Talk:Solar System

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	Solar System is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.
	Solar System is the main article in the Solar System series, a featured topic. This is identified as among the best series of articles produced by the Wikipedia community. If you can update or improve it, please do so.
	This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on April 9, 2007, and on October 29, 2023.
Article milestones Date Process Result June 6, 2006 Peer review Reviewed June 20, 2006 Peer review Reviewed July 10, 2006 Peer review Reviewed August 4, 2006 Peer review Reviewed August 5, 2006 Good article nominee Not listed August 8, 2006 Featured article candidate Not promoted November 7, 2006 Featured topic candidate Promoted December 7, 2006 Peer review Reviewed January 27, 2007 Good article nominee Listed February 17, 2007 Featured article candidate Promoted May 12, 2009 Featured article review Kept June 13, 2021 Featured topic removal candidate Demoted June 20, 2022 Featured topic candidate Promoted July 9, 2022 Featured article review Kept Current status: Featured article

This  level-2 vital article is rated FA-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects:

Astronomy: Astronomical objects / Solar System Top‑importance Astronomy portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Astronomy, which collaborates on articles related to Astronomy on Wikipedia. Top This article has been rated as Top-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by WikiProject Astronomical objects, which collaborates on articles related to astronomical objects. This article is supported by Solar System task force (assessed as Top-importance). Spoken Wikipedia This article is within the scope of WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of articles that are spoken on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.

To-do list for Solar System: edit · history · watch · refresh · Updated 2024-04-22 Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Citing sources : Verify every single citation. Article has major source-text integrity issues. Cleanup : Focus clean up the planet/dwarf planet descriptions and "General characteristics" section. Expand : Expand more on recent discoveries, particularly in trans-Neptunian objects and interplanetary molecules Featured article candidates : Check this article against modern FAC criteria, specifically about prose. Get some FAC reviewers to check this article again Infobox : Find citation for the Hill sphere and galactic inclination Photo : Photo needed for composition section Translate : Check content from other languages, see if we can take any inspiration from them.

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This article has previously been nominated to be moved. Please review the prior discussions if you are considering re-nomination. Discussions: No consensus to move, 26 July 2005, from Solar system to Solar System, see discussion. Moved, 27 August 2006, from Solar system to Solar System, see discussion. No consensus to move, 23 May 2018, from Solar System to Solar system, see discussion. Section sizes Section size for Solar System (38 sections) Section name Byte count Prose size (words) Header Total Header Total (Top) 16,420 16,420 473 473 Definition 1,610 1,610 100 100 Formation and evolution 84 16,837 0 933 Past 11,094 11,094 539 539 Present and future 5,659 5,659 394 394 General characteristics 1,408 30,264 127 1,579 Composition 3,923 3,923 183 183 Orbits 9,507 9,507 470 470 Distances and scales 6,980 6,980 354 354 Habitability 3,891 3,891 149 149 Comparison with extrasolar systems 4,555 4,555 296 296 Sun 8,548 8,548 455 455 Inner Solar System 1,472 51,348 67 505 Inner planets 24,955 24,955 104 104 Asteroids 9,503 24,921 86 334 Asteroid belt 15,418 15,418 248 248 Outer Solar System 584 20,749 75 371 Outer planets 18,008 18,008 175 175 Centaurs 2,157 2,157 121 121 Trans-Neptunian region 1,289 33,186 115 1,025 Kuiper belt 15,578 15,578 283 283 Scattered disc 5,241 5,241 156 156 Extreme trans-Neptunian objects 7,255 7,255 278 278 Oort cloud 3,823 3,823 193 193 Gravitationally unstable populations 43 8,420 0 475 Meteoroids, meteors and dust 5,501 5,501 257 257 Comets 2,876 2,876 218 218 Boundary region and uncertainties 3,824 10,949 218 487 Edge of the heliosphere 7,125 7,125 269 269 Celestial neighborhood 9,731 9,731 410 410 Galactic position 7,876 7,876 345 345 Discovery and exploration 17,489 17,489 738 738 See also 413 413 0 0 Notes 43 43 0 0 References 18 170 0 0 Data sources 117 117 0 0 Other sources 35 35 0 0 External links 1,169 1,169 0 0 Total 235,222 235,222 7,896 7,896

Invariable plane?

While the article discusses the ecliptic and the solar apex, it does not appear to cover the topic of Laplace's invariable plane for the Solar System. (There is a brief mention in the infobox.) This is a more natural reference plane, since it is defined in terms of the angular momentum of the entire system, rather than just the Earth. There are several references available on the topic. Praemonitus (talk) 14:18, 14 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I hope my edit is what you had in mind? All the best, Nsae Comp (talk) 20:51, 15 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Too much wooly stuff

21 screenfulls without addressing the most basic primary questions.

Requires a sortable table of planets & their properties 88.97.224.240 (talk) 10:42, 18 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here you go: List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System. Praemonitus (talk) 12:38, 18 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Moons?

The major moons of the gas and ice giants should have more listed about them, Ganymede not getting its own line but Deimos does doesn't make sense in my opinion. Tospsy (talk) 11:05, 29 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Galilean moons is enough for me, but Deimos and Phobos both is overbearing. That said, right now I am doing other things, so I wont touch it. Nsae Comp (talk) 19:11, 30 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe quick and dirty reorganization into something like this?--

*Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars, are small and irregularly shaped. Their surfaces are dark and dominated by impact craters.

Alternatively, we can move them to the end of Mars's main paragraph, similarly to how the small dwarf planet moons are treated. They're quite small and frankly there's not much to say about them that isn't hyperspecific--

... Mars's two moons are Phobos and Deimos. ArkHyena (she/they) 22:21, 30 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That works for me, but I also agree the Galilean moons deserve more context. At least mention that they are ice-covered differentiated bodies and have subsurface oceans. Ganymede is the largest moon in the system; larger than Mercury. Praemonitus (talk) 04:57, 1 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's already a crowded space, but maybe a compact addition like Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are icy and host subsurface oceans, and Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System. would do.

Not the most graceful, but it should cover the important points. ArkHyena (she/they) 05:52, 1 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Miscellaneous

The miscellaneous section is moved down again, but since I also agree that the spot after the Sun wasnt perfect I would like to ask what other spots would be possible?

Maybe merge the two subchapters into other chapters? Since I dont find that solution really better I would still go for after the Sun.

Why?

Because thats where both topics of the subchapters have their strongest appearances, and since merging into e.g. the inner solar system or Oort cloud would limit it to those topics instead of their Solar System crossing quality. Nsae Comp (talk) 19:20, 30 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the sundry topics spans the entire system, rather than being in a discrete range. Hence, placing them just before the boundary seems appropriate. Once would expect miscellanea to appear near the end, not at the start. They certainly have a lower priority than the Sun, planets, moons, and belts. Praemonitus (talk) 04:49, 1 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]