The Solar System and Earth's Place
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the bodies that orbit it, with Earth the third planet and the only one known to support life.
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The Solar System consists of the Sun and the bodies that orbit it, with Earth the third planet and the only one known to support life.
- Earth lies in the habitable zone
- Eight planets orbit the Sun
- Earth is about 150 million km from the Sun
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The Solar System and Earth's Place?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains The Solar System and Earth's Place. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain The Solar System and Earth's Place in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The Solar System and Earth's Place helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
The Solar System and Earth's Place in detail
The Solar System is the Sun and everything bound to it by gravity: eight planets, their moons, dwarf planets such as Pluto, asteroids, comets and dust. It formed about 4.6 billion years ago when a cloud of gas and dust collapsed, with most of the mass forming the Sun and the rest flattening into a disc from which planets grew.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, in the "habitable zone", where temperatures allow liquid water. It has an atmosphere, a magnetic field and a large Moon that help support life. The inner planets are small and rocky, and the outer planets are gas and ice giants. Our Solar System is a tiny part of the Milky Way galaxy.
How the interactive helps you understand The Solar System and Earth's Place
Watch the orbit in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the orbit responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The Solar System and Earth's Place.
Real-life uses and examples
- Use a diagram of The Solar System and Earth's Place to describe the steps of a process in order.
- Discuss how human activity changes The Solar System and Earth's Place, using a named example.
- Explain how The Solar System and Earth's Place affects the landscape or climate near you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about The Solar System and Earth's Place
What is The Solar System and Earth's Place?
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the bodies that orbit it, with Earth the third planet and the only one known to support life.
What are the most important points about The Solar System and Earth's Place?
The main points are: Earth lies in the habitable zone; Eight planets orbit the Sun; Earth is about 150 million km from the Sun.
Why is The Solar System and Earth's Place useful?
Understanding The Solar System and Earth's Place helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise The Solar System and Earth's Place?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The Solar System and Earth's Place?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Eclipses, Stars and Constellations, Satellites and Their Uses.