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.

There are 8 planets in our solar system. The planets orbit the Sun in elliptical trajectories, and they are all different in size, composition, temperature, and characteristics. The planets can be ...

Beyond the familiar planets lies a fascinating frontier filled with icy worlds, mysterious orbits, and cosmic curiosities.

An object eight times the mass of Jupiter may have swooped around the sun, coming superclose to Mars' present-day orbit before shoving four of the solar system's planets onto a different course.