The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly. In the Solar System, the largest objects are the eight planets, with the remainder being smaller objects, the dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies. The planets are named after the people and places that they are thought to have influenced the development of the Solar System. In addition, the Solar System contains smaller objects, known as asteroids, which are included in the term meteoroid. These may include comets, meteorites, and interplanetary dust clouds. The term meteoroid is used to indicate any object that enters the Earth's atmosphere and falls to the surface of the planet, whereas the term meteorite is used to indicate any object that falls on a planet or the surface of the Sun.

The Solar System is a part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is a spiral galaxy consisting of a central region, known as the Milky Way core, and a wide, flat galaxy disk that extends out from the center. The Milky Way core is home to the Solar System and the Earth, and is also the location of most of the stars in the galaxy. The Sun is at the center of the Milky Way core, and the Milky Way disk is where most of the stars and galaxies are found. The Sun is a fourth-magnitude star, which means that it is one of the brightest stars in the galaxy. It has a binary star system, which means that it has a companion star that is not a member of the Solar System.