OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

THE MAPS DEPICT OUR "SUN-CENTERED" SOLAR SYSTEM. THE FIRST SHOWS
AN ALMOST EDGE-ON VIEW TO SHOW THAT THE PLANETS ARE ALL IN THE
SAME PLANE. THE EXCEPTION IS PLUTO WHICH IS TILTED AT A STRONG ANGLE
WITH RESPECT TO THE REST OF THE PLANETS. SOME ASTRONOMERS QUESTION
IT'S STATUS AS A PLANET AND BELIEVE IT IS JUST ONE OF MANY BODIES
ORBITING AT THE EDGE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. ALSO, NOTICE IN THE SECOND
IMAGE THAT PLUTO'S ORBIT CROSSES THAT OF NEPTUNE. AT THE MOMENT
NEPTUNE IS OUR MOST DISTANT PLANET. PLUTO IS THE ONLY PLANET THAT
HAS YET TO BE VISITED BY SPACECRAFT, SO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF IT IS
SOMEWHAT LIMITED.

(TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD CLICK ON THE
PLANET NAMES IN THE FIRST IMAGE OR THE PLANETS AND SUN SYMBOLS IN
THE SECOND IMAGE. OUR MOON IS NOT DEPICTED SO IT'S LINK IS HERE.
(THE ASTEROIDS ARE NOT SHOWN EITHER.)

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THE BLOWUP OF THE INNER PLANETS ON THE IMAGES
IS TO SHOW DETAIL IN THEIR ORBITS.

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