"Super Solar System Stuff" — August 1999

1. What is a solar system?
The solar system is made up of the Sun and the objects moving around it at very high speeds.

2. What objects revolve around the Sun?
The Earth and 8 other planets revolve around the Sun in very large, smooth paths called orbits. There are also many very large rocks that revolve around the Sun.

3. What is a moon?
A moon is a natural satellite that moves around a planet, much like the planet itself moves around the Sun. Our Earth only has one moon. Some planets have several moons.

4. What is the Sun made of?
The Sun is a giant ball of hot burning gases, which keeps our planet warm. The Sun is a star. It is the only star in our solar system.

5. What's outside our solar system?
Outside the solar system is the rest of our galaxy, which is named the Milky Way galaxy.

6. Are there any aliens in the solar system?
The scientists and research people who work at NASA (NASA is made up of the American people who study and know a lot about the solar system and outer space) have not discovered any aliens yet.

7. What is it like on the Sun?
Extremely hot; it will probably never be possible for people to travel to the Sun. It is thousands of degrees hotter than it is here on Earth. In fact, it is so hot on the Sun that even the best spaceships that people could make now would melt long before they've reached it!

8. What is the biggest planet?
The biggest planet in our solar system is Jupiter.

9. What is the smallest planet?
The smallest planet in our solar system is Pluto.

10. What is it like on other planets?
On the planets closest to the Sun, it is extremely hot — much too hot for people. On the planets farthest from the Sun, it is extremely cold — much too cold for people.