---
title: "The Eight Planets"
description: "Name the eight planets in order from the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), know that Pluto is a dwarf planet, and distinguish rocky inner planets from gas giant oute"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-eight-planets-mt_AVk2EmSULC
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-eight-planets-mt_AVk2EmSULC.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# The Eight Planets

Name the eight planets in order from the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), know that Pluto is a dwarf planet, and distinguish rocky inner planets from gas giant outer planets

Subject: Science · Area: Space Exploration · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-eight-planets-mt_AVk2EmSULC

## Ready when they can

- List all eight planets in order from the Sun
- State that Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006
- Explain that the four inner planets are small and rocky while the four outer planets are large gas giants

## Lesson: The Eight Planets

Eight planets circle the Sun. Each one follows its own path, called an orbit. The planets closer to the Sun move faster and get more heat and light.

*(drawing: The eight planets in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.)*

**Tip.** A memory trick can help: My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos. The first letter of each word matches the first letter of a planet, in order.

**Example.** For a long time, people counted Pluto as the ninth planet. In 2006, scientists set clearer rules for what counts as a planet, and Pluto did not fit them. Now Pluto is called a dwarf planet.

The four planets closest to the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are small and made of rock. The four planets farther out, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, are huge balls of gas called gas giants.

**Recap.** Eight planets orbit the Sun in order, four small rocky ones close in and four giant gas ones farther out, and Pluto is now a dwarf planet, not a full planet.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [The Sun is a star](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-sun-is-a-star-mt_u3Y3Tb-G_n)

## Opens up

- [The Vast Scale of Space](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-vast-scale-of-space-mt_aulwq39aj8)
- [Scale of the Solar System](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/scale-of-the-solar-system-mt_TlGhXAqC4p)
- [Asteroids, Comets and Meteors](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/asteroids-comets-and-meteors-mt_uoTBeyMhGm)
- [Planet Features](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/planet-features-mt_W8Eq3CqWJf)