planetary system · system

Solar System

A gravitationally organized system whose familiar diagram is almost always a scale compromise.

Scale

planetary system; boundary depends on definition

Structure

Sun, eight planets, moons and smaller bodies

Formation / process

formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust

Observation

spacecraft, telescopes and in-situ measurements

Representation

distance diagrams usually distort size to keep objects legible

Evidence state

Verified / sourced

Core factual statements below are linked to reviewed NASA sources. Descriptive framing is ICU editorial synthesis.

Sourced facts

NASA describes the solar system as the Sun plus eight planets and many smaller bodies.
NASA dates its formation to about 4.6 billion years ago.

Source register

No external image is embedded on this record. Visual treatment is authored CSS/HTML presentation.