KEY POINTS
- Our solar system is consisted of only eight planets instead of nine.
- Staring from the sun there are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
- All the eight planets revolve around the sun in their orbits.
- The solar system is the family of the sun, planets revolving around it, the satellites of the planets and the asteroids or meteoroids and comets etc.
- According to the finding of International Astronomies Union (IAU) “Pluto” has been stripped off the status of planet.
- The farthest and coldest planet is now “Neptune” and the smallest planet is “Mercury”.
- Out of the eight planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called ‘Inner planets’ as they lie between the sun and the belt of asteroids.
- Out of the eight planets; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called ‘Outer planets’.
- The inner planets are known as ‘Terrestrial’ meaning earth-like as they are made up of rock and metals, and have relatively densities.
- The outer planets are called ‘Jovian’ or ‘Gas Giant’. Jovian means Jupiter-like.