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Hello! I'm Yanik. Ever wondered how our solar 

system started?

Well I'm here to show you! Let's take a trip back 

in time and look into where everything we know 

was created.

In order to learn about the solar system, let's first 

look back 13.7 billion years ago where we will find 

the beginning of everything. 

Here we are! 13.7 billion years ago in a place known 

as singularity. 

It is here where the entire universe is theorized to 

have started. 

Ever since, the universe has been expanding. 

Everything from planets, stars, and every other 

celestial body is theorized to have formed from the 

Big Bang. 

Of course, not everything was created as it is today 

during the Big Bang, especially our Solar System.

Our first stop is the sun, the center of the universe! It is 4.5 

billion years old.

Gas and dust particles in space became pressed together by 

waves of energy and gravity. Gravity collapsed the material on 

itself and it began to spin, forming the sun in the center. 

The remaining particles became planets, comets, asteroids, 

and moons. 

The sun is the largest body in the Solar System and consists of 

70% Hydrogen, 28% Helium, and 2% other materials.

At the core, temperatures can reach 15.6 million Kelvin!

Our first stop is Mercury, the planet closest to the sun.

The core accretion model states Mercury’s metallic core formed first 

followed by lighter elements which were gathered and formed the 

crust and atmosphere. However, scientists also believe the original 

planet was much bigger. Some say it was struck by a large body, 

leaving only behind what we know as Mercury today

It is the smallest planet in the solar system

Mercury’s orbit only takes 88 Earth days

Mercury has no known moons

Known as a terrestrial planet (solid, cratered surface).

Atmosphere consists of Oxygen, Hydrogen, Sodium, Helium, and 

Potassium

70% metals and 30% silicate materials

One planet down, many to go!

Next is Venus.

The core accretion model states the rocky core formed first, then 

began to capture other elements gravitationally which would become 

the atmosphere. 

An orbit takes only 224 Earth Days.

Venus is very similar to Earth in size (only a 638 km diameter 

difference).

It Rotates counter-clockwise.

Venus has no moons.

Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with an average 

surface temperature of 462 degrees C.

The atmosphere is almost completely Carbon Dioxide, with small 

doses of Nitrogen and Sulfuric Acid.

Now onto Earth. I hear it is the only habitable planet in the Solar 

System!

Wow! Doesn't Earth look great in space?

Earth is thought to have been formed 4.6 billion years ago. Collisions 

in the giant cloud of material that formed the sun caused smaller 

clumps of material to collect and build up. Gravity gathered gas and 

eventually created an atmosphere. For most of its early years, Earth 

was a ball of fiery molten lava because of may collisions. These 

collisions are the probable cause of the tilt and Earth's moon. Over 

time, the surface cooled creating a crust and allowing water to form. 

The earliest life formed around 3.8 billion years ago, but it wasn't 

until 580 million years ago for complex multicellular organisms to 

form. 

Earth has a powerful magnetic field because of the nickel and iron 

core

Greatest density of all the planets in the solar system (5.52 g/cm3)

Atmosphere mostly consists of Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%). 

1% is other gases

Earth was awesome! Let's keep going!

Welcome to Mars! Sometimes it is called the red planet becuase of 

its color.

Notice a pattern yet? Like the other terrestrial planets (Mercury, 

Venus, Earth), Mars is believed to have formed at the core first, 

followed by a formation of an atmosphere. The core was created by 

a buildup of debris from the sun's creation and the atmosphere was 

gravity catching gases and pulling them in. 

Mars has 2 known moons - Phobos and Deimos

It takes 687 Earth days to orbit the sun

Atmosphere is ~95% carbon dioxide

Terrestrial - Surface is a thick layer of oxidized iron dust and rocks, 

creating a red color. Mantle is made of silicon, oxygen, iron, and 

magnesium. Core is solid and made of iron, nickel, and sulfur. 

Water has been found in soil and on the surface in the form of ice

Well, that was the last terrestrial planet. Want to know what's next? 

I'll give you a hint: gases.

The first gas giant is Jupiter!

After the sun was created, lighter elements were swept away by solar wind 

while the heavy, rocky materials stayed close creating terrestrial planets. 

The lighter elements formed the gas giants like Jupiter. 

Jupiter is almost completely composed of Hydrogen

The atmosphere is 90% hydrogen. 10% is Helium with small traces of other 

gases. 

There is no “surface”. Only gas layers. The core is believed to a solid rock 

while other research indicates the core is a hot   molten ball of liquid. The 

temperature is estimated to be 35,000 degrees C.

Largest planet in the solar system

67 known moons, 4 known rings

Average surface temperature: -108 degrees C

Shortest day of all the planets (9 hours and 55 minutes for one rotation)

Orbits every 11.8 Earth Years

Great Red Spot is a storm that has been going on for 350 years

Onto our next Gas Giant - Saturn!

Here's Saturn! Aren't the rings amazing?

Satrun's massive core formed first, followed by lighter elements that 

were captured by the gravitational pull before solar winds swept 

them away.

Almost completely composed of Hydrogen and Helium.

At higher pressures, the Hydrogen becomes liquid. Further in, the 

liquid Hydrogen becomes metallic. The core is suspected to be rocky 

and solid. 

62 known moons, 30+ known rings (7 groups)

Can be seen with the naked eye

Orbits the sun every 29.4 Earth Years.

Rings are made up of rock and dust pieces

Lowest density of all the planets. It could actually float on water if 

there was an ocean big enough for it. 

The farther we get from the sun, the colder the planets get! The 

next one is very icy. 

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