Solar System Guide

Compare planets in our solar system — sizes, distances, moons, gravity, and fascinating facts. Free interactive guide.

How to Use Solar System Guide

  1. Select a planet from the list or 3D-style orbital map to view its profile
  2. Compare size, mass, distance from the Sun, gravity, and number of moons
  3. Use the comparison slider to see how Earth stacks up against other planets
  4. Explore fun facts and read a short description of each planet

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 8 planets of the solar system in order?

In order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Mnemonic: 'My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos.' Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 by the IAU. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter; the Kuiper Belt extends beyond Neptune.

How far is each planet from the Sun?

Average distances from the Sun: Mercury: 58M km (0.39 AU). Venus: 108M km (0.72 AU). Earth: 150M km (1 AU). Mars: 228M km (1.52 AU). Jupiter: 778M km (5.2 AU). Saturn: 1.43B km (9.5 AU). Uranus: 2.87B km (19.2 AU). Neptune: 4.5B km (30.1 AU). AU = Astronomical Unit = Earth's distance from Sun.

How big is Jupiter compared to Earth?

Jupiter's diameter is 142,984 km — about 11x Earth's diameter. By volume, Jupiter could contain 1,321 Earths. Jupiter's mass is 318x Earth's mass. Yet Jupiter is still much smaller than the Sun: the Sun is ~10x Jupiter's diameter and could contain ~1,000 Jupiters. Our solar system visualizer shows all scale comparisons.

How long does it take each planet to orbit the Sun?

Orbital periods: Mercury: 88 days. Venus: 225 days. Earth: 365.25 days. Mars: 687 days (1.88 years). Jupiter: 11.86 years. Saturn: 29.5 years. Uranus: 84 years. Neptune: 165 years. If you were born on Neptune, you wouldn't live to see it complete one orbit of the Sun!

What is the hottest planet in the solar system?

Venus is the hottest planet at ~465°C (869°F) average surface temperature — hotter than Mercury despite being further from the Sun. The reason: Venus has a thick CO2 atmosphere creating an extreme greenhouse effect. Mercury has almost no atmosphere so surface temperatures range from -180°C to 430°C (day vs night).

How long would it take to travel to Mars?

With current technology, a crewed mission to Mars would take 6–9 months depending on launch window alignment. Earth and Mars are closest (opposition) every 26 months — that's when launches are planned. Mars exploration missions (Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance) took 6–8 months to reach Mars from Earth.