Solar System Facts for Kids

Do you know what the planets in our solar system are called? What about how far away they are from Earth? Kids will learn all of this and more with these cool solar system facts. Check out some of our favorite Solar System facts for kids below! You can download two FUN solar system printables at the bottom of the post too!

WHAT MAKES UP THE SOLAR SYSTEM?

The solar system is made up of the sun, planets, moons, and other objects that orbit around it.

The planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto used to be considered the ninth planet in our solar system until it became more commonly known as a dwarf planet. Dwarf planets are all over our solar system! You may have heard of Ceres or Eris? Those are just two of the dwarf planets in our solar system with many more to be discovered.

That’s probably my favorite part about the solar system – how mysterious it is. No one knows for sure what else is out there, so there is always more to be discovered. Scientists continue to learn about the solar system, just like we are now. And, if you keep reading these solar system facts for kids, you will learn even more. Who knows, maybe one day you could end up as one of those scientists.

THE SIZE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

The solar system is huge! It’s about 93 million miles from the sun to the Earth.

The solar system was formed about 4.6 billion years ago and will be around for approximately another 5 billion years or so. That’s a long time!

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – THE SUN

Just like humans are born and die, stars are born and die too. Out sun was born about 4.6 million years ago and it is believed to be about halfway through its life cycle.

The sun is huge and marks the center of our solar system. It is the largest object that we know of in our solar system and the largest star by far. It’s about 864,000 miles across and has a mass of about 333,000 Earths. Can you imagine that?

On average, the sun heats up to about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit or 15 million degrees Celsius. Is that hot enough for you?

THE PLANETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Our solar system is made up of eight main planets, including our home planet, Earth.

Did you know there were other solar systems besides ours? Our solar system is just one of the billions in the universe.

The solar system is expanding and with it, the sun! The sun is actually growing bigger. Since its formation, the sun has increased twenty percent in size.

The solar system orbits around the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – MERCURY

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun with approximately 36 million miles separating Mercury from the sun. It is also the smallest planet with a radius of just 1,516 miles.

Mercury is extremely hot. The average temperature of the surface of the planet is approximately 354 degrees Fahrenheit.

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – VENUS

The hottest planet in our solar system is Venus with surface temperatures reaching up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot enough to melt the lead inside your pencil to nothing.

Venus has a very thick atmosphere filled with greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

EARTH FACTS

Earth is the planet we live on and is the only planet and only place in our solar system known to have life on it. Do you think there are other life forms out there?

Sometimes referred to as the “blue planet”, 71 percent of Earth’s surface is water.

Earth is the third planet in our solar system and the largest of the terrestrial planets, or inner planets. It has a radius of almost 4,000 miles. Wow!

The planet Earth has two moons, Luna (or “moon”) and Phobos.

Read more about Earth Day Facts for Kids.

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – MARS

Mars is the next planet out from Earth and is known as the “Red Planet” because of its rusty color.

Olympus mons, which is a giant shield volcano, can be found on the surface of Mars.

Mars is a rocky planet like Mercury, Venus, and Earth. These planets are known for their rocky surfaces.

Read more about Mars Facts for Kids.

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – JUPITER

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system with dozens of moons. It has 63 discovered moons. That’s a lot of moons!

The outer planets begin with Jupiter, which is also considered one of the gas giants since it is the biggest planet and is composed mostly of gases.

Have you ever heard of the Great Red Spot? The Great Red Spot is believed to be a terrible storm on the surface of Jupiter. It was discovered centuries ago and still exists today!

SATURN FACTS

Saturn has rings around it made of ice and rocks. Saturn’s rings are what help make this planet so beautiful.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun.

The surface area of Saturn is 83 times greater than Earth.

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – URANUS

Uranus was discovered in 1781 when astronomers were looking for a planet beyond Saturn.

The coldest planet in our solar system is Uranus with an average temperature of negative 353 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Uranus was negative 371 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s really cold!

SOLAR SYSTEM FACTS FOR KIDS – NEPTUNE

Neptune is the eighth planet and is located the furthest from the sun with approximately 2.8 billion miles separating the two.

A year on Neptune lasts 165 Earth years!

It is believed that beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, an asteroid belt home to several thousand meteors, asteroids, and ice particles.

HOW THE SOLAR SYSTEM PROTECTS US

Did you know the solar system has a heliosphere to protect us from the dangerous solar wind? The heliosphere surrounds the sun and all the planets of the solar system.

In my opinion, the bigger the solar system gets, the cooler the solar system gets. The solar system is extremely fascinating and there are still so many things to discover about our solar system.

WANT MORE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS?

Check our these fun facts for kids here and browse all the other topics at the bottom of the post.

Read Neptune Facts for Kids here.

Read more Mercury Facts for Kids here.