Our milky way galaxy is a spiral shape that is around 100 000 light years across.
Facts about planets outside our solar system.
Planets in our solar system can be divided into two main groups terrestrial planets and gas giants.
Those clouds prevent useful sunlight from reaching the planet s surface and stop deadly carbon dioxide from leaving the atmosphere.
Our sun is one of at least 100 billion stars in the milky way a spiral galaxy about 100 000 light years across.
Without a doubt venus is the deadliest planet in our solar system thanks to its sulfur dioxide rich clouds.
We have one lurking nearby too.
Is a giant gas planet with a size about half of jupiter but the stunning fact about the planet is that despite its size it weighs about the same as only a cork.
This means there are potentially thousands of planetary systems like our solar system within the galaxy.
Artist s impression of the planet is above in the image.
Planets that orbit other stars are referred to as exoplanets.
In 1995 51 pegasi b was the first exoplanet to be discovered orbiting a sun like star.
Hat p 1 is a strange and mysterious planet outside the solar system located 450 light years away and has recently been discovered by the harvard smithsonian center for astrophysics.
Up until recently we knew of only 8 planets in our solar system however this is not the case anymore.
Mars mars was a wet and warm planet billions of years ago.
Beyond the solar system.
Click on any planet below to find out more about it.
One confirmed epsilon eridani b another yet unconfirmed epsilon eridani c making it the closest planetary system at just over 10 light years from the solar system.
Planet facts interesting planet facts mercury the smallest and fastest planet it zips around the sun in only 88 earth days.
In 1992 two planets orbiting a distant pulsar became the first exoplanets to be detected.
Planets are made up of mostly the same things as stars and moons and with millions upon billions of them we believe it really is mind boggling to try and understand how many planets there are in the universe.
Earth the only planet in our solar system with liquid water on the surface.
Venus venus thick atmosphere makes it the hottest planet in our solar system.
Planets outside the milky way that are different and interesting at the same time.
There are 8 planets in our solar system they are mercury venus earth mars jupiter saturn uranus and neptune.
In recent years and with the advances in technology we are discovering.
Nicknamed methuselah and the genesis planet.
It s actually a system of planets not unlike how we like to call our own solar system.
Deadly planets do not only exist outside our solar system.
The name epsilon eridani stands for the parent star or their sun and it has two probable planets orbiting it.
Our sun is only one of about 100 billion stars within the milky way.
Examining planets in our solar system such as jupiter that have miniature solar systems so we can watch how super earths outside of our solar system possibly work.
10 interesting planets outside our solar system.