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Houston we have a problem.

Disaster! Gary the alien has messed up the order of the planets. We need your help to save the solar system.


Learn about the different planets and remember the order!
Tap on Planets to learn more!


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mercury

1 - Mercury

Our first Stop, Mercury!

  • The smallest planet and closest to the sun.
  • From Mercury, the sun looks 3 times larger and 7 times brighter than from earth.

Although it’s close to the sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet, it's Venus, as it’s very dense!

A useful phrase to remember the order:

My (Mercury) Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nuggets
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venus

2 - Venus

Look it’s Earth’s twin, Venus.

  • This planet has a similar size and density to earth.
  • The surface has mountains and thousands of large volcanoes that might still be active.

It spins backwards, has a day longer than its year, and has no seasons!

My Very (Venus) Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nuggets
earth

3 - Earth

Woah, look it’s your home planet Earth!

  • Earth is the only planet in our solar system with liquid water on its surface.
  • Your home planet is the biggest planet we’ve seen so far!

The name Earth is at least 1,000 years old. Earth has four main layers - an inner core at the planet's centre, covered by the outer core, mantle, and crust.

My Very Energetic (Earth) Mother Just Served Us Nuggets
mars

4 -Mars

We’ve made it to Mars! A dusty, cold, desert world.

  • Mars' soil contains a lot of iron oxide - what we call rust. The red color of the planet is caused by this rust soil covering the planet.
  • Mars also has seasons, ice, valleys and extinct volcanoes.

The largest rover NASA has ever sent touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, after a 203-day journey.

My Very Energetic Mother (Mars) Just Served Us Nuggets
jupiter

5 - Jupiter

We’re half way through our exploration of the solar system and we’ve reached Jupiter.

  • Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system!
  • The stripes and swirls on the planet are actually really cold windy clouds.

Jupiter has the shortest day in the solar system. The planet is mostly swirling gases and liquids.

My Very Energetic Mother Just (Jupiter) Served Us Nuggets
saturn

6 - Saturn

Saturn! The planet with the biggest and brightest rings.

  • The other gas giants (Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune) also have rings, though Saturn's rings are the biggest and brightest.
  • Did you know that the rings are made out of chunks of ice and rocks?

The rings would look mostly white if you looked at them from the cloud tops of Saturn, and each ring orbits at a different speed around the planet.

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served (Saturn) Us Nuggets
uranus

7 - Uranus

Our next stop is Uranus.

  • Uranus was the first planet to be discovered using a telescope. The planet was originally thought to be a comet or star.
  • Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, even though Neptune is further away from the Sun.

The ice giant is surrounded by 13 faint rings and 27 small moons. The unique tilt makes Uranus appear to spin sideways.

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neptune

8 - Neptune

Our final stop is Neptune. The furthest planet from the sun.

  • Neptune is so far out, it takes over 164 years for every time it orbits the Sun.
  • Neptune is the only planet that you can’t see with a naked eye while on Earth.

Neptune is about four times wider than Earth. It takes about 16 hours for Neptune to rotate or spin once.

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nuggets (Neptune)

It's time to save the solar system!

Help Buzz the astronaut save the solar system by using what you have just learnt to reorder the planets!



Save the solar system!