We have studied as kids that our solars system has nine planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. A few years ago, it was established that Pluto is not a planet. Planets are astronomical bodies orbiting around the Sun in our solar system. Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, while Neptune and Uranus are ice giants. Pluto, along with two more has been put under the category of Dwarf planets.
First Of The Eight Planets – Mercury
Closest to the Sun and also the fastest, Mercury completes one orbit around the Sun in just 88 Earth days. Life on Mercury is not possible because it is very close to the Earth and there is no water.
Second Of The Eight Planets – Venus
Venus spins in the opposite direction than other bodies in our solar system. It is also one of the brightest and hottest bodies. Life is not possible there because of no water and also because of the soaring temperatures.
Third Of The Eight Planets – Earth
The only habitable planet in the solar system because of favorable life conditions such as water and atmosphere, Earth is the third rocky mass from the Sun.
Fourth Of The Eight Planets – Mars
Scientists are exploring the possibilities of life on Mars. This red planet is quite cold compared to the Earth, but it does have a thin atmosphere, which makes it highly potential for sustaining life.
Fifth Of The Eight Planets – Jupiter
This massive planet is twice the size of all the other bodies joined together. It has a centuries-old storm that is continuing for billions of years.
Sixth Of The Eight Planets – Saturn
It is one of the most mysterious bodies with icy rings. These rings make the planet look very beautiful and intriguing.
Seventh Of The Nine Planets – Uranus
This ice giant planet has a very interesting rotation pattern. It spins on one side on a 90 degrees angle which is different from the rotation of any other planet.
Last Of The Planets In The Solar System – Neptune
Neptune is a very distant planet and also an ice giant. It is cold and dark as it is very far away from the Sun. It is around 3 billion miles away from the Sun.
Dwarf Planets
- Ceres – In 2006, Ceres was classified as a Dwarf planet. It is 14 times smaller than Pluto
- Pluto – this one is smaller than our moon. It has five of its own moons.
- Haumea – This planet is in the Kuiper belt. It is similar to Pluto in terms of size. It spins very fast and hence its shape appears a bit distorted. It looks like a soccer ball.
- Makemake – this one belongs to the Kuiper Belt. It is a very bright dwarf planet.
- Eris – This one is similar to Pluto in terms of size. It is very far from the sun. Not much has been explored about this planet.
All these bodies belong to our solar system. Scientists are continuing exploration of these and keep coming up with new and interesting facts about these celestial bodies.
