Mercury

The smallest planet and the closest to the Sun, scorched by day and frozen by night.

Mercury has almost no atmosphere to hold heat, so its surface swings from about 430 °C in daylight to −180 °C at night. Its cratered face looks a lot like our Moon.

Key facts

Type: Rocky planet
Distance from the Sun: About 58 million km (0.39 AU)
Diameter: 4,879 km
Day: 58.6 Earth days
Year: 88 Earth days
Moons: 0

Venus
Earth's twin in size, and the hottest planet in the Solar System.
Earth
Our home planet, and so far the only world known to have life and liquid water on its surface.
Mars
The red planet, with the tallest volcano and one of the longest canyons in the Solar System.
Jupiter
The biggest planet, more than twice as massive as all the others combined.
Saturn
The ringed gas giant, sixth planet from the Sun and light enough to float in a big enough bathtub.
Uranus
An ice giant that rolls around the Sun on its side.
Neptune
The farthest planet from the Sun, with the fastest winds in the Solar System.

All Planets

Mercury

Key facts

More in Planets

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune