Final answer:
The solar system includes the Sun, eight planets with their moons, and a variety of objects like dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets, all formed from a cloud of gas and dust about 4.5 billion years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
The solar system is a complex and vast ensemble that includes the Sun, eight planets, their moons, and a variety of other objects. The primary components of the solar system include the Sun at the center, the planets which revolve around it, and their moons. Planetesimals coalesced to form these larger bodies in what is known as the solar nebula, a spinning cloud of gas and dust. The remaining planetesimals are the current asteroids and comets we observe. Earth is but one of these planets, and does not shine with its own light, differentiating it from a star.
Other objects within the solar system include dwarf planets, asteroids which are part of the asteroid belt, comets which originate mostly from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, and cosmic dust. Our solar system is a planetary system, and while our Sun is often referred to as Sol, there are many other planetary systems orbiting other stars in the universe.