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Planets of Our Solar System for Kids
Terrestrial planets and gas giants
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Our solar system is a family of eight planets that travel around the Sun. Learning their order helps us understand where Earth fits in space and why each planet is special. The planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They come in different sizes, colors, temperatures, and distances from the Sun.
The four inner planets are rocky worlds called terrestrial planets, while the four outer planets are giant planets made mostly of gas or ice. Planets closer to the Sun usually orbit faster because they have shorter paths to travel. Jupiter is the largest planet, and Mercury is the smallest. Scientists study planets to learn how worlds form, why Earth can support life, and what space is like beyond our home.
Key Facts
- Planet order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
- A helpful memory sentence is: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles.
- The four inner planets are terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
- The four outer planets are giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- One orbit around the Sun is one year for that planet.
- Jupiter is the biggest planet, and Mercury is the smallest planet.
Vocabulary
- Solar system
- The solar system is the Sun and all the objects that orbit it, including planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
- Planet
- A planet is a large round object that orbits a star and does not make its own light.
- Orbit
- An orbit is the curved path an object follows around another object in space.
- Terrestrial planet
- A terrestrial planet is a rocky planet with a solid surface, like Earth or Mars.
- Gas giant
- A gas giant is a very large planet made mostly of gases, such as Jupiter or Saturn.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Putting the planets in the wrong order is a common mistake because distance from the Sun matters. Use Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune to keep the sequence correct.
- Calling the Sun a planet is wrong because the Sun is a star. It makes its own light and heat, while planets only reflect sunlight.
- Thinking all planets are solid like Earth is wrong because Jupiter and Saturn do not have rocky surfaces like the inner planets. The outer planets are mostly gas or ice giant worlds.
- Assuming the biggest planet is farthest from the Sun is wrong because size and distance are different features. Jupiter is the largest planet, but Neptune is the farthest planet.
Practice Questions
- 1 Write the eight planets in order from the Sun, then circle the third planet.
- 2 Mercury is planet 1 and Neptune is planet 8. What number is Mars, and how many planets are between Mars and Neptune?
- 3 Jupiter has more than 90 moons, while Earth has 1 moon. About how many more moons does Jupiter have than Earth?
- 4 Explain why the inner planets are called terrestrial planets and the outer planets are called giant planets.