The Solar System

The Solar System. . Children's Science and Nature Area , Niagara Region , The Solar System , Scientists believe that our solar system is over 4.5 billion years old. The current theory is that an enormous swirling cloud of gas and dust particles created our solar system. In the centre of the cloud, particles clumped together and formed a new star called the sun. Other particles continued to flow like a whirlpool around the sun. These particles separated and became the planets, moons, asteroids and comets of the Solar System. , , How Big is the Solar System? , Our Solar System is so big that if you could fly in a jet plane from the sun, it would take 18 years to reach Earth. Eight more years, you would pass Mars. To Jupiter, it would take another 66 years and to the "dwarf planet" Pluto, you would be flying for 700 years! , , Mercury: The planet Mercury represents a world of extremes. The Solar System's tiniest plant, Mercury is located so close to the sun that the temperature can reach 465 degrees C during the daytime. Mercury spins so slowly that it can get very cold at night. One could actually freeze to death before the next morning. , , Venus: Venus is not a friendly planet. Similar in many ways to Earth, Venus has active volcanoes, venusquakes, mountains and valleys. The major difference is its thick cloud cover, which traps the sun's heat: average daily temperature there is 449 degrees C! , , Earth: Earth is an oasis of oasis of life in an otherwise harsh and unforgiving universe. Earth's temperature, weather, atmosphere and many other factors are just right to keep humans, and other life forms alive. , , Mars: Mars behaves more like Earth than any of the other planets. There is evidence to suggest that Mars once had rivers, streams, lakes and even an ocean. Mars has much higher mountains and far deeper canyons than Earth. Mars' widest canyon would stretch from Toronto to Vancouver on earth. That makes the Grand Canyon look tiny! , , Jupiter: Jupiter is the biggest planet in the Solar System. The planet has no solid surface: there is nothing to walk on-only air and water! Under its atmosphere is a large ocean of hydrogen and water. Jupiter's giant red spot is a super hurricane with winds that blows across an area larger, than Earth. This storm has been raging for at least 300 years. , , Saturn: Saturn has beautiful rings that are almost 272,000 km wide - but only as thick as a football field. Saturn is similar to Jupiter, but much smaller. Under clouds of methane and helium, Saturn's sky gradually turns into an ocean of liquid chemicals. Average daily temperature on Saturn is a cold -184 degrees C. , , Uranus: We know the least about Uranus and Neptune because they are so far away. It is believed that Uranus may actually contain trillions of large diamonds! , , Neptune: Neptune was discovered only 150 years ago.