Solar System or solar systems?

[Alfred001]

I thought the Solar System is the Sun's system, but I see a lot of publications using solar system as a generic term for a star system. Which is it?

[Sensei]

I thought the Solar System is the Sun's system, but I see a lot of publications using solar system as a generic term for a star system. Which is it?

Solar system (Sun system) is one (at least in this version of Universe), in which you're currently inside.

 

Star systems, with other planets (called exoplanets ) are many.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_system

Edited March 15, 2017 by Sensei

[Lord Antares]

The Solar system is our System, one which includes the earth and the other planets. A general name for these systems is a planetary system, not star system.

A star system is another thing alltogether; it's a group of stars orbiting one another.

 

Here is a quote from Wikipedia:

 

 

 

A planetary system is a set of gravitationally bound non-stellar objects in orbit around a star or star system.

 

The Sun together with its planetary system, which includes Earth, is known as the Solar System

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Lord Antares

[Argent]

I agree with the last post, but I think it is not uncommon in informal conversations to refer to other planetary systems as solar systems. I'm not saying I agree with that approach, just noting that it does occur.

[Velocity_Boy]

I thought the Solar System is the Sun's system, but I see a lot of publications using solar system as a generic term for a star system. Which is it?

It's both.

 

Typically, and I must admit you'll find exceptions all the time, when one references OUR solar system then we capitalize the first letters of each word adding Solar System.

 

But when speaking of planets in the orbits around another star other than our sun, usually the two words are call lower cased. As in solar system.

 

Or if speaking of ANY solar system, as in........."most solar systems consist of binary stars at the center" then no capitalization is used.

 

Btw...That example sentence is true!

Edited March 15, 2017 by Velocity_Boy

[Alfred001]

It's both.

 

Typically, and I must admit you'll find exceptions all the time, when one references OUR solar system then we capitalize the first letters of each word adding Solar System.

 

But when speaking of planets in the orbits around another star other than our sun, usually the two words are call lower cased. As in solar system.

 

Or if speaking of ANY solar system, as in........."most solar systems consist of binary stars at the center" then no capitalization is used.

 

Btw...That example sentence is true!

 

Solar system IS used to refer to planetary systems (thanks for the correction to one of the previous posters), but that's not correct, no? It should refer only to the Sun and ITS orbiters.

 

Heck, doesn't the word solar refer to the Sun SPECIFICALLY, not a star generically?