Our Solar System Poster – Version B

Artist's concept of eight planets in front of the Sun.
February 8, 2019
CreditNASA
Language
  • english

Version B of the solar system installment of our solar system poster series.

The posters are best printed on 11x17 paper. Several download options are available in the column on the right.

Scale and distance views of our solar system.
Optional back with scale and orbit diagrams.
  • There are two iterations of this poster: Version A and Version B (this one).

About the image: This artist's rendering shows the eight major planets of our solar system lined up as if they were transiting the Sun. Although such a view would not be possible in reality, the graphic is intended to show the accurate scale of the planets, relative to each other and the Sun. This version includes a more traditional transit view — dark silhouettes of the planets against the Sun. Astronomers have discovered many planets in solar systems beyond our own by watching planets transit, or cross in front of, their stars

On the Back

Our solar system is a planetary system composed of our star, the Sun, and all the objects that orbit around it — eight large planets, many smaller, planet-like worlds, dozens of moons, and millions of asteroids, comets and meteoroids.

The planetary system we call home is located in an outer spiral arm of the vast Milky Way galaxy. Most stars have their own system of planets, meaning there are likely many billions of planetary systems in our galaxy alone (one of perhaps 100 billion galaxies). We've discovered thousands of these extrasolar planetary systems so far.