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Our solar system lies near the edge of the Milky Way
galaxy. A galaxy is a huge collection of stars. The
Milky Way is shaped like a whirlpool. All the stars in
the galaxy, including our Sun, orbit around the
center of the Milky Way.
THE SUN
The Sun, like other stars, is a hot ball of gas. Hydrogen
and helium are the main gases in the Sun. Almost all the
energy in our solar system comes from the Sun. The Sun
changes hydrogen into helium to create light and heat.
These changes take place deep inside the Sun.
THE NINE PLANETS
Eight of the nine planets in our solar system fall into two
groups called the inner planets and the outer planets. The
four planets closest to the Sun are called the inner
planets. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The
inner planets are also called the rocky planets, because
they are made mainly of rock and iron. There are four
outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The
outer planets are also called the gas giants because they
are huge and made mainly of gas. Pluto, the farthest
planet from the Sun is a small ball of ice. Some
astronomers wonder whether Pluto should be called a
planet.