On a clear night, gazing at the sky can be an awe-inspiring experience. Early observers who noted the changing positions of the planets presented differing ideas about the solar system based on their observations and beliefs. Today, people know that the Sun and the stars only appear to move through the sky because Earth is moving. This wasn�t always an accepted fact.
The solar system consists of the Sun; the nine planets, more than 130 satellites of the planets, a large number of small bodies (the comets and asteroids), and the interplanetary medium. (There are probably also many more planetary satellites that have not yet been discovered.
There are 3 models in description of the solar system:
And, the nine planets are categorized into 2 major groups:
Ideas about the Solar System
An Overview of the Solar System
- Earth-centred Model
- Sun-centred Model
- Modern View of the Solar System
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
- Pluto