Solar System Exploration

Join us as we explore our planetary neighborhood: The Sun, planets, moons, and millions of asteroids and comets.

featured missions

All SCIENCE MISSIONS

Europa Clipper

Launching Oct. 10, 2024, to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa.

Psyche

Launched on a mission to a metal-rich asteroid, arriving 2029.

The image is zoomed in on Earth's globe, which takes up the entirety of the frame. In front of it hovers a metal box with wings.

Perseverance Rover

Exploring the surface of Mars since 2021.

OSIRIS-REx

Delivered asteroid Bennu sample in September 2023.

Curiosity Rover

Exploring the surface of Mars since 2012.

spacecraft above lunar horizon with Earth in background

BepiColombo*

En route to Mercury orbit in 2025. *ESA/JAXA-led.

Illustration of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter over Mars.

Solar System Overview

The solar system has one star, eight planets, five dwarf planets, at least 290 moons, more than 1.3 million asteroids, and about 3,900 comets. It is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy called the Orion Arm, or Orion Spur. Our solar system orbits the center of the galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph). It takes about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center.

We call it the solar system because it is made up of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris – along with hundreds of moons; and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

WEBBY AWARDS

NASA Receives 13 Webby Nominations

The nominees include Europa Clipper's 'Message in a Bottle' campaign. Click the link below to cast your vote for NASA's nominees.

How to Vote

An artist's concept of Jupiter with the Europa Clipper spacecraft in front of the planet. The text on the illustration announces the Message in a Bottle campaign has been nominated for a Webby.

An illustration announcing the Europa Clipper Message in a Bottle campaign has been nominated for a Webby.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

10 THINGS about our solar system

This is an updated montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are from top to bottom images of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Many Worlds

Our solar system has a star, eight planets, five dwarf planets, and thousands of asteroids, and comets.

Meet Me in the Orion Arm

Our solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy. We’re in one of the galaxy’s four spiral arms.

A Long Way Around

It takes our solar system about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center.

Spiraling Through Space

There are three general kinds of galaxies: elliptical, irregular, and spiral. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy.

The blue limb of Earth as viewed from the space station.

Room to Breathe

Our solar system has no atmosphere. But it has many worlds – including Earth – with many kinds of atmospheres.

Many Moons

Our solar system has more than 200 moons.

Ring Worlds

The four giant planets – and at least one asteroid – have rings.

Getting Out There

More than 300 robotic spacecraft have left Earth's orbit, and 24 U.S. astronauts have traveled to the Moon.

Life as We Know It

So far, Earth is the only place we've found life in our solar system, but we’re looking.

Artist's rendition of NASA's Voyager spacecraft

Going Interstellar

The Voyagers are the only spacecraft to reach interstellar space.

Earth Day 2024

This year, you can celebrate Earth Day with NASA wherever you are! Check out our Earth Day Toolkit.

Learn More

An artist's concept showing sea creatures swimming in the ocean.

Eyes on the Solar System: A real-time visualization of our solar system using planetary science data.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Our Daily Skywatching Guide

A detailed guide to the night sky written by a NASA expert featuring full Moon lore, asteroid flybys, stars, galaxies, constellations, and more.

Learn More

A strip of images showing the Sun in different stages of being eclipsed by the Moon.

Saying Farewell: Which Spacecraft are Leaving Our Solar System?

Only two spacecraft have reached interstellar space, the space between stars. Three other spacecraft have achieved enough velocity to eventually travel beyond the boundaries of our solar system.

An illustration depicting one of NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft. Both Voyagers have entered interstellar space – the space outside our Sun's heliosphere.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Voyager 1 went interstellar in 2012 and Voyager 2 joined it in 2018. Both spacecraft, launched in 1977, are still in communication with Earth.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is currently exploring an icy region beyond Neptune called the Kuiper Belt. It eventually will leave our solar system.
Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 also will ultimately travel silently among the stars toward the galactic core. The spacecraft used up their power supplies decades ago.