How it Works

Find out about the planets, asteroids, comets, and other matter that orbit our star, the sun.

Rotation of the earth causes day and night. Before sunrise and after sunset some light is scattered over the horizon by the atmosphere, giving us twilight. Civil twilight is defined as the time when the sun is less than 6 degrees below the horizon, about half an hour before sunrise or after sunset in middle latitudes.

"The solar system that consists of nine (and possibly ten) planets orbiting a giant, fiery star we call the sun. Find out more here."

A look at how our solar system really works Music by: Michael St. John

Describes the parts of the solar system (sun, planets, moons, asteroids, etc.), presents current scientific thought on how the sun and planets developed, and shows where the solar system is located in relation to the Milky Way galaxy and the universe.