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Welcome to Planets & Solar System The Complete Manual

Birth of the SOLAR SYSTEM • How did our Solar System form? Astronomers thought they knew. But now, new research is turning many of the old ideas on their heads

The birth of the planets • Our Solar System was cooked up in a swirling cloud of gas and dust

Inside the Sun • The giant star that keeps us all alive

MERCURY • Small, dense, incredibly hot and the closest planet to the Sun. Until recently we’ve known very little about Mercury, so join us on a journey to discover the secrets of the smallest planet in the Solar System

Mercury inside and out • Mercury has a huge core and a high concentration of core iron

Mercury mapped by Mariner

On the surface • Mercury is a planet of extreme variations in temperature, in its surface features and in its magnetic field

VENUS • Venus is the most Earth-like planet in the Solar System, but there are a few key differences between the two planets, such as clouds of acid and temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Read on to discover more about Earth’s ‘evil twin

Venus inside and out • We don’t know much of Venus’s interior, and what we know of its atmosphere isn’t pretty

On the surface • Venus is smooth, with a young surface – but it is also covered in volcanoes and lava flows that may have lasted for millions of years

Mountains, volcanoes and craters • The extraordinary features that dominate the surface of Venus

EARTH • When it comes to studying the planets of the Solar System we often overlook the Earth. However, as the only planet known to be able to support life, there’s still lots to learn about our fascinating home planet

Earth inside and out • How Earth formed into the habitable world we know today

MARS • The fourth planet from the Sun and the seventh largest, the red and varied landscape of this once Earth-like planet has fascinated humanity since we first viewed it in the night sky. We explore just why this planet holds such allure

Mars inside and out • It may resemble Earth, but Mars is a very different planet

JUPITER • Volatile and violent in nature and named after the Roman king of gods, the largest world in our Solar System has twice the mass of all other planets combined. Discover more about the gas giant that is king of the planets

Jupiter inside and out • Jupiter gets more interesting the closer you get to its centre

In the clouds • It might not have a surface like a rocky planet would, but the clouds of Jupiter are a fascinating phenomena worth exploring

The changing Great Red Spot • A storm with the circumference of Earth that’s raged for centuries

SATURN • A breathtaking and complex ring system, moons that might have the capacity to support life and awesome storms that rage at over 1,000mph. There’s good reason why this beautiful planet is called the ‘jewel’ of the Solar System

Saturn inside and out • Saturn is often compared with Jupiter, but it can hold its own

In the clouds • Saturn’s atmosphere has some similarities to Jupiter’s

The ring system • Saturn's crown jewel

URANUS • The Solar System’s forgotten planet has long been thought of as a dark, cold, characterless world, but the seventh planet from the Sun has its own unique twist and some fascinating features

Uranus inside and out • It has a very similar structure to Neptune but this ice giant still retains its mysteries

NEPTUNE • A frozen world on the outermost limits of our Solar System, Neptune is a mysterious planet with its own unique characteristics

Neptune inside and out • Neptune is a bright blue, warm and experiences active...