Planets Closest to the Sun in Order

The planets are marvelous celestial bodies within clusters of the solar system that revolve around the sun at different distances. There is light when one understands the sequence of arrangement of the planets about the sun since it deepens the information required to mark every planet and the conditions surrounding such planets. In this journey, we go through the seven little worlds near the Sun in the correct order, along with their unique characteristics and pleasant little surprises to draw your attention to the Universe.

Overview of the Solar System

In our astronomical family, the solar system has eight main planets that revolve around the nuclear star, the Sun. The planets are divided into two main categories: the terrestrial planets (the first four planets closest to the Sun) and the jovian planets. The terrestrial planets are the first four planets of the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, whilst the jovian planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are much bigger in size and different in many ways.

Order of the Planets Closest to the Sun

The eight planets in the solar system, starting from the one closest to the Sun, are:

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

Each planet possesses peculiar features that attract scientists’ attention and follow exploration.

Detailed Exploration of Each Planet

1. Mercury

Position: 1st from the Sun
Distance from Sun:About 57,900,000 km (36,000,000 mi)
Characteristics: Mercury, being the smallest of all the planets and closest to the sun, takes 176 days to make a round of the sun. The moon, where many craters are identified, has scorching temperatures during the daytime, which may rise to 430 degrees Celsius, and icy night temperatures, which may drop to -180 degrees Celsius.

2. Venus

Position: 2nd from the Sun
Distance from the Sun: Approximately one hundred and eight point two million kilometers, or sixty-seven million miles.
Characteristics: Because of its nearly equal size and density to that of the Earth, Venus is referred to as Earth’s twin or sister planet. But it has a dense poisonous environment that helps to warm it up, and thus, it is warmer than any other planet in the solar system, with temperatures on its surface going up to 465 ‘C. Its rotation is unique in that it is in the opposite direction to most planets, and it’s incredibly slow, taking 243 Earth days to perform a Venusian day.

3. Earth

Position: 3rd from the Sun
Distance from Sun: About 149 600, 000 Km or 93,000 000 miles
Characteristics: Earth is unique because here we can find many living organisms. The planet possesses an equable climate, liquid water, and atmospheric oxygen. It goes around the sun in 365 ¼ days and comes equipped with the moon, which controls tides and some other incidences on our planet.

4. Mars

Position: 4th from the Sun
Distance from the Sun: Approximately 227.9 million kilometers, or 141 million miles.
Characteristics: Due to the abundance of iron oxide in its soil, Mars is nicknamed the ‘Red Planet’- it has a cold and thin atmosphere of 95% carbon dioxide. Mars has two weak moons, Phobos and Deimos. Mars has potential and past or present microbial life, so it has excellent opportunities for manned exploration in the future.

5. Jupiter

Position: 5th from the Sun
Distance from Sun: Approximately Seventeen Hundred and Seventy-Eight point Five million KMs or Four Hundred and Eighty-four million miles.
Characteristics: Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system, and most of its material is made of hydrogen and helium. It has a giant storm popularly known as the Great Red Spot that has been going on for centuries. Jupiter has at least 79 moons and is a huge gaseous planet accompanied by a large magnetosphere.

6. Saturn

Position: 6th from the Sun
Distance from the Sun: Around 1.4 billion kilometers or 886 million miles
Characteristics: Saturn is also well known for its rings, which include ice and rock particles. It is gaseous from mainly hydrogen and helium and has at least 83 natural satellites. Saturn has spectacular visible features that distinguish it from all the other solar system planets: an impressive array of rings.

7. Uranus

Position: 7th from the Sun
Distance from the Sun: Approximately 2,870,000,000 km or 1,780,000,000 miles
Characteristics: Uranus is also inclined on its side with extreme shifts between its respective seasons. Methane in the atmosphere gives it a blue-green color. It has at least 27 known moons and faint rings and rotates in the same way as Venus, from east to west.

8. Neptune

Position: 8th from the Sun
Distance from the Sun: Around 4.5 billion kilometers / 2.8 billion miles
Characteristics: Neptune has a solid blue tint and a fast Saturnian wind, some of the fastest in the solar system. Neptune has at least fourteen named moons and faint rings. It is unique because it was the first planet found by mathematical prediction, assuming its existence from the gravitational perturbation observed on Uranus.

IExcitingFacts About Each Planet

Mercury has no atmosphere, which makes its temperature swing dramatically.
Venus has a day longer than its year because of its slow rotation.
Earth is the only known planet with abundant water in liquid form.
Mars has the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons.
Jupiter could fit all other planets inside it due to its massive size.
Saturn’s rings are mostly made up of ice particles, with some rocky debris.
Uranus rotates on its side, creating unique seasonal changes.
Neptune has winds reaching 2,100 km/h (1,300 mph).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What planet is closest to the Sun?

Mercury is the innermost planet from the Sun and goes about 57.9 million kilometers or 36 million miles away from the Sun.

2. Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?

Even though Mercury is closer to the sun, Venus is hotter than Mercury because of its thick atmosphere, which retains heat through absorption, forming a greenhouse around Planets Closest to the Sun in Order Closest to the Sun in Order. Temperatures on Venus touch an average of 465 °C.

3. Which planet has the most moons?

Jupiter has more known moons today; to be exact, Jupiter has at least 79 moons recognized by astronomers.

4. Why does Uranus rotate on its side?

Scientists believe a collision with a large object early in Uranus’s history likely caused it to tilt sideways, giving it an unusual rotation.

5. How many planets have rings?

Gaseous giant planets include V Jupiter, VI Saturn, XXX uranium, and XXX Neptune. The main and the most famous ones are the rings of Saturn.

6. Are there any dwarf planets?

Yes, apart from the eight classical planets, there are more than a dozen minor planets, primarily Pluto and Ceres, and several others less illustrious than the big three. While orbiting the sun like the big eight, these planets do not conform to all the criteria of planets.