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Our Star – The Sun: Star is the centre of our Solar System. The Sun is a G2 Yellow dwarf Star and is around 4.6 billion years old.

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Kids learn about the star of the Solar System the Sun. What is the Sun made of? How does the Sun make sunlight? Is the sun a star?

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The sun is the real star of the show-literally! The closest star to Earth, it's the source of all the heat and light that makes flowers bloom, songbirds croon, and sunbathers swoon. Life wouldn't exist without it. It's also the center of our solar system and by far its largest object. More than a million Earths would fit inside the sun! Our star's enormous gravity grips the planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, keeping them from spinning into deep space. Put simply, we wouldn't have a solar system without the sun.

Despite its importance in the grand scheme of things, the sun isn't unique or particularly complex. It's average in size and middle-aged compared to the billions of other stars in our galaxy. And although the sun accounts for 99.8 percent of the total mass of the solar system, it's really just a big ball of gas. A process called nuclear fusion converts hydrogen to helium deep in the sun's core, where temperatures hit a balmy 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (15.7 million degrees Celsius). Fusion creates energy that travels to the sun's surface in a journey that lasts a million years. The core will run out of hydrogen gas eventually, which will put an end to our fun in the sun. But fear not: That day won't come for at least another five billion years.

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The sun is the real star of the show-literally! The closest star to Earth, it's the source of all the heat and light that makes flowers bloom, songbirds croon, and sunbathers swoon. Life wouldn't exist without it. It's also the center of our solar system and by far its largest object.

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The Planets for Kids | Solar System Facts for Kids

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Explore the nine (or eight) planets of our solar system with easy-to-understand information for kids.

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The Solar System is made up of the Sun and all of the smaller objects that move around it. Apart from the Sun, the largest members of the Solar System are the eight major planets. Nearest the Sun are four fairly small, rocky planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Beyond Mars is the asteroid belt - a region populated by millions of rocky objects. These are left-overs from the formation of the planets, 4.5 billion years ago.

On the far side of the asteroid belt are the four gas giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets are much bigger than Earth, but very lightweight for their size. They are mostly made of hydrogen and helium.

Until recently, the furthest known planet was an icy world called Pluto. However, Pluto is dwarfed by Earth's Moon and many astronomers think it is too small to be called a true planet.

An object named Eris, which is at least as big as Pluto, was discovered very far from the Sun in 2005. More than 1,000 icy worlds such as Eris have been discovered beyond Pluto in recent years. These are called Kuiper Belt Objects. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided that Pluto and Eris must be classed as "dwarf planets".

Even further out are the comets of the Oort Cloud. These are so far away that they are invisible in even the largest telescopes. Every so often one of these comets is disturbed and heads towards the Sun. It then becomes visible in the night sky.

Last modified 07 August 2014

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The Solar System is made up of the Sun and all of the smaller objects that move around it. Apart from the Sun, the largest members of the Solar System are the eight major planets. Nearest the Sun are four fairly small, rocky planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

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Articles, games and activities about our planetary neighbors

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Have you ever looked at the stars at night and wondered about what's up there? Space is a big place with a lot to explore. At the center of our solar system is the Sun. Around the Sun orbit eight planets, as well as stars, bits of dust, comets and meteoroids. We live in a spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way.

The Sun is huge. It makes up 98 percent of the matter in the solar system. Because of its weight, it has the most gravity. It pulls everything in the solar system toward it. At the same time, the planets pull against that force. Because of this push-pull effect, we don't get too close to the sun or too far away. Instead, we orbit around the Sun at a predictable pace and location.

Fun Facts about the Solar System for Kids

The planets nearest the Sun - Mercury, Venus and Earth - lie in the inner solar system. The other planets, as well as asteroids and space junk, lie in the outer solar system.

The planets nearest the Sun are called terrestrial planets because they are made of solid matter. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called the gas giants. They don't have a solid surface.

The asteroid belt is an area between Jupiter and Mars where thousands of bits of matter and comets orbit. Some of these pieces are no larger than a speck of dust. Others are 100 miles across or more. Some even have their own moons.

Scientists have several theories about how the solar system began. Some believe that the solar system was formed when huge clouds of dust and gas collapsed, creating a circular motion sort of like water going down the drain. From these collapsed clouds grew the Sun, planets and stars. People argue over how the process started. Many people believe God created the universe. Others believe the process started by itself.

The solar system has eight recognized planets, but it has over 100 smaller worlds. Some of these have lakes of liquid methane or erupting volcanoes. Europa has an ocean of water.

The planets nearest the Sun are smaller than those at the edge of the solar system. The planets nearest the Sun are made of rock and dust. Those near the edge are mostly gas or liquid.

The planets of the solar system include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto was previously thought of as a planet. It is now thought of as a dwarf planet. It sits in the Kuiper belt, which includes comets, dust and other dwarf planets. The Kuiper belt lies on the edge of the solar system.

The moon is made of rock. Since the beginning of mankind, people have watched and studied it.

Solar System Vocabulary

1. Orbit: a circular path controlled by gravity

2. Galaxy: a huge solar system made up of stars, planets, dust and a central star

3. Collapse: falling in on itself

Learn More All About the Solar System, the Sun and Planets

Watch and listen to this fun solar system video:

A video song all about the solar system.

Solar System Q&A

Question: Are there other solar systems?

Answers: Scientists believe there are trillions of other stars like the Sun, which have their own solar systems. It's quite possible that some of these solar systems may contain life.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about the Solar System info? Take the FREE & fun all about the Solar System quiz and download FREE all about the Solar System worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Easy Science for Kids Solar System - The Sun and Planets - learn fun facts about animals, the human body, our planet and much more. Fun free Solar System - The Sun and Planets activities!