Planets and Solar System

What are planets?


A “planet” is an object in orbit around the Sun that is large enough (massive enough) to have its self-gravity pull itself into a round (or nearly round) shape. In addition a “planet” orbits in a clear path around the Sun – there are no other bodies in its path that it must sweep up as it goes around the Sun. Source: iau.org

Solar System consist of the sun together with the nine planets and all other celestial bodies that orbit the sun.


planets

The sun is located in the center of the Solar System.The nine planets that revolves around the sun are  MercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSaturn,UranusNeptune and Pluto. Image:tx.english-ch.com

Easy ways to remember the order of the planets


From enchantedlearning.com I learned this to memorise the order of the planets."My Very Easy Method Just Simplifies Us Naming Planets" The first letter of each of these words represents a planet - in the correct order. 


Solar system is made up of two parts:
The Inner Solar system contains the inner planets and the Outer Solar system contains the outer planets.


The inner planets( Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars)are relatively small  and orbit closer to the sun.
The outer planets(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto-a dwarf planet)are mostly huge,gaseous and orbit far from the sun.