The Solar System
A plain-English map of how our Solar System is built — the order of the planets, the belt-shaped regions of leftover rock and ice between and beyond them, the rings around the giant planets, and the faint clouds of dust that fill the space we move through. Start with the diagram, then follow any region down into its own page.
What sits where — from the Sun to the Oort Cloud
The Solar System is more than eight planets. Between and beyond them are ring-shaped belts of debris, faint sheets of dust, and — at the very edge — a vast spherical shell of icy bodies. This schematic shows the running order. It is not to scale: the real distances are enormous, and the belts are far emptier than any diagram can show.
Schematic by Michael Paycer — running order only, not to scale. Real distances between these regions are vast, and the belts are overwhelmingly empty space.
The structures between and beyond the planets
The first cluster in this section covers everything that isn't a planet or a moon — the leftover debris of the Solar System's formation. Each page covers what the region is, how to see it (or why you can't), and the myths and misconceptions attached to it.
Asteroid Belt
The ring of rock and metal between Mars and Jupiter — why it never formed a planet, the truth about the "asteroid field" that movies get wrong, and Ceres, the dwarf planet hiding inside it.
Kuiper Belt
The icy belt beyond Neptune — the "belt that starts with K," how it differs from the Asteroid Belt, and why Pluto and the short-period comets call it home.
Scattered Disk & Oort Cloud
The frozen edge of the Solar System — stretched, tilted icy orbits, Eris, and the vast spherical shell that is not a belt at all but the nursery of the long-period comets.
Planetary Ring Systems
All four giant planets wear rings — Saturn's dazzling, the others faint. Why Saturn's are visible from your backyard and Jupiter's, Uranus's, and Neptune's are nearly invisible.
Zodiacal Cloud & Dust
The faint pyramid of light before dawn and after dusk — sunlight scattering off a disk of comet and asteroid dust spread through the inner Solar System, and how to actually see it.
Back to Astronomy Notes
The wider astronomy section — stars, nebulae, galaxies, constellations, and the Greek mythology written across the night sky.
The rest of the Solar System
Beyond the belts, clouds, and rings, the section covers the Sun, all eight planets, their moons, the dwarf planets, the comets and meteors, and how the whole system formed — each page following the same three-part format: what it is, how to see it, and the stories we've told about it.
The Sun
Now live. Our star up close — its layered structure, safe viewing, solar eclipses, sunspots and the solar cycle, and why "the Sun is on fire" is a misconception.
The Planets
Now live. The rocky worlds, the gas giants, and the ice giants — a side-by-side comparison and a page for each, from Mercury to Neptune.
Moons
Now live. Our own Moon, Jupiter's Galilean moons, Titan, Enceladus, and Triton — the worlds orbiting worlds, and the ones you can find yourself.
Dwarf Planets
Now live. Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake — the round worlds that never cleared their lanes, and the great "is Pluto a planet?" question.
Comets & Meteors
Now live. What comets are and where they come from, how comet dust becomes the annual meteor showers, and a year-round guide to watching shooting stars.
How It Formed
Now live. From a collapsing cloud of gas and dust to the ordered system we map today — the nebular hypothesis, step by step.
Astronomy · Greek Myths in the Sky · Interests · Voyager 2 · Voyager 1 · Pale Blue Dot
Return to Michael Paycer
Explore Michael Paycer's professional SQL Server, cloud, ETL, API, automation, and consulting pages, or continue browsing the personal interests section.