Rocky bodies called protoplanets were thought to have formed slightly earlier in the inner solar system than those beyond the ...

Discover interesting facts about the sun, the solar system's central star that supports all life on Earth.

This process, called accretion, is how everything in the solar system – planets, moons, comets and asteroids – came into being. Telescopes can see young solar systems being born.

The Solar System may appear calm and well organized, but it is actually the result of billions of years of delicate cosmic balancing. Changing the order of the planets might sound like a fun thought ...

Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to ...

All eight of the solar system’s “major” planets appear in this illustration, but the actual number of planetary bodies orbiting our star is far greater. Digital Vision/Getty Images.

This process, called accretion, is how everything in the solar system – planets, moons, comets and asteroids – came into being. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ...

This process, called accretion, is how everything in the solar system – planets, moons, comets and asteroids – came into being. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ...