Definition

1. Proper Noun:
   • The Sun and all celestial bodies bound to it by gravity: The "solar system" is the gravitationally bound system comprising the Sun and the collection of objects that orbit it, including planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

Usage Examples

• Proper Noun:
  • Our solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy.
  • Scientists study other stars to see if they have their own solar systems.
  • Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system.

Advanced Usage

• "solar system" as a general concept: While "Solar System" (capitalized) specifically refers to our own, the term can be used generically to describe a star and its orbiting bodies.
  • Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets in distant solar systems.

Variants and Related Words

• Planetary system (n): A general term for a star and the non-stellar objects orbiting it.
  • Our solar system is one example of a planetary system.
• Heliosphere (n): The region of space dominated by the Sun's solar wind and magnetic field.
  • The Voyager probes have traveled beyond the heliosphere of our solar system.

Synonyms

• Star system: A system of planets and other objects orbiting a star.
• Planetary system: (See Variants and Related Words).

Related Phrases

• Inner solar system: The region comprising the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) and the asteroid belt.
  • The inner solar system is relatively rocky and dense.
• Outer solar system: The region beyond the asteroid belt, containing the gas giants, ice giants, and trans-Neptunian objects.
  • The Voyager missions provided our first close-up views of the outer solar system.

Noun

1. the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational field