In order from the Sun, the planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The first four are rocky worlds in the inner Solar System, followed by four giant planets.
This order helps reveal how our planetary system is structured: worlds close to the Sun give way to distant giants. Comparing the planets in order lets us look not only at their sizes and orbits, but also at the composition of their atmospheres—explored in more detail in our article “Biochemical Composition of Planetary Atmospheres: Gases, Impurities, and Possible Signs of Life.”
| Position | Planet | Average distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | 0,39 а.е. |
| 2 | Venus | 0,72 а.е. |
| 3 | Earth | 1 а.е. |
| 4 | Mars | 1,52 а.е. |
| 5 | Jupiter | 5,20 а.е. |
| 6 | Saturn | 9,58 а.е. |
- 8 planets number of planets in the sequence from Mercury to Neptune
- 1 а.е. ≈ 149,6 млн км average distance from Earth to the Sun
- 0,39 а.е. Mercury’s average orbital distance from the Sun
- 30,1 а.е. Neptune’s average orbital distance from the Sun
- ≈ 165 земных лет approximate orbital period of Neptune
Which planets come in order from the Sun?
The planets of the Solar System, in order from the Sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In this accepted sequence, Earth is third, between Venus and Mars, while Neptune completes the list as the eighth and most distant planet from the Sun.
The first four planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are terrestrial planets. After Mars come the four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The sequence thus divides the eight planets into two groups of four.
Sequence from closest to farthest
- Terrestrial planets: Mercury → Venus → Earth → Mars.
- Giant planets: Jupiter → Saturn → Uranus → Neptune.
What point is used to measure a planet’s distance?
Average distance and position in orbit
The planets are ordered by their average orbital distance from the Sun, not by where they happen to be in their orbits at a given moment. Distances are compared using the astronomical unit (AU): 1 AU is the average distance from Earth to the Sun, about 149.6 million km.
The inner planets are arranged as follows: Mercury is an average of 0.39 AU from the Sun, Venus 0.72 AU, Earth 1 AU, and Mars 1.52 AU. These rounded values show the distances between the orbits, not the planets’ instantaneous positions.
- Jupiter — 5.20 AU
- Saturn — 9.58 AU
- Uranus — 19.2 AU
- Neptune — 30.1 AU
The average distances of the outer planets from the Sun range from 5.20 AU for Jupiter to 30.1 AU for Neptune. So even if two planets temporarily happen to be closer to or farther from each other along their orbits, their place in the sequence is determined by their average orbital distances.
Why doesn’t a planet’s distance stay constant?
A planet’s distance from the Sun changes because planets travel in elliptical, not perfectly circular, orbits. As each planet moves along its orbit, it therefore alternately approaches and recedes from the Sun.
The sequence of planets uses their average distance from the Sun, expressed in astronomical units (AU); one AU is the average distance from Earth to the Sun. This is a convenient way to compare orbits, but it does not tell us exactly where a planet is on a particular date or how far the Sun is from it at that moment.
Orbital order is not distance from Earth
Venus is, on average, closer to the Sun than Earth, but the distance between the two planets varies depending on where they are in their orbits. When arranging the planets in sequence, we compare their orbits relative to the Sun, rather than ranking worlds by their current distance from Earth. So changes in the relative positions of Venus and Earth do not alter the order of their orbits.
Where do dwarf planets fit in the sequence?
Dwarf planets do not take ninth place after the eight planets: they are a separate category of bodies found in different regions of the Solar System. Ceres, for example, lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, while Pluto is beyond Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt region.
Ceres and Pluto
- Ceres orbits the Sun in the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- Pluto lies beyond Neptune’s orbit, in the Kuiper Belt region.
Ceres and Pluto show why dwarf planets cannot simply be added to a single linear sequence after Neptune: they are found in different parts of the Solar System. They are not given a separate ninth place in the list of eight planets; instead, they are considered members of a different category of celestial bodies.
Atmospheric composition is another way to explore planetary science: our article “Biochemical Composition of Planetary Atmospheres: Gases, Impurities, and Possible Signs of Life” examines atmospheric gases and impurities in more detail. This does not change Ceres’s location in the asteroid belt or Pluto’s location in the Kuiper Belt region.
When can the familiar list of planets be misleading?
The familiar list can be misleading if it is taken to include all large bodies in the Solar System or to answer the question of which one is currently closest to Earth. The sequence from the Sun includes eight planets; Pluto is often remembered as the ninth, but it is not part of the current list.
A planet is not the same as a dwarf planet.
A dwarf planet can orbit the Sun and have a rounded shape, but those features alone are not enough to classify it among the eight planets. Pluto and the planets on the list therefore belong to different categories, rather than occupying neighboring places in the same sequence.
- Pluto is a dwarf planet, not the ninth entry after Neptune in the current list.
- Mercury is the first of the eight planets from the Sun; its orbital period is about 88 Earth days.
- Neptune is the eighth planet; it takes about 165 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun.
Orbital period does not determine the order from the Sun: Mercury’s 88 days and Neptune’s roughly 165 years describe how long they take to complete their orbits, not their distance at a given moment. To find out which body is closest right now, the orbital sequence alone is not enough: the answer depends on the date and the planets’ positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I remember the order of the planets from the Sun?
How many planets are in the Solar System?
Is Pluto farther from the Sun than Neptune?
What does distance in astronomical units mean?
Key Takeaways
- The order of the eight planets is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- Earth is the third planet; its orbital distance is defined as 1 AU.
- Neptune’s average distance from the Sun is about 30.1 AU.
- Ceres and Pluto are dwarf planets, not additional entries in the list of eight.
