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This image © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation
Solar comes
from a Latin word 'sol' meaning sun
The solar system is made up of the Sun and the objects that orbit around it. These include EIGHT planets, and their satellites (moons). (Note: Pluto, once the 9th planet, it is no longer recognised as one of the planets in the solar system)
There are also asteroids, meteoroids,comets and drifting particles called interplanetary
dust.
The solar system was formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
The Sun
The centre
of our solar system is the sun, which is a star. It is a gigantic ball of hot gas which gives off heat and light energy. It is 
about 150 million kilometres away from Earth.The sun's gravity keeps all the planets and other objects in the solar system travelling around it.
Planets and
moons
The planets
do not produce their own energy. They reflect the heat and light
of the sun. All the planets are surrounded by layers of gases
called atmospheres.
The path that
each planet takes around the sun is an oval shape called an ellipse.
Each planet follows the same path, or orbit, around the sun. 
Venus
All the planets, except Mercury (the closest planet to the Sun) and Venus, have at least one satellite called a moon. Moons orbit their planets.
The EIGHT planets of our Solar System
Earth is the third planet from the sun, in between Venus (named after the Roman goddess of love) and Mars. It is the only planet known to support life.
Mars, the planet fourth from the Sun, and known as 'the red planet' was named after the Roman god of war.
Mercury is the smallest planet, and is closest to the sun. It is extremely hot. It was named after the Roman messenger of the gods.
Surface
of Jupiter and moon Io
The
largest planet is Jupiter, which is fifth from
the sun. It consists of gas and liquid.
Saturn, sixth from the sun, is the second largest planet. It has thousands of thin rings around it, made up of particles of rock and ice.
Uranus, seventh planet from the sun, was discovered in
1781 by Sir William Herschel. It is surrounded by clouds of blue-green
gas.The planet's ten rings were discovered in 1977.
Neptune was named after the Roman
god of the sea. Ancient astronomers predicted there must be a
planet existing in that place, after Uranus. They were proved
correct when it was discovered in 1846. The
planet that is furthest from the sun is Pluto, and its presence was predicted in 1916 by Percival Lowell. It was discovered in 1930. Its path around the sun is so big that it takes 248 earth years to make one orbit of the sun. Pluto is the smallest planet. Pluto's satellite is called Charon. Two smaller moons named Nix and Hydra wPluto no longer a planet! UPDATE August 2006: On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the term "planet". Because Pluto is smaller than some of the moons in our solar system and because it has an unusual orbit it is no longer recognised as one of the planets in the solar system. Something
new in our Solar System Want to remember the names and the order of the planets? Read more about our Solar
System
http://www.spacetoday.org/SolarSystem.html
The surface of
Pluto and moon
Pluto no longer a planet!
Quaoar is a newly discovered object in our solar system. It was first seen in June 2002. It's about a billion kilometres beyong Pluto. It's about half the size of Pluto. It's orbit takes about 288 years. The object is named Quaoar after a god of the Native American people.
A mnemonic device is one way to help you remember the names of the planets in order from the Sun.
Here's one that uses the first letters of words in a phrase.
My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos :
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/solarsystem/ax/low.html?2d
If you use any of this information in your own work, acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Thomas, R. & Sydenham, S. The Solar System [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2008)
August 2009 © kidcyber