Guided Exploration: Planets Zone

Overview: Planets orbit stars, are massive enough for their own gravity to have made them round, and do not share their orbits with other bodies of similar size. This zone describes the formation and evolution of planets around the Sun and other stars, and examines the role of collisions for planets. It features the 15-ton Willamette Meteorite, the largest ever discovered in the U.S., and a self-sustaining habitat contained in a 39-inch closed glass globe, called the Ecosphere.

1. Planets Wall

Explore the variety of objects in our solar system, including terrestrial and gas giant planets, asteroids, Kuiper Belt objects, moons, and comets. How do you think gravity holds the solar system together? Imagine what might happen to the solar system if gravity stopped operating.