Solar system planet distances

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, orbiting at an average distance of 36 million miles (58 million kilometers). Mercury is 57 million miles closer to the Sun than Earth. Pluto is the largest dwarf planet in our solar system, just slightly larger than Eris, at number two.

What is the distance between Earth and Venus?

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, orbiting at an average distance of 93 million miles (149.7 million kilometers). Venus is the sixth largest planet in the solar system. Venus is about the same width as Earth, and has an equatorial diameter of about 7,521 miles (12,104 kilometers).

What is the distance of each planet from the sun?

Distances in the solar system are often measured in astronomical units (AU). One astronomical unit is defined as the distance from Earth to the Sun. The distance from the Sun to Mercury is 0.39 AU, to Venus is 0.72 AU, to Earth is 1.00 AU, to Mars is 1.52 AU, to Jupiter is 5.20 AU, to Saturn is 9.54 AU, to Uranus is 19.22 AU, and to Neptune is 30.06 AU.

Distance in the Solar System

Distance in the Solar System. The scale of the planets is tiny compared to the scale of the Solar System. The distance from Earth to the moon is 384 thousand kilometers, or 9.6 times Earth''s equatorial circumference. The Sun is 150 million kilometers away, or 390 times the distance of the Moon from Earth, and 3,743 times Earth''s circumference.

In Depth | Our Solar System – NASA Solar System Exploration

Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets such as

Cosmic Distances

May 18, 2020· Astronomical units are a useful measure for distances in our solar system, while light years are more practical for distances to the stars. The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is seen from Saturn in this image from NASA''s Cassini spacecraft. Distances between the planets, and especially between the stars, can become so big when

The Solar System

Oct 22, 2020· One way to help visualize the relative distances in the solar system is to imagine a model in which the solar system is reduced in size by a factor of a billion (10 9). The Earth is then about 1.3 cm in diameter (the size of a grape). Pluto is not the only dwarf planet in our solar system - Eris, 27% more massive than Pluto, was discovered

Solar System

OverviewGeneral characteristicsFormation and evolutionSunInner Solar SystemOuter Solar SystemTrans-Neptunian regionMiscellaneous populations

Astronomers sometimes divide the Solar System structure into separate regions. The inner Solar System includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the bodies in the asteroid belt. The outer Solar System includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the bodies in the Kuiper belt. Since the discovery of the Kuiper belt, the outermost parts of the Solar System are considered a distinct

How far away is Jupiter from the Sun?

Jupiter remains pretty close to our end zone on the 10.5-yard line. Our solar system''s largest planet is an average distance of 484 million miles (778 million kilometers) from the Sun. That''s 5.2 AU. Jupiter is the largest of the planets, spanning nearly 1.75 millimeters in diameter on our football field scale.

How do planets'' distance from the Sun vary?

The planets'' distance from the Sun varies because all the planets orbit the Sun on different elliptical paths. The top row of planets shows the distance in kilometers or miles. The second row of planets dotted on a line illustrates their relative distance from the Sun and each other.

How do we calculate the distance between planets?

For this reason, to calculate the distance, we use the average to measure how far planets are from one another. The Astronomical units (AU) column is the average distance between Earth and the Sun and is the most common way for scientists to measure distance in our Solar System.

Chapter 1: The Solar System

The solar system consists of an average star we call the Sun, its "bubble" the heliosphere, which is made of the particles and magnetic field emanating from the Sun - the interplanetary medium - and objects that orbit the Sun: from as close as the planet Mercury all the way out to comets almost a light-year away.A light year is the distance light travels in a year, moving at about

In Depth | Earth – NASA Solar System Exploration

While Earth is only the fifth largest planet in the solar system, it is the only world in our solar system with liquid water on the surface. Just slightly larger than nearby Venus, Earth is the biggest of the four planets closest to the Sun, all of which are made of rock and metal. is the distance from the Sun to Earth. This unit provides

The Solar System to Scale: Dynamic 2D Model

This 2D visual model illustrates the scale of the sun and planets in our solar system, and their current distance from each other. The Sun. Mercury. Venus. Earth. Mars. Jupiter. Saturn. Uranus. Neptune [Name] in. (Terrestrial Planet) Diameter: 4 pixels Distance: pixels. Mercury Aphelion: 69,820 pixels. Venus Perihelion: 107,480 pixels

Model the Distances between Planets in our Solar System

You will make a model of the solar system. Imagine you shrink the solar system so much that the distance from Earth to the Sun becomes 10 cm. When you shrink the solar system this much, all the planets shrink in size, so they become too small to see. You will add labels so you can remember which planet goes where.

How Big Is the Solar System?

Feb 1, 2020· Our solar system''s largest planet is an average distance of 484 million miles (778 million kilometers) from the Sun. That''s 5.2 AU. Jupiter is the largest of the planets, spanning

Solar System, in Perspective

Sep 12, 2013· This artist''s concept puts solar system distances in perspective. The scale bar is in astronomical units, with each set distance beyond 1 AU representing 10 times the previous distance. Neptune, the most distant planet from the sun, is about 30 AU. Informally, the term "solar system" is often used to mean the space out to the last

Solar system planets, order and formation — a guide | Space

Aug 27, 2024· This is roughly the average distance between Earth and the sun. Astronomers, however, are still hunting for another possible planet in our solar system, a true ninth planet, after mathematical

Planets of our Solar System

Dec 7, 2000· Our Solar System is amazing! At the centre is the Sun. Orbiting around the Sun are eight planets with over 100 moons between them, at least five dwarf planets, countless asteroids and the

Solar System Sizes

Oct 24, 2003· Correct distances are not shown. Solar System Home; Explore This Section Solar System Sizes. October 24, 2003 October 24, 2003. Credit: NASA/Lunar and Planetary Institute: Language: english; The Solar System: Planet Sizes. Mercury – 1,516mi (2,440km) radius; about 1/3 the size of Earth; Venus – 3,760mi (6,052km) radius; only

In Depth | Our Solar System – NASA Solar System Exploration

Our planetary system is called "the solar system" because we use the word "solar" to describe things related to our star, after the Latin word for Sun, "solis." extending from 5,000 astronomical units to 100,000 astronomical units. One astronomical unit (or AU) is the distance from the Sun to Earth, or about 93 million miles (150

Planet Sizes and Locations in Our Solar System

Mar 29, 2024· Earth. Earth is the fifth largest planet in the solar system. It has an equatorial diameter of about 7,926 miles (12,756 kilometers). Earth is the third planet from the Sun, orbiting at an average distance of 93 million miles (149.7

Planet Orbits

Nov 18, 2015· The more distant planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) which move slower and have a greater distance to travel, complete just a fraction of their orbits in this time. Mercury (4.2 Orbits)

Orbits and Kepler''s Laws

The third law shows that there is a precise mathematical relationship between a planet''s distance from the Sun and the amount of time it takes revolve around the Sun. NASA''s Kepler space telescope discovered thousands of planets outside our solar system, and revealed that our galaxy contains more planets than stars. NASA. Johannes Kepler

Planets In Order: By Size And Distance From The Sun

Most people have at least heard about our solar system and the planets in it. Our solar system is usually gone over in elementary school, so you might just need a refresher course about Planet: Distance from the Sun (AU/KM) Mercury: 0.39 (57.9 million) Venus: 0.723 (108.2 million) Earth: 1 (149.6 million) Mars: 1.524 (227.9 million) Jupiter:

Solar System Facts

Our solar system includes the Sun, eight planets, five dwarf planets, and hundreds of moons, asteroids, and comets. One astronomical unit (or AU) is the distance from the Sun to Earth, or about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). The Oort Cloud is the boundary of the Sun''s gravitational influence, where orbiting objects can turn

Distance Between Planets Of The Solar System | KM & Current

22 rows· Oct 8, 2019· The Astronomical units (AU) column is the average distance between Earth and the Sun and is the most common way for scientists to measure distance in our Solar System. Below is a table of the distances between each of the planets in our solar system.

Student Video: Solar System Size and Distance | NASA/JPL Edu

May 22, 2020· Solar System Size and Distance. How big are the planets and how far away are they compared to each other? See how the sizes of planets and the distances between them compare. And find out why it''s so hard to create a scale model of the solar system that accurately

Student Project: Make a Scale Solar System | NASA/JPL Edu

1. Learn about sizes and distances in our solar system. Distances in the solar system can be huge! The distance from the Sun to Neptune is nearly three billion miles (four billion kilometers). Because the distances between planets are so great, astronomers sometimes describe distances in terms of astronomical units (AU).

The Planets in Order of Distance, Size, Mass & More

Jan 23, 2023· Earth is the third planet in our solar system. It is located at an average distance of 92.96 million miles (149.60 million km) from our star. Our beautiful planet is ideally placed inside the goldilock zone, making it the only planet of our solar system where intelligent life could thrive.

The Planets In Order | From The Sun, Information, History

Mar 17, 2020· This planet has a long orbital duration, 84 years. A day on Uranus, on the other hand, is the shortest, lasting only 17 hours. Currently, 27 moons have been confirmed to orbit around Uranus. The diameter has been estimated at 51.118 km / 31.763 mi. It is the third-largest planet in the Solar System. Neptune. The farthest planet, Neptune. It