Our Solar System: It's HUGE! (Outer Space and Outerspace Info, Solar System Size, Distance and Planets)
Hi! Welcome to our "solar system in a box".
Space Is Really Big
The solar system is HUGE. It's so big that it's really hard to understand just how far away the planets are and how big our Sun really is. Most drawings of the solar system show the planets and Sun close together and relatively large compared to each other ... This just isn't how it really is!
A typical solar system collage: Sizes and distances are not to scale
This webpage is designed to show the (real) distances and sizes of the Sun, planets and major moons in our solar system.
Getting Started
The Sun and all of the planets and moons are shown to scale (yes, Earth really is this small compared with the Sun!).
Using the Planet Guide (bottom), you can click on a planet to "fly" to it. We've set your default speed to the speed of light (which includes sunlight) - you might be surprised how long it takes to reach your destination. The planets in the Planet Guide are shown at actual size (so you can see them all next to the Sun).
If you're feeling adventurous, try scrolling to a planet yourself - it may give you a new appreciation for how impressive it is that NASA has successfully sent probes to every planet!
One you've arrived at a planet, you can hover your cursor over the planet to enlarge it, and click on it to learn more about it (and it's moons if present).
Scroll to the right to "fly" through the solar system to each of the planets. The Planet Guide (bottom) shows you where you are (small arrow) and your current speed (in multiples of light speed).
One you've arrived at a planet, you can click on the planet to enlarge it (and it's moons if present).
For more functionality, including info about the planets, please visit again on a desktop computer (we're limited with what we can show on this screen!) ☺
Solar System (Outer Space) Bodies and Planets
Planets and outer space bodies shown are the Sun (Sol, our star), Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Not shown are the Asteroid Belt, NASA probes (Mariner 10, Voyager I and Voyager II, Cassini, Galileo, Viking I and Viking II, Spirit, Opportunity, Curisoity, Phoenix, Juno, New Horizons, etc.), the Kuiper belt and the Oort Cloud.