Major Solar System Objects

Our solar system has a variety of objects which can be classified into at least five main categories: suns, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, each with their own sub-categories. This article is mainly concerned with planets and their sub-categories.

According to the latest IAU definition, there are three main planetary groupings in our solar system: the terrestial or inner planets which include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars; the gaseous giants which include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; and the minor or dwarf planets located in the asteroid belts, such as Ceres, Pluto, Quaoar, and Eris. The most distant Sedna may belong to a fourth group, although it is still a little early to tell.

By far the most numerous are the minor or dwarf planets located in the Kuiper belt, a trans-Neptunian zone some 30 to 50 AU from the Sun. Major bodies in this zone include Pluto, Orcus, Ixion, 2003EL61("Santa"), Quaoar, 2005FY9("Easterbunny"), and Eris, thus far.


Below is a list of the well-known and potential planets of our solar systen so far with their estimated sizes and average distances from the Sun. Others will be added as they are discovered. We owe a debt of gratitude to astronomer Mike Brown and others like him for provoiding us with an extended understanding of our outer solar system.

Terrestial Planets
name
distance(AU)
size(km)
size(miles)
Mercury
0.39
4880
3,032
Venus
0.72
12,100
7,519
Earth
1.00
12,700
7,891
Mars
1.50
6780
4,213

Earth's moon
1.00
3,476
2,160
Ceres
2.8
950
590

The Gas Giants
Jupiter
5,2
139,800
86,868
Saturn
9.6
116,500
72,390
Uranus
19.2
50,700
31,504
Neptune
30.0
49,200
30,571

Kuiper Belt Objects
2004TY364
38.72
540
336
2002KX14
39.01
560
348
2002XV93
39.22
430
267
2003VS2
39.27
610
379
1999TC36
39.27
440
273
2001QF298
39.30
490
304
Orcus
39.34
1100
684
2003AZ84
39.45
710
441
Pluto
39.53
2300
1429
Ixion
39.65
980
609
Huya
39.76
480
298
2005RN43
41.53
740
460
1995SM55
41.64
470
292
2002MS4
41.90
740
460
2004SB60
41.97
560
348
2004GV9
42.23
680
423
2002UX25
42.53
810
503
Varuna
42.90
780
485
2002TX300
43.11
800
497
1996TO66
43.19
540
336
2003OP32
43.24
650
404
Haumea
43.31
2000
1243
Quaoar
43.58
1290
802
2003QW90
43.65
560
348
1999CD158
43.69
410
255
1997CS29
43.87
410
255
2000CN105
44.65
430
267
1998WH24
45.56
450
280
Makemake
45.66
1600
994
2004PR107
45.75
520
323
2003MW12
45.94
740
460
2002CY248
46.18
410
255
2002KW14
47.08
510
317
2002AW197
47.30
940
584
2002WC19
47.67
410
255
2003QX113
49.56
450
280
2003FY128
49.77
430
267
2001UR163
51.40
620
385
2002TC302
55.02
710
441
1999DE9
55.72
490
304
2004XR190
57.36
540
336
2000YW134
57.77
430
267
Eris
67.69
2400
1491
2005RM43
89.73
560
348

Unknown Region
Sedna
486.0
1800
1,118

back to index
back to main