Planets orbiting the sun
Planets in Order From the Sun | Pictures, Facts, and Planet Info
Let''s take a closer look at each of the 8 largest celestial bodies that orbit the sun, the planets. We''ll start with the closest planet to the sun and work our way out to the distant outer solar system objects. Mercury. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and is the smallest of the eight planets being only slightly larger than our moon.
Solar System
The largest objects that orbit the Sun are the eight planets. In order from the Sun, they are four terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars); two gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn); and two ice giants (Uranus and Neptune). All terrestrial planets have solid surfaces.
Solar System Facts
Our solar system includes the Sun, eight planets, five officially named dwarf planets, and hundreds of moons, and thousands of asteroids and comets. Our solar system is located in the Milky Way, a barred spiral galaxy with two major arms, and two minor arms.
Planet Orbits
In the time it takes the Earth to complete one orbit, the planets closer to the Sun (Mercury and Venus) orbit at least once. The more distant planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) which move slower and have a greater distance to travel, complete just a fraction of their orbits in this time.
Solar system | Definition, Planets, Diagram, Videos, & Facts
· Solar system, assemblage consisting of the Sun and those bodies orbiting it: 8 planets with about 210 known planetary satellites; many asteroids, some with their own satellites; comets and other icy bodies; and vast reaches of highly tenuous gas and dust known as the interplanetary medium.
In Depth | Our Solar System – NASA Solar System Exploration
Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets such as Pluto; dozens of moons; and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.
