Let's Explore the Planets
The eight planets split into two groups: four small, rocky worlds closest to the Sun, and four much larger planets made mostly of gas farther out.
The Rocky Planets
The four planets closest to the Sun are all made of rock.
- Mercury: The smallest planet, and the fastest — it zooms around the Sun quicker than any of the others.
- Venus: Wrapped in thick clouds and the hottest planet, even though it is not the closest to the Sun.
- Earth: Our home, and the only planet known to have both liquid water and living things.
- Mars: Known as the Red Planet. Scientists are searching it for signs of water, and maybe even life.
The Gas Giants
These four are made mostly of gas rather than rock.
- Jupiter: The largest planet, known for a giant storm called the Great Red Spot.
- Saturn: Famous for its rings, made of ice and rock.
- Uranus: It spins on its side, and it is also extremely cold.
- Neptune: The farthest planet from the Sun — blue, and known for powerful winds.
Try it: line them up
You have just walked outwards from the Sun, past the four rocky planets and then the four gas giants. Now do it from memory.
Eight planets, all jumbled up. Drag them into order, starting with the one closest to the Sun.
- Jupiter — the biggest planet, with the Great Red Spot
- Mercury — the smallest, and the fastest around the Sun
- Neptune — farthest out, windy and blue
- Earth — the only one we know of with living things
- Saturn — famous for its rings of ice and rock
- Venus — thick clouds, and the hottest of them all
- Uranus — very cold, and it spins on its side
- Mars — the Red Planet
Mercury sits nearest to the Sun, yet Venus is the hottest planet — proof that where a planet sits is not the whole story of what it is like there.