| Exploring The Planets Our Solar System |
Relative Distances of The Planets From The Sun
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The Solar System can be divided into two regions:
the inner Solar System between the Sun and asteroids,
and
the outer Solar System beyond the asteroids.
The inner planets (Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars) are
called the terrestrial planets because they are relatively small bodies composed
of rock.
The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune)
are large and composed of gases and liquids.
These are called the Jovian planets (after Jupiter) or the gas giants.
Pluto is a riddle.
Although it is an outer planet, it is small and probably rocky in composition.
See the Planetary Physical Data table for average distances of the planets from the Sun.
Mercury || Venus
|| Earth || Mars || Asteroids
|| Jupiter || Saturn || Uranus
Neptune || Pluto/Charon ||
Comets
©2002 National Air and Space Museum
