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The Planets.
A planet is a
natural
satellite of a star.
There are eight
planets (plus Pluto)
in our solar system.
All of the planets in our solar
system orbit the Sun.
The planets themselves do
not give
out light.
We can see some of the planets in the night sky
because they reflect sunlight
(like our moon
does).
The planets are so far away that they appear to us like dots of light.
They look to our eyes like stars.
The orbit of a planet is
almost circular.
All of the planets (except
Mercury and Pluto) orbit in the
same plane.
The picture below shows the
solar system.
The relative size of the planets is indicated
but the Sun is very much larger than shown.
Click on a planet for more
information.
Headings The Earth
and Beyond Planets Search Questions
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Copyright © 2008 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.