Are you curious about the planets in order from the Sun? Wondering which planet comes after which, and what makes each one unique? You're in the right place.
In this beginner-friendly guide, you'll learn the order of the planets from the Sun, key facts about each one - like size, distance, surface temperature, and how long a day or year lasts there - and where Pluto fits into it all.
You'll also find real NASA images, simple comparisons, and fascinating trivia to help you understand our cosmic neighborhood. Let's dive in and explore the eight official planets of the Solar System - in order, from the Sun outward.
Jump to:
- Planets in Order - From Mercury to Neptune
- 1. Mercury - The Smallest and Fastest Planet
- 2. Venus - Earth's Toxic Twin
- 3. Earth - Our Unique Home in the Cosmos
- 4. Mars - The Red Planet
- 5. Jupiter - King of the Planets
- 6. Saturn - The Lord of the Rings
- 7. Uranus - The Tilted Ice Giant
- 8. Neptune - The Windy Blue Giant
- Pluto - The Controversial Dwarf Planet
- What's Your Favorite Planet?
- FAQ
- 💬 Comments
Planets in Order - From Mercury to Neptune
The Solar System has eight officially recognized planets, arranged by their distance from the Sun. Here's the correct order:
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
They're split into two main groups:
- Terrestrial planets (rocky): Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
- Gas giants and ice giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Some people still remember Pluto, once considered the ninth planet. It was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 - more on that later.
1. Mercury - The Smallest and Fastest Planet
Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System - even smaller than some moons! It's a rocky world with no atmosphere, extreme temperatures, and a surface covered in craters that look a lot like our Moon.
Because it's so close to the Sun, Mercury orbits faster than any other planet - one year there lasts just 88 Earth days. But its rotation is so slow that one Mercury day (sunrise to sunrise) takes 176 Earth days. Wild, right?
Despite being closest to the Sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet - that title goes to Venus. Why? Because Mercury has no atmosphere to trap heat.
Mercury at a Glance
| Feature | Mercury |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 58 million km / 36 million miles (0.39 AU) |
| Diameter | 4,878 km / 3,032 miles |
| Mass | 0.055 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 88 Earth days |
| Day Length | 59 Earth days (176 Earth days from sunrise to sunrise) |
| Temperature Range | -180°C to +430°C / -290°F to +800°F |
| Moons | None (0) |
| Color | Dark gray, rocky |
| Symbol | ☿ |
Fun Facts About Mercury
- Mercury has no moons - it's simply too close to the Sun to hold onto any.
- It goes through phases, like the Moon, which you can observe through a telescope.
- NASA's MESSENGER mission orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015, mapping nearly 100% of its surface.
- Despite being closest to the Sun, Mercury isn't the hottest planet - that title belongs to Venus, thanks to its thick, heat-trapping atmosphere.
Up next: the planet with the longest day, crushing pressure, and a toxic sky…
2. Venus - Earth's Toxic Twin
Venus is the second planet from the Sun - and in many ways, it's Earth's evil twin.
It's nearly the same size and composition as our planet, but the similarities end there. Venus is wrapped in a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds, creating a runaway greenhouse effect that makes it the hottest planet in the Solar System - even hotter than Mercury!
From space, Venus looks beautiful and bright, often called the "Evening Star" or "Morning Star", depending on its position. But beneath those clouds, the surface is brutally hostile: temperatures melt lead, and atmospheric pressure is like being 900 meters underwater.
Venus at a Glance
| Feature | Venus |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 108 million km / 67 million miles (0.72 AU) |
| Diameter | 12,104 km / 7,521 miles |
| Mass | 0.815 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 225 Earth days |
| Day Length | 243 Earth days (yes — longer than its year!) |
| Surface Temperature | 475°C / 887°F (average) |
| Moons | None |
| Color | Pale yellow, cloud-covered |
| Symbol | ♀ |
Fun Facts About Venus
- A day on Venus is longer than its year - and it spins backwards (retrograde rotation)!
- It's the brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon.
- The Mariner 2 mission (1962) was the first to send back data from Venus.
- The thick clouds make direct surface imaging impossible - radar is used instead.
Venus may look calm and golden from afar, but it's one of the most violent and inhospitable places in the entire Solar System.
Next up: the one planet we know best - because we live on it.
3. Earth - Our Unique Home in the Cosmos
Earth is the third planet from the Sun - and the only one we know of that supports life.
It has liquid water on its surface, a breathable atmosphere, plate tectonics, magnetic fields, and a single large natural satellite: the Moon. What truly sets Earth apart is its perfect balance - just the right distance from the Sun (called the "habitable zone"), with temperatures that allow oceans, weather, and the conditions life needs to thrive.
Viewed from space, Earth is a blue marble, with swirling clouds and continents lit by day and night.
Earth at a Glance
| Feature | Earth |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 150 million km / 93 million miles (1 AU) |
| Diameter | 12,742 km / 7,918 miles |
| Mass | 1 Earth mass |
| Year Length | 365.25 days |
| Day Length | 24 hours |
| Average Temperature | 16°C / 61°F |
| Moons | 1 – The Moon |
| Color | Blue, green, white |
| Symbol | ⊕ |
The Earth-Moon Connection
The Moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,854 miles). That's about 30 Earth diameters away!
Want a cool perspective? If you lined up all the other planets side by side - Mercury through Neptune - they'd fit between Earth and the Moon… with room to spare.
Fun Facts About Earth
- Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System.
- It's the only planet with liquid surface water and tectonic activity.
- The Moon helps stabilize Earth's tilt and seasons.
- Earth is the only known planet where life exists - at least so far.
We may live here every day, but Earth is still full of mysteries we haven't solved.
Let's step outside now and visit our next neighbor: Mars, the red planet of dust, ice, and ancient water.
Read more: Earth - Our Home Planet in Astronomy and Stargazing
4. Mars - The Red Planet
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun - and the one that has captured humanity's imagination like no other.
It's cold, dusty, and dry, yet it shares some striking similarities with Earth. Mars has seasons, polar ice caps, and even weather - including massive dust storms that can cover the entire planet. A Martian day (called a sol) is just 41 minutes longer than an Earth day.
Although it's currently a frozen desert, evidence of ancient rivers and lakes suggests that Mars was once much wetter - and maybe even habitable.
Mars at a Glance
| Feature | Mars |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 228 million km / 142 million miles (1.52 AU) |
| Diameter | 6,779 km / 4,212 miles |
| Mass | 0.107 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 687 Earth days |
| Day Length | 24 hours 37 minutes |
| Surface Temperature | Avg. -55°C / -67°F (range: -153°C to +20°C) |
| Moons | 2 – Phobos and Deimos |
| Color | Reddish-brown, due to iron oxide |
| Symbol | ♂ |
Fun Facts About Mars
- Mars has the largest volcano (Olympus Mons) and the deepest canyon (Valles Marineris) in the Solar System.
- Its thin atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, and not breathable for humans.
- You can see Mars with the naked eye - it appears as a bright red dot in the night sky.
- It's the only planet entirely inhabited by robots (so far!).
Mars is the most explored planet after Earth - with orbiters, rovers, landers, and helicopters studying its dusty surface.
Could humans be next? Time will tell.
Next stop: the giant of the giants - Jupiter.
5. Jupiter - King of the Planets
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest in our Solar System - so massive that it could fit more than 1,300 Earths inside!
It's a gas giant with no solid surface, made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter's atmosphere features swirling storms, including the famous Great Red Spot, a hurricane that's been raging for over 300 years.
But one of Jupiter's coolest features? Its moons - it has nearly 100 of them, including Europa, which may have an ocean beneath its icy shell.
Jupiter at a Glance
| Feature | Jupiter |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 778 million km / 484 million miles (5.2 AU) |
| Diameter | 139,820 km / 86,880 miles |
| Mass | 318 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 11.9 Earth years |
| Day Length | 9.8 Earth hours |
| Average Temperature | -148°C / -234°F |
| Moons | 97+ (including Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) |
| Symbol | ♃ |
Fun Facts About Jupiter
- Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, is larger than Mercury - the biggest moon in the Solar System.
- Jupiter's strong magnetic field is 14x more powerful than Earth's.
- The planet emits more heat than it receives from the Sun - it's still slowly contracting and releasing leftover formation energy.
- You can spot Jupiter with the naked eye, and even see its moons through binoculars or a small telescope.
Jupiter is big, bright, and wild - a must-see object for any skywatcher.
Next up: the most elegant planet of them all… Saturn, with its iconic rings.
6. Saturn - The Lord of the Rings
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in our Solar System.
It's instantly recognizable thanks to its spectacular ring system - made of ice, dust, and rock fragments. While other gas giants have rings too, none are as massive or beautiful as Saturn's.
Like Jupiter, Saturn is a gas giant composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with no solid surface. It's less dense than water - meaning if you could drop Saturn in a giant bathtub, it would float (hypothetically, of course).
Saturn at a Glance
| Feature | Saturn |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 1.4 billion km / 886 million miles (9.5 AU) |
| Diameter | 116,460 km / 72,365 miles |
| Mass | 95 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 29.5 Earth years |
| Day Length | 10.7 Earth hours |
| Average Temperature | -178°C / -288°F |
| Moons | 80+ known moons, including Titan and Enceladus |
| Symbol | ♄ |
Fun Facts About Saturn
- Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is bigger than Mercury and has lakes and rivers of liquid methane.
- Enceladus, another moon, has ice geysers and might have a subsurface ocean - a potential place to search for life.
- Saturn's rings span over 280,000 km (175,000 miles) wide - but they're only about 10 meters thick.
- Galileo was the first to observe Saturn's rings in 1610, but he didn't know what they were - he called them "ears."
Saturn is often a favorite target for beginners and veterans alike - it looks incredible through even a small telescope.
Read more: Saturn: How to See the Ringed Planet in the Night Sky
Next on the journey: a planet that rolls instead of spins - the icy, tilted Uranus.
7. Uranus - The Tilted Ice Giant
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun - and easily the most unusual. It's tipped over on its side, rotating at an angle of 98 degrees, which means it basically rolls around the Sun like a bowling ball. Scientists believe this extreme tilt was caused by a collision with a massive object long ago.
Uranus is classified as an ice giant, composed mostly of water, methane, and ammonia ices. It has a pale blue color due to methane in its upper atmosphere, which absorbs red light and reflects blue.
Uranus at a Glance
| Feature | Uranus |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 2.9 billion km / 1.8 billion miles (19.19 AU) |
| Diameter | 50,724 km / 31,518 miles |
| Mass | 14.5 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 84 Earth years |
| Day Length | 18 Earth hours |
| Average Temperature | -216°C / -357°F |
| Moons | 27 known moons, including Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon |
| Symbol | ♅ |
Fun Facts About Uranus
- Uranus was the first planet discovered with a telescope - by William Herschel in 1781.
- It's the coldest planet in the Solar System, even colder than Neptune.
- Its rings are faint but real - there are 13 known rings, discovered with infrared imaging.
- Uranus is barely visible to the naked eye under very dark skies, but binoculars or a telescope help a lot.
Uranus is strange, tilted, and freezing - but fascinating. It's often overlooked, but it rewards patient observers with a piece of solar system history.
Only one planet left in our main lineup: Neptune, the windy blue giant.
8. Neptune - The Windy Blue Giant
Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It's dark, cold, and whipped by the fastest winds in the Solar System - reaching up to 2,100 km/h (1,300 mph). Like Uranus, it's an ice giant, with a deep atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, and methane.
Thanks to that methane, Neptune shines in a rich, deep blue hue - even more vivid than Uranus. It's a dynamic world, with storms, bands, and active weather, despite being so far from the Sun.
Neptune at a Glance
| Feature | Neptune |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | 4.5 billion km / 2.8 billion miles (30.07 AU) |
| Diameter | 49,244 km / 30,599 miles |
| Mass | 17 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 165 Earth years |
| Day Length | 16 Earth hours |
| Average Temperature | -214°C / -353°F |
| Moons | 14 known moons, including Triton |
| Symbol | ♆ |
Fun Facts About Neptune
- Neptune was discovered in 1846 - predicted by math before it was ever seen through a telescope.
- Its largest moon, Triton, orbits backward - and may be a captured dwarf planet.
- Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Neptune, flying by in 1989.
- The planet has a faint ring system and dark spots - huge storms like Jupiter's, but less permanent.
Neptune is remote and icy, but full of surprises. It's the outermost planet in our Solar System - but it's not the end of the story…
Read more: Neptune: Facts, Moons, and How to See the Blue Giant
Next: Pluto and the world of dwarf planets.
Pluto - The Controversial Dwarf Planet
Pluto was once known as the ninth planet of the Solar System - until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified it as a dwarf planet.
Why the downgrade? Pluto doesn't meet one key rule: it hasn't "cleared its orbit" of other objects. Instead, it shares its zone with icy debris in the Kuiper Belt - a distant region beyond Neptune filled with small, frozen bodies.
But Pluto is still fascinating. It has five moons, a heart-shaped glacier, blue skies, mountains made of ice, and maybe even a subsurface ocean.
Pluto at a Glance
| Feature | Pluto |
|---|---|
| Distance from the Sun | ~5.9 billion km / 3.7 billion miles (39.5 AU) |
| Diameter | 2,377 km / 1,477 miles |
| Mass | 0.0022 Earth masses |
| Year Length | 247.94 Earth years |
| Day Length | 6.4 Earth days |
| Average Temperature | -229°C / -380°F |
| Moons | 5 – Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, Styx |
| Symbol | ♇ |
Fun Facts About Pluto
- Pluto's largest moon, Charon, is so big relative to Pluto that they orbit a common center of gravity outside of Pluto itself.
- New Horizons, a NASA spacecraft, flew by Pluto in 2015, revealing its surface in detail for the first time.
- Pluto has a thin atmosphere made of nitrogen and methane that can freeze and fall to the ground like snow.
Other Dwarf Planets in the Solar System
Pluto isn't alone! The IAU officially recognizes five dwarf planets (so far):
- Pluto - in the Kuiper Belt
- Ceres - the only one in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter
- Haumea - known for its elongated shape and fast rotation
- Makemake - cold and bright, with a methane-covered surface
- Eris - slightly smaller than Pluto, but more massive
These distant worlds remind us that the Solar System doesn't end with Neptune - it just keeps going.
What's Your Favorite Planet?
From sun-scorched Mercury to icy Neptune - and even far-off Pluto - each planet in our Solar System has its own story, quirks, and beauty.
Whether you're into volcanoes on Mars, rings around Saturn, or ocean moons orbiting gas giants, there's always something worth learning - and staring up at.
This list was made to help beginners explore the Solar System in a clear, visual, and friendly way. I hope it gave you a better sense of how our planetary neighborhood works - and maybe sparked your curiosity a bit more.
Which planet is your favorite - and why?
Do you still root for Pluto? Are you a fan of Jupiter's moons or Saturn's rings?
Leave a comment below - I'd love to hear from you!
FAQ
The eight planets in order from the Sun are:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
A simple way to remember this? Try the mnemonic:
🧠 "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles."
Each word's first letter matches a planet in order.
Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
It didn't meet all the criteria to be a "true planet" because it hasn't cleared its orbit of other debris.
Both orbit the Sun and are spherical in shape.
The key difference is that a planet clears its orbit, while a dwarf planet shares its space with other objects - like asteroids or icy bodies.
On average, the Moon is about 384,400 km (238,854 miles) away from Earth.
That's roughly 30 Earth diameters - and yes, all the other planets could fit in that space side by side!
Venus is the hottest planet, not Mercury.
Its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat in a powerful greenhouse effect, raising temperatures to 475°C / 887°F.
You can see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn without a telescope.
They often appear as bright "stars" in the sky - Venus being the brightest. Uranus may be visible under very dark skies.
Here's a quick overview of orbital periods:
Mercury - 88 Earth days
Venus - 225 Earth days
Earth - 365.25 days
Mars - 687 days
Jupiter - 11.9 years
Saturn - 29.5 years
Uranus - 84 years
Neptune - 165 years
Michael Guy, a.k.a. Michael Guy Le'cluse, wrtier musician says
Great Work, really have tabbed all your pages and will be learning and reading them for some time. Thanks for such hard good work!