By: Andrea Gutierrez

Our solar system fascinates me because there is so much that is still a mystery to us. However, that does not stop the human race from hypothesizing about how varying bodies attract each other. The comparative size that we have to the universe illustrates that sometimes our problems are not as enormous as they seem. Even though we only exist for a slight period of time, our actions can have immense consequences. In comparison to the normal human lifespan, which is around 80 years, the solar system that we live in is 4.571 billion years old according to NASA Solar System Exploration. It is up to us to determine what kind of legacy we want to leave behind in this wonderful Earth that we get to call our home.

Hundreds of scientists have spent their whole lives studying the peculiarities that bound our solar system. For example, contrary to popular belief the hottest planet is not closest to the Sun. Venus’ atmosphere is about 100 times thicker than Earth’s, therefore the atmosphere traps the Sun’s ray based. Another distinctiveness that exemplifies the surprising features of our solar system is that the United States is bigger in diameter than Pluto. Pluto’s status as a planet was changed to a Dwarf planet. These astonishing realities of our solar system reveal that even though we know so much already, there is still a lot more to discover as technology keeps advancing our knowledge.