to maximize sunlight collection at the lunar poles, where the Sun stays close to the horizon. Scientists are also investigating the feasibility of space-based solar power, which would collect sunlight from space and beam the energy back to Earth, potentially serving remote locations across the planet to supplement power transmission infrastructure on the ground.

The Future of Solar Power in Space

Sailing with the sun.

Along with working to improve the efficiency of solar panels, NASA is also looking beyond photovoltaics to an old technology: sails. Humans have crossed open waters by sail for thousands of years. And now, NASA is working on a system to traverse space using solar sails. Unlike photovoltaics, which work by capturing the energy of light, solar sails use the pressure of light. When a photon, or individual particle of light, bounces off a reflective solar sail, it imparts a small push. With enough photons, these tiny nudges can move an entire spacecraft, much like how traditional sails harness the multitude of tiny air molecules that make up the wind. In the future, solar sails could replace heavy propulsion systems and enable longer-duration and lower-cost missions.

The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System

In 2024, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, a microwave-sized spacecraft, launched to test a new composite boom — a sail’s framework — made from materials that are stiffer and lighter than previous boom designs. The spacecraft has a solar sail measuring about 860 square feet — about the size of six parking spots. The seven-meter-long boom that holds out the solar sail can collapse into a bundle that would fit in your hand, which allowed it to fit compactly inside the spacecraft. The mission demonstrated the boom’s deployment and is now testing the sail’s performance using a series of maneuvers to adjust the spacecraft orbit using the sail angle. The technology could eventually allow for future sails up to half the size of a soccer field, enabling travel to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Explore NASA's Sun-related stories and download high-resolution images of the solar system, agency missions, and more.

Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3)

Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant.

Oct. 2 Annular Solar Eclipse

On Oct. 2, 2024, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, casting its shadow across parts of Earth. 

Our closest star is so much more than meets the eye.

Related Terms

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55 Solar Energy Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on solar energy, 🎓 most interesting solar energy research titles, 💡 simple solar energy essay ideas.

• Electricity vs. Solar Energy Compared and Contrasted
• Solar Energy and Its Impact on Environment
• Solar Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Discussion of Realization of Solar Energy
• Solar Energy in China and Its Influence on Climate Change
• Utilization of Solar Energy for Thermal Desalination
• Solar Power as the Best Source of Energy
• Installing Solar Panels to Reduce Energy Costs
• Mega Energy Projects: China’s Solar Generator
• Solar Energy as an Infinite Source of Clean Energy
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy Utilization
• Innovation and Community Involvement to Advance Solar Energy
• Nanomaterials Applications in Solar Energy: Future Prospects and Challenges
• Risk in Solar Energy: Extreme Low-Light Events
• Implications of Solar Energy Adoption on Achieving SDGs
• Optimizing Solar Energy Harvesting Through Advanced Solar Tracking Systems
• Electricity Generation Methods From Solar Energy
• Discussing the Rise in Application of Solar Energy in GCC Countries
• Solar Power vs. Fossil Fuels: Examining the Environmental Impact
• Exploring the Use of Solar Energy in Agriculture and Irrigation
• Feasibility of Solar Energy as a Sustainable Renewable Resource in the UAE
• Non-Industrial Solar Energy Use, Barriers, and Readiness
• The Future of Solar Energy: Third-Generation Solar Cells
• Evaluation of Solar Energy Potential in the Context of Climate Change
• Ways to Reduce Shading and Dust on Solar Panels
• The Major Factors Influencing the Growth of Solar Energy Usage
• Solar Energy Storage Impact on the Economics and Policies of the Power Sector
• Decision Support System for Solar Energy Adoption
• Solar Energy as a Necessary Investment in a Developing Economy
• Environmental Impacts and Trade-Offs of Solar Power Development and Deployment
• Analyzing Consumer Preferences for Solar Energy
• Prospects, Politics, and Practices of Solar Energy Innovation
• Multi-Energy Complementary Power Systems Based on Solar Energy
• Solar vs. Nuclear: Comparing Carbon-Free Power Sources
• Artificial Intelligence Applications in Solar Energy
• The Role of Solar Energy in Reducing Air Pollution
• Optimizing Solar Energy: An Evaluation of IoT-Based Solar Panel Monitoring Systems
• Peer-to-Peer Solar Energy Sharing System for Rural Communities
• The Transition Towards Solar Energy Storage: A Multi-Level Perspective
• The Present Status of Solar Power Generation in the United States
• Wind Turbulence Impact on Solar Energy Harvesting
• Solar Energy Utilization for Underfloor Heating Systems in Residential Buildings
• Potentiality of Glass in Harnessing Solar Energy
• Design of Solar Energy System in Food Manufacturing Environment
• A Review of Components for Passive Solar Energy Utilization
• Exploring Solar Energy Policy Developments in Europe
• Selective Absorber Coatings as a Catalyst for Enhanced Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency
• Deciding the Best Renewable Energy Source: Solar vs. Wind
• Solar Energy Materials-Evolution and Niche Applications
• Economic and Environmental Analysis of Solar Energy Development Under Climate Impacts
• Solar Energy Status in the World: A Comprehensive Review
• Assessment of Solar Energy Potential and Its Ecological-Economic Efficiency
• The Use of the Solar Energy in Photochemical and Photocatalytic Processes
• Solar Power: Landmark Moments in the History of Solar Energy
• The Role of Government Policies in Promoting the Adoption of Solar Energy

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StudyCorgi . "55 Solar Energy Essay Topics." September 9, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/solar-energy-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2024. "55 Solar Energy Essay Topics." September 9, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/solar-energy-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Solar Energy were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on September 18, 2024 .