The Eight Planets in Order From the Sun
Nova floats beside a glowing scale model of the solar system suspended in a dark starfield, pointing excitedly at tiny planet spheres arranged in a curving line stretching away from a blazing golden Sun, each planet a different color and size.
- Name all eight planets in order from the Sun without a reference card.
- Explain why planets closer to the Sun take less time to complete one orbit.
- Compare the four rocky inner planets to the four gas-and-ice outer planets.
- Identify each planet's position using the memory phrase 'My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos.'
- Predict which planet a friend is describing based on clues about its distance and neighbors.
Key terms
- Orbit
- The path a planet takes around the Sun.
- Inner planets
- The four small rocky planets near the Sun.
- Outer planets
- The four big planets far from the Sun.
- Memory phrase
- A silly sentence that helps you remember.
Eight Planets In Order
The Sun sits in the middle, and eight planets travel around it. In order from the Sun, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury is closest, and Neptune is farthest away. Earth is the third planet, which is our home. The order of the planets always stays the same.
A Trick To Remember
You can remember the order with a silly sentence: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos. Each first letter matches a planet, going M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N. The four planets closest to the Sun are small and rocky. The four farthest away are huge and made mostly of gas or ice.
Worked examples
Which planet is the third one from the Sun?
- Count out from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, then the next one.
- The third planet is where we live.
Answer: Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Activity
Drag each planet card into the correct position from the Sun, then check your order.
Practice
Name the eight planets in order from the Sun.
Tell which planet is farthest away from the Sun.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The planet order can changeThe planets stay in their lanes, so the order never changes.
Check your understanding
Which planet is the FOURTH from the Sun?
A student says, 'Saturn must be warmer than Jupiter because Saturn has rings and rings need heat to form.' What is wrong with this idea?
Using the memory phrase 'My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos,' what planet does the letter J stand for?
Recap
Eight planets orbit the Sun in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The closer ones are small and rocky.
Reflect
Which planet would you most like to visit, and why?