A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star, typically a star like our Sun. In our solar system, there are eight recognized planets:
1. **Mercury**: The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is a small, rocky world with extreme temperature variations.
2. **Venus**: Known as Earth’s “sister planet” due to its similar size and composition, Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere and a very hot surface.
3. **Earth**: Our home planet, Earth is the only one known to support life. It has a diverse ecosystem, including land, water, and a variety of life forms.
4. **Mars**: Often called the “Red Planet” because of its reddish appearance, Mars has been a focus of exploration for its potential to host or have hosted life.
5. **Jupiter**: The largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter is a gas giant with a massive and dynamic atmosphere.
6. **Saturn**: Known for its stunning ring system, Saturn is another gas giant, and its rings are made up of ice and rock particles.
7. **Uranus**: Uranus is an ice giant with a unique feature – it rotates on its side, giving it a distinct tilt.
8. **Neptune**: The farthest known planet from the Sun, Neptune is another ice giant and has a dynamic atmosphere with powerful storms.
In astronomy, a planet is typically characterized by its ability to orbit a star, have enough mass for its gravity to shape it into a nearly round shape, and have cleared its orbital path of other debris. Pluto, which was considered the ninth planet in our solar system for many years, was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 due to these criteria not being met.
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A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star, typically a star like our Sun. In our solar system, there are eight recognized planets:
1. **Mercury**: The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is a small, rocky world with extreme temperature variations.
2. **Venus**: Known as Earth’s “sister planet” due to its similar size and composition, Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere and a very hot surface.
3. **Earth**: Our home planet, Earth is the only one known to support life. It has a diverse ecosystem, including land, water, and a variety of life forms.
4. **Mars**: Often called the “Red Planet” because of its reddish appearance, Mars has been a focus of exploration for its potential to host or have hosted life.
5. **Jupiter**: The largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter is a gas giant with a massive and dynamic atmosphere.
6. **Saturn**: Known for its stunning ring system, Saturn is another gas giant, and its rings are made up of ice and rock particles.
7. **Uranus**: Uranus is an ice giant with a unique feature – it rotates on its side, giving it a distinct tilt.
8. **Neptune**: The farthest known planet from the Sun, Neptune is another ice giant and has a dynamic atmosphere with powerful storms.
In astronomy, a planet is typically characterized by its ability to orbit a star, have enough mass for its gravity to shape it into a nearly round shape, and have cleared its orbital path of other debris. Pluto, which was considered the ninth planet in our solar system for many years, was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 due to these criteria not being met.