Planets in order of distance from the sun
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Solar System Planets: Order by Distance from the Sun
The planets in our solar system are arranged in a specific order based on their average distance from the Sun. This order is consistent across multiple sources and is a fundamental aspect of solar system structure 236.
List of Planets in Order of Distance
Starting from the closest to the Sun and moving outward, the planets are:
- Mercury – The closest planet to the Sun, with an average distance of about 36 million miles (57.9 million km) 26.
- Venus – The second planet, averaging 67 million miles (108 million km) from the Sun .
- Earth – Our home planet, with an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million km) .
- Mars – The fourth planet, at about 142 million miles (228 million km) from the Sun .
- Jupiter – The largest planet, located about 483 million miles (778 million km) from the Sun .
- Saturn – The sixth planet, at 886 million miles (1.4 billion km) from the Sun .
- Uranus – The seventh planet, with an average distance of 1,783 million miles (2.9 billion km) .
- Neptune – The eighth planet, at 2,796 million miles (4.5 billion km) from the Sun .
- Pluto (dwarf planet) – Once considered the ninth planet, Pluto is about 3,675 million miles (5.9 billion km) from the Sun .
Planetary Orbits and Solar System Structure
All the planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane, creating a flat, disk-like structure for the solar system 23. The order of the planets is not determined by their size or mass, but by their distance from the Sun 245. Some research discusses the regular spacing of planetary orbits and attempts to explain these patterns through various physical and mathematical models, but the basic order remains the same .
Notable Details
- Mercury has the most eccentric (oval-shaped) orbit among the main planets, causing its distance from the Sun to vary more than most .
- The arrangement of planets is sometimes discussed in the context of planetary migration and collisions, which may have affected their current positions, especially for Mars and Pluto 47.
- Pluto, now classified as a dwarf planet, is still often listed in traditional orders of the solar system .
Conclusion
The planets in the solar system are ordered by their distance from the Sun as follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. This order is a foundational aspect of astronomy and is supported by multiple sources, regardless of the physical theories explaining why the planets are spaced as they are.
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