Orbits of the Planets

We will discuss about the orbits of the planets. There are nine planets of the sun. They maintain their respective distances from the sun. They do not cross each other as they revolve around the sun remaining in their own orbits.

On the basis of their nearness to the sun they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Orbits of the Planets

The nearest planet to the sun is Mercury and the farthest, Pluto. 

The largest planet is Jupiter. Then come Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Pluto in the descending order.        

The four inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars – which are closer to the Sun, are made up of rocks and iron.

Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun and it is very hot during the day and very cold at night. It has no moons. There is very little air around mercury.

Venus is the hottest planet. It shines the brightest among all planets. It can be seen in the morning or evening. It is often called the morning or the evening star. Venus also does not have any moon.

Earth is the only planet that has life. It is neither too hot nor too cold. It has water and is surrounded by air containing oxygen.

Mars is known as the red planet. It appears red because of the red dust that covers it. It has two moons.

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. These planets are further away from the Sun. They are very cold and mainly consist of frozen gases.

Jupiter is the largest planet. It has 16 known moons. It has a big red spot on it. This is actually a huge storm which has been blowing for years.

Saturn is the second largest planet. It has 7 wide rings that surround it. It has 7 wide rings that surround it. It has 18 known moons.

Uranus is the third largest planet. It has 15 known moons.

Neptune has 8 known moons. Two spots can be seen on its surface. These are actually storms with very fast blowing winds.

Pluto is the smallest planet.

Fourth Grade

From Orbits of the Planets to HOME PAGE