planetary system
Sun and orbiters
A planetary system is a star and the celestial bodies gravitationally bound to it—planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and dust.
Our planetary system is the solar system, with the Sun at its center.
Thousands of planetary systems have been discovered orbiting other stars: Astronomers detected a planetary system with three Earth-sized planets.
Worlds orbiting other stars
- KeplerPlanetary motion law formulator
- super-EarthsExoplanets exceeding terrestrial mass
- transitsActs of passing through
- red dwarfsCool, faint, long-lived stars
stellar nursery · protoplanetary · biosignatures · habitable zone · Proxima Centauri · extrasolar
Life-permitting stellar region
- habitable zoneRegion allowing liquid water
- terraformingModifying worlds for habitability
- biosignaturesDetectable signs of life
- waterClear essential liquid
atmosphere · climate · exobiology · astrobiology · ecosphere · oxygen · temperate · liquid water
Bodies orbiting planets
- orbitsCurved paths around bodies
- starLuminous astronomical object
- asteroid beltPlanetary rubble orbit zone
- Kuiper beltDistant ring of frozen objects
Oort cloud · gas giants · rings · satellites · planetesimals · accretion · formation · binary stars
Messenger god or planet
- VenusLove goddess, or planet
- EarthOur world
- MarsRed planet, war deity
- JupiterLargest solar system planet
Saturn · Uranus · Neptune · Pluto · heliosphere · solar wind · ecliptic · astronomical units
Conic section curve
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- perihelionOrbital point nearest sun
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
inclination · resonance · gravity · orbital mechanics · retrograde · prograde · barycenter
exoplanets
Worlds orbiting other stars
- KeplerPlanetary motion law formulator
- super-EarthsExoplanets exceeding terrestrial mass
- transitsActs of passing through
red dwarfs · stellar nursery · protoplanetary · biosignatures · habitable zone · Proxima Centauri · extrasolar
Goldilocks zone
Life-permitting stellar region
- habitable zoneRegion allowing liquid water
- terraformingModifying worlds for habitability
- biosignaturesDetectable signs of life
water · atmosphere · climate · exobiology · astrobiology · ecosphere · oxygen · temperate · liquid water · magnetic field
moons
Bodies orbiting planets
- orbitsCurved paths around bodies
- starLuminous astronomical object
- asteroid beltPlanetary rubble orbit zone
Kuiper belt · Oort cloud · gas giants · rings · satellites · planetesimals · accretion · formation · binary stars · circumstellar
Mercury
Messenger god or planet
Jupiter · Saturn · Uranus · Neptune · Pluto · heliosphere · solar wind · ecliptic · astronomical units · trans-Neptunian
ellipse
Conic section curve
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- perihelionOrbital point nearest sun
eccentricity · inclination · resonance · gravity · orbital mechanics · retrograde · prograde · barycenter
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- systemsecosystems, ecosystem, biological systems, transportation network, communication systems
- space objectsgalaxy, star cluster, nebula, quasar, star
planetary systemlone star
Singular celestial body
rogue star · black hole · rogue planet · binary star system · neutron star
planetary systemgalaxy
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
supercluster · universe · galaxy cluster · cosmos · observable universe
planetary systemcosmic dust
Microscopic particles pervading space
nebula · dark matter · void · rogue planet · empty space
system, planet, planets, planetary, planetarium, exoplanet, dwarf planet, interplanetary, protoplanet