Our solar system consists of the Sun, nine planets, about 70 satellites of the planets, and many smaller bodies including comets and asteroids (meteorites). The inner planets are those that are relatively close to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The planets of the outer solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Thus Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and our position in the solar system helps to account for many of the characteristics of the Earth (e.g., chemical composition and density of Earth's rocks, our atmosphere, temperatures at the Earth's surface).

To address this Competency, we first consider the characteristics and description of the solar system, and its formation. Today, astronomers generally believe that the bodies in the solar system formed from a gigantic cloud of gas and dust; this is the nebular model or hypothesis. Then we investigate tools, including telescopes and spacecraft, used by astronomers to study the solar system and space beyond our solar system. For the second class covering this Competency, we study energy produced by our Sun and other stars, and consider use of stellar spectra to indicate motion in space, and the life-cycle of stars. With this overview of our solar system and space, we will look at current thoughts on the origin of the universe.