Despite being closest to the Sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet — that title belongs to Venus.
One day on Venus is longer than its year due to its slow rotation.
So far, Earth is the only planet where life as we know it exists.
Its reddish color comes from iron oxide (rust) on its surface.
It’s more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.
Its iconic rings are made of ice, dust, and rock particles.
Its axial tilt is about 98 degrees, making it roll like a ball as it orbits the Sun.
It was predicted by calculations before being visually confirmed in 1846.
It was reclassified in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.
Neither Mercury nor Venus have any natural satellites.
This stabilization helps maintain a stable climate over long periods.
Olympus Mons stands about 13.6 miles high — nearly three times taller than Mount Everest.
This storm has been raging for at least 350 years and is larger than Earth.
It’s made mostly of gas and is less dense than water.
Methane in the atmosphere absorbs red light and reflects blue.
Winds on Neptune can reach speeds of over 1,200 miles per hour.
Despite not being the largest, Earth has the highest density among all planets.
It has the shortest day of all the planets due to its rapid rotation.
It rotates clockwise, unlike most other planets that spin counter-clockwise.
These small, irregularly shaped moons may be captured asteroids.
Temperatures can drop to -214°C due to its distance from the Sun.
Charon is the largest and nearly half the size of Pluto itself.
This is due to its strong gravitational compression generating internal heat.
Some scientists believe the rings are only a few hundred million years old.
It deflects harmful charged particles from the Sun.
It can range from -173°C at night to 427°C during the day.
Though faint and dark, Uranus has a system of 13 known rings.
This causes a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet.
It began as a cloud of gas and dust that collapsed under gravity.
They move counterclockwise when viewed from above the Sun’s north pole.
It has the most known moons of any planet, including Ganymede—the largest in the solar system.
Although other planets may have frozen or vaporized water, Earth has stable bodies of liquid water.
Methane reflects blue light, giving both planets their azure hues.
Planets, moons, and asteroids make up a small fraction of the total mass.
It’s slightly elliptical, affecting seasonal differences.
Channels and riverbeds suggest it once had flowing liquid water.
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune also have ring systems, though less visible.
That’s how long it takes to orbit the Sun once due to its vast distance.
It may have as many as 1,600 major volcanoes.
It accounts for about 85% of the planet’s radius, contributing to its density.
Jupiter is over 300 times more massive than Earth, while Mercury is the smallest planet.
Jupiter and Saturn have spectacular auroras caused by magnetic fields and solar wind.
This region contains many icy bodies and dwarf planets like Pluto.
Plate tectonics help recycle the planet’s crust and shape its geography.
It’s the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere and surface lakes of methane.
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest natural satellite in the solar system.
Each planet's name reflects a deity’s character or mythological role.
It contains thousands of rocky objects that never formed into a planet.
It features tropical, temperate, polar, and desert environments.
They contain more ices like water, ammonia, and methane than gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are terrestrial planets with solid surfaces.
Jupiter and Saturn are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.
Thousands of planets have been discovered beyond our solar system, with many being gas giants.