In our solar system, nine planets circle around our Sun. The Sun sits in the middle while the planets travel in circular paths (called orbits) around it. These nine planets travel in the same direction (counter- clockwise looking down from the Sun's north pole). The picture on the right shows the different paths and positions of each planet (not to scale).Sun

The solar system is made up of two parts: The inner solar system contains Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. These four planets are closest to the Sun. MercuryVenusEarthMarsSun The outer solar system contains Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The inner planets are separated from the outer planets by the Asteroid Belt JupiterSaturnUranus NeptunePlutoAsteroid Belt

COMPOSITION ROCKY PLANETS (Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars - Pluto)MercuryVenusEarth MarsPluto The rocky planets are mostly made up of rock and metal. These planets are very heavy and move slowly. They also do not have rings and very few moons. GAS PLANETS (Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune)JupiterSaturnUranus Neptune The gas planets are mostly made up of gases (hydrogen and helium). These planets are light for their sizes (just like a big air balloon) and move quickly. They have rings and lots of moons

SIZE SMALL PLANETS (Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars - Pluto)MercuryVenusEarth MarsPluto The small planets have diameters less than km across. Mercury and Pluto are sometimes referred to as lesser planets because they are so tiny km GIANT PLANETS (Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune)JupiterSaturnUranusNeptune The giant planets have diameters greater than km. The giant planets are sometimes also referred to as gas giants km

Our solar system is centered around the Sun The Sun is a star - it is not a planet. Our Sun is just like the stars we see in the night sky. The Sun is also the only star we see during the daytime. The Sun's center is about 15 million degrees Celsius. The Sun is so hot that planets millions of kilometers away can feel its heat... That's *mighty hot*!15 million degrees Celsius

Planets Mercury is the planet closest to our Sun, and it is the eighth largest of the nine planets.Sun

Mercury

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and the sixth largest of all the nine planets. Sun Venus' hot temperature is due to what we call "the Greenhouse Effect." The large amount of carbon dioxide in Venus' atmosphere acts like a blanket. The heat gets trapped underneath the thick layer of clouds. Because the heat has nowhere to go, Venus gets hotter and stays hot. Greenhouse Effect

Venus

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the fifth largest of the nine planets.Sun

Earth

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest of the nine planets.Sun

Mars

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest of all nine planets. Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined - It's 318 times bigger than the Earth! SunEarth Jupiter does not have a solid surface due to its gaseous composition. The swirls and bands we see when looking at Jupiter are the tops of clouds high in its atmosphere.

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun, and the second largest of the nine planets.Sun Saturn is a giant gas planet which is made up of about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium. It's most famous for its thousands of beautiful rings.giant gas planet Saturn's rings are made up mostly of water ice, but they may also include rocky particles with icy coatings. Saturn is made up of materials which are lighter than water. If placed in a big pond, Saturn would float much like an ice cube does in a glass of water.

Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third largest of the nine planets (in size). Uranus is larger in size but smaller in weight than Neptune.SunNeptune Uranus is a giant gas planet which is made up of mostly rock and various ices.giant gas planet

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the fourth largest (by size) of the nine planets. Neptune is smaller in size but it's heavier than Uranus.Sun Uranus Neptune's blue color is the result of a gas called "methane" in its atmosphere

Asteroids Asteroids are chunks of rock and metal that orbit around the Sun. Scientists think that they are loose material that never formed into planets. The Main Asteroid Belt is located between Mars and JupiterMars Jupiter The total mass of all the asteroids is less than that of the Moon.

Dwarf Planet

Created by: Master Nopphadol Panyadee