Submitted by:

IQRA IBRAHIM

Submitted to:

MAAM SUNNIA QUMROSH

BS-IR (semester 4)

Self-Supporting

LAHORE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN UNIVERSITY, LAHORE

The solar system consists of the Sun and everything that orbits, or travels around, the
Sun. This includes the eight planets and their moons, dwarf planets, and countless
asteroids, comets, and other small, icy objects. However, even with all these things, most
of the solar system is empty space. The solar system is a vast and dynamic family of
celestial bodies, with the Sun at its heart, providing light and energy. It includes eight
planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—each
unique in its characteristics and distance from the Sun. Additionally, there are dwarf
planets like Pluto, moons, comets, and the asteroid belt, all orbiting the Sun in a delicate
cosmic dance. The solar system is a fascinating and interconnected system that has
existed for billions of years.
Sun:

The Sun is the central star of our solar system, made mostly of hydrogen and helium, and
it generates energy through nuclear fusion in its core. This energy is radiated as light and
heat, which sustain life on Earth. The Sun's immense mass (99.8% of the solar system's
total mass) and strong gravity keep the planets in orbit. Its outer layers include the
corona, chromosphere, and photosphere, with the corona visible during a solar
eclipse. The Sun also emits solar wind and particles that can affect Earth's technology. At
about 4.6 billion years old, the Sun is in its middle age and will eventually become a red
giant before shedding its outer layers and becoming a white dwarf. It plays a vital role in
maintaining the structure of the solar system and supporting life on Earth.

1. Mercury

Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is a small, rocky world located about 57.9 million
kilometers (36 million miles) from the Sun. A day on Mercury is longer than its year: it
takes 59 Earth days for Mercury to complete one full rotation, and only 88 Earth days to
orbit the Sun. Its surface is covered in craters, much like the Moon, and it has no moons
of its own. Because it has such a thin atmosphere, Mercury can't retain heat, leaving it
vulnerable to space debris and extreme temperature swings.

2. Venus

Venus, often referred to as Earth's "sister planet" due to its similar size and composition,
is the second planet from the Sun, sitting around 108.2 million kilometers (67.2 million
miles) away. Despite its similarities to Earth, Venus has a thick atmosphere mainly
composed of carbon dioxide, which creates a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the
hottest planet in the solar system. Temperatures on Venus can reach up to 475°C (880°F),
hot enough to melt lead. A single day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, and its rotation is so
slow that it spins in the opposite direction to most planets. Its year, or revolution around
the Sun, lasts 225 Earth days. The planet is clouded in sulfuric acid clouds and has no
moons.

3. Earth
Earth is only planet where human beings and living things exists, it is located 149.6
million kilometers (93 million miles) from the Sun. It's the third planet from the Sun
perfect balance of atmosphere, water, and temperature. Earth has a unique mixture of
gases in its atmosphere, mainly nitrogen and oxygen, that protect life from harmful solar
radiation and help regulate temperatures. Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, giving
us day and night, and it takes 365.25 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. With a
diverse range of ecosystems, Earth's surface features include oceans, mountains, forests,
deserts, and a variety of animal life. Our planet has one natural satellite, the Moon, which
helps stabilize its tilt and influences the tides.

4. Mars

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is often called the "Red Planet" due to its iron oxide
(rust) rich surface, giving it a reddish hue. It orbits the Sun at a distance of about 227.9
million kilometers (141.6 million miles). A day on Mars is very close to Earth’s, lasting 24.6
hours, but a year on Mars is almost twice as long, taking 687 Earth days to complete one
orbit. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system. Mars has two small moons,
Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured asteroids.
5. Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is a gas giant located about 778.3 million
kilometers (484 million miles) from the Sun. Jupiter’s immense size is made up mostly of
hydrogen and helium, and it has a fast rotation period—just 9.9 hours to complete one
full rotation, making it the planet with the shortest day. A year on Jupiter lasts nearly 12
Earth years (11.9 Earth years). Its most famous feature is the Great Red Spot, a massive
storm that has been raging for centuries. Jupiter’s strong magnetic field and powerful
radiation belts make it a hazardous place for spacecraft to visit, but it also plays a crucial
role in protecting the inner planets from comets and asteroids. The planet has over 79
moons, including the four largest—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—known as the
Galilean moons. Jupiter also has a faint ring system, although it is much less prominent
than Saturn’s.

6. Saturn

Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is famous for its stunning and expansive ring
system, made up of ice, rock, and dust particles. Located about 1.43 billion kilometers
(890 million miles) away from the Sun, Saturn is a gas giant like Jupiter, primarily
composed of hydrogen and helium. It has a fast rotation, completing a full spin in just
10.7 hours, but it takes 29.5 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun. Saturn’s
rings are one of the most recognizable features of the solar system, and its 62 moons
include Titan, the second-largest moon in the solar system, which has a thick
atmosphere. Saturn’s atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium, and it experiences
extreme winds and storms. Despite its size and gas composition.

7. Uranus

Uranus is an ice giant located about 2.87 billion kilometers (1.78 billion miles) from the
Sun. What makes Uranus particularly unique is its extreme tilt—its axis is tilted by 98
degrees, meaning the planet essentially rolls on its side as it orbits the Sun. This unusual
tilt causes extreme seasonal variations on the planet. A day on Uranus lasts just 17.2 Earth
hours, while a year is much longer, taking 84 Earth years to complete one orbit. Uranus
has a cold, bluish appearance due to the methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs red
light and reflects blue. The planet is surrounded by a faint ring system and has 13 known
rings and 27 moons. Its atmosphere is composed primarily of hydrogen, helium, and
methane, and its surface temperatures are some of the coldest in the solar system.

8. Neptune
Neptune, the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun, is located about 4.5 billion
kilometers (2.8 billion miles) away. Like Uranus, Neptune is classified as an ice giant, and
its atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium, and methane, which gives it its striking deep
blue color. Neptune has strong winds, some of the fastest in the solar system, reaching
speeds of over 2,000 kilometers per hour (1,200 mph). The planet also has a dark storm
system similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, called the Great Dark Spot, although it has
been observed to change in size and shape. Neptune has 14 known moons, with Triton
being the largest and most interesting. Neptune complete its one revolution in 165 Earth
years, and one rotation in 16 hours.

Comets:
Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust,
rock, and ices. They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer
to the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger
than a planet. There are currently 4,584 known comets in our solar system. However,
astronomers believe there are billions more,

Asteroids:
Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun, with the majority found in the main
asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, though some are also near Earth or share orbits
with planets. Asteroids are rocky remnants from the early solar system, primarily found in
the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are made of rock, metal, and sometimes
ice. Ceres, the largest asteroid, is actually a dwarf planet, and some asteroids have moons
of their own. Asteroids have impacted Earth before, and their impact can have significant
consequences, including the extinction of dinosaurs. Some asteroids may hold clues to
the origins of life, and they are also a potential resource for future space exploration.

Conclusion:
The solar system is a vast and dynamic family of celestial bodies centered around the Sun,
our life-giving star. It consists of eight unique planets—each with its own size,
composition, orbit, and features—as well as moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and
countless smaller objects. From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy winds of
Neptune, each planet tells a part of the story of how our solar system formed and evolved
over billions of years. The Sun, with its immense gravity and energy, holds everything
together, providing the light and warmth that makes life on Earth possible. The presence
of asteroids and comets adds to the richness and complexity of this cosmic neighborhood,
offering clues about the early solar system and the materials from which it was built.
Together, all these elements create a beautifully balanced system that continues to inspire
exploration, discovery, and a deeper understanding of our place in the universe.