About Planets
The eight major planets formed from the same young Solar System, but they became remarkably different worlds. Some are rocky, some are gigantic balls of gas, some have rings, some have global storms, and each follows its own path around the Sun.
Mercury
The smallest planet has the shortest year.
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Venus is similar to Earth in size but very different at the surface.
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Earth is the only world known to have life.
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Mars is a cold desert world with giant volcanoes and canyons.
Learn MoreJupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System.
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Saturn is surrounded by an enormous system of bright rings.
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Uranus rotates almost on its side.
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Neptune is the farthest major planet from the Sun.
Learn MoreMercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and completes an orbit in only about 88 Earth days. Its surface is covered with impact craters, cliffs, and plains. With almost no substantial atmosphere to hold heat, temperatures can change dramatically between day and night.
Venus
A thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat through an extreme greenhouse effect, making Venus the hottest planet. Clouds of sulfuric acid cover the planet, and the surface pressure is far greater than Earth's.
Earth
Liquid oceans cover most of Earth's surface. The atmosphere, magnetic field, active geology, and water cycle create a complex environment. Earth has one large natural satellite, the Moon.
Mars
Mars has polar ice caps, dust storms, extinct volcanoes, and dry river valleys. Rovers and orbiters have found strong evidence that liquid water once moved across its surface. Scientists study Mars as one of the most promising places to investigate ancient habitability.
Jupiter
Jupiter is a gas giant with powerful storms and a strong magnetic field. Its Great Red Spot is a huge storm system. The planet has many moons, including Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Saturn
The rings are made mostly of countless particles of water ice mixed with rock and dust. Saturn is a gas giant with a deep atmosphere and many moons. Titan has a thick atmosphere, while Enceladus sprays water-rich material into space.
Uranus
The planet's extreme axial tilt means its poles can point nearly toward the Sun during parts of its long orbit. Methane in the atmosphere helps give Uranus a blue-green appearance. It also has rings and many moons.
Neptune
Neptune is an ice giant with some of the fastest winds measured in the Solar System. Its deep blue appearance is associated partly with methane in the atmosphere, though its exact color chemistry is more complex. Triton, its largest moon, orbits backward compared with most large moons.