6. The Solar System

The solar system consists of the sun, the eight planets and their satellites, and thousands of other smaller heavenly bodies such as asteroids, comets and meteors. The Solar System is at a distance of about 27,000 light years from the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and is about 5 billion years old. The sun is at the centre of the solar system and all these bodies are revolving around it. The gravitational pull of the sun keeps all the solar system and all the planets and other objects revolving round it. Thus, the motion of all members of the solar system is governed mainly by the gravitational force of the sun.

The solar system is dominated by the sun. The sun accounts for almost 99.9 percent of the matter in the whole solar system. The sun is also the source of all the energy in the solar system.