Planets

Terrestrial Planets

The four inner, rocky planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Gas Giants

The two massive outer planets made primarily of hydrogen and helium: Jupiter and Saturn.

Ice Giants

The two outer planets composed mostly of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, such as water, ammonia, and methane: Uranus and Neptune.

Mercury

The closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the solar system, featuring a heavily cratered surface and extreme temperature variations.

Venus

The hottest planet in the solar system, covered in thick clouds of carbon dioxide that trap heat through an extreme greenhouse effect.

Earth

The third planet from the Sun and the only known planet with abundant liquid water and life.

Mars

The Red Planet, named for the rusty iron oxide covering its surface, home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.

Asteroid Belt

The region of space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter that separates the inner rocky planets from the outer gas planets.

Jupiter

The largest planet in the solar system, known for its high mass and the Great Red Spot, a giant centuries-old storm.

Saturn

The sixth planet from the Sun, famous for its extensive, bright ring system made of ice, dust, and rock.

Uranus

An ice giant planet with a faint ring system that uniquely rotates nearly completely on its side, at an axis tilt of about $98^\text{o}$.

Neptune

The farthest planet from the Sun, known for its deep blue color caused by atmospheric methane and its extremely strong winds.