The sun makes up 99.86% of the mass of the solar system.

Our star is the main component of our planetary system: it's responsible for the environment of all the planets, it dominates the system gravitationally and it really does contain 99.86% of the Solar System's known mass! Jupiter and Saturn together comprise more than 90% of the remaining mass. The four largest planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are 99% of the planetary mass of the system. Less than 0.002% is the rest of the objects, including Earth, other terrestrial planets, dwarf planets (including Pluto), natural satellites, asteroids and comets.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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54 Comments

Tony Gratton

How insignificant we are in the grand scheme of thing.

Oscar BaAye

I concur with Tony Gratton, How small we are How little we know

markkcolemann

When you put that into context, it really makes you think if everything we complain about is really that important.

Cujo

The Dyson Sphere (where all the matter in solar system is gathered and formed into Sphere encompassing the sun) is therefore an impossibility from most basic step.

Irene Townsend

mikenator, How can all of the above be correct, it's either true or false, one or the other not both

mikenator

All of the above is always correct

Donna Smith

Got the correct answer

Don Racette

joan musicmasters Let the Sun shine in, greet it with a grin.

Dan Drinkall

thevoyers, Take 100 marbles...90% would be 90 marbles and 100% of what's left would be 10 marbles. And 90% of those remaining would be 9 marbles. You could still go another 50% if you cut that last marble in half...and if all you had was half a marble, then you'd own 100% of it !

Dan Drinkall

Susannah Landis, You mean that you too, thought the question might have involved Alpha Centauri or Andromeda, and not what most grade-schoolers know as The Solar System ?

Dan Drinkall

kenlincoln, Old SOL.. Our Sun, is indeed not the only Star in the Galaxy; but it is the only one in what's known as The Solar System. Anything else outside of the Milky Way are merely referred to as clusters, nebulae, or such... You likely just got the wrong answer.