Discover the beautiful planets of our galaxy and beyond.

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.

Journey through our solar system as you take in the awe-inspiring sights of our star, the Sun and all of the objects that orbit around it before venturing beyond the Milky Way in this new outdoor poster exhibition, Solar System and Beyond, displayed throughout the museum’s North Wing.

Solar System and Beyond showcases over 20 stunning photos and artist renderings of celestial objects by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Uncover unique moons, like lo, Jupiter’s rocky moon, the most volcanically active world in the solar system, as well as comets and asteroids, both remnants left over from the formation of our solar system more than four billion years ago, before venturing into what scientists have found beyond our solar system, including thousands of “exoplanets” within solar systems that are quite different from our own.

Solar System and Beyond was created by the Planetary Science Communications team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Did You Know?

A Star Star is Born

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).