The four planets closest to the Sun are small rocky planets. The closest planet to the Sun is Mercury, it’s also the smallest planet in the Solar System. Then there’s Venus, sometimes called Earth’s ugly sister! The third planet from the Sun is Earth, located in a perfect goldilocks distance away from the Sun…not too hot, not too cold! The last rocky planet is Mars, known as the red planet.

The last four planets are called gas giants because they are so much bigger than the rocky planets, and instead of having a rocky surface they are mainly made up of gas. The first gas giant is Jupiter, the biggest planet in the whole Solar System. Then it is Saturn, well known because of its beautiful rings made up of rock and ice. Next you have Uranus, unique because it’s been knocked on to it’s side. Then finally the last planet in the Solar System is Neptune, the furthest planet from the Sun.

In this topic you can learn more about these planets, as well as the other objects that make up our Solar System. You can even find out about our galaxy, that the Solar System is only a tiny part of.  Click on a picture or you can use the links below.