List of Planets in the Solar System
| S. No. | Planet | Order from the Sun | Major Features / Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | 1st | The smallest planet and closest to the Sun. It has a rocky surface, almost no atmosphere and extreme temperature variations. |
| 2 | Venus | 2nd | A rocky planet with a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere. It is the hottest planet in the solar system because of its strong greenhouse effect. |
| 3 | Earth | 3rd | Our home planet, with abundant surface liquid water and the only world currently known to support life. |
| 4 | Mars | 4th | Known as the Red Planet. It has a thin atmosphere, polar ice caps, ancient river features and the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. |
| 5 | Jupiter | 5th | The largest planet. A gas giant known for its Great Red Spot, powerful storms and numerous moons. |
| 6 | Saturn | 6th | A gas giant famous for its extensive ring system, composed mainly of ice, rock and dust particles. |
| 7 | Uranus | 7th | An ice giant with a blue-green appearance caused by atmospheric methane. It rotates on its side relative to its orbit. |
| 8 | Neptune | 8th | The farthest recognised planet from the Sun. It is an ice giant with a deep blue appearance and extremely fast winds. |
Notes:
- The solar system has 8 officially recognised planets.
- Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union in 2006.
- The four inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars—are rocky terrestrial planets.
- Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, while Uranus and Neptune are ice giants.
- The solar system also contains dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets and other small bodies.
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