Can you name the planets?

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5 Big Questions About The Solar System

Do you want to blast off and explore space someday? Here’s helpful information every astronaut should know!

January 3, 2022

As You Read: Think about why people might want to explore the solar system.

1. What is our solar system anyway?

Our solar system is made up of eight planets, dozens of moons, comets, and space rocks called asteroids. They orbit a giant star called the sun. Its gravity holds the solar system together. The sun also affects the climate on the planets.

Our solar system is made up of eight planets, dozens of moons, comets, and asteroids. They orbit a giant star called the sun. Its gravity holds the solar system together. The sun also affects the climate on the planets.

2. Is there an easy way to remember the planets?

Yes! Take the first letter of every planet’s name, starting from the sun.

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Use those letters to begin words in a funny sentence, like this one:

My Very Excited Mom Just Served Us Nachos!

Yes! Take the first letter of every planet’s name. Start from the sun.

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Use those letters to begin words in a funny sentence, like this one:

My Very Excited Mom Just Served Us Nachos!

3. How much of the solar system have we already explored?

People haven’t set foot on other planets yet. We’ve been only to Earth’s moon—and that first trip was in 1969. But the United States has sent robots and spacecraft across the solar system. For example, we have images of most of the planets thanks to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Since 1977, these two spacecraft have been zipping through space at thousands of miles per hour. They’ve been snapping photos and beaming them to Earth for us to study.

People haven’t set foot on other planets yet. We’ve only been to Earth’s moon. The first trip was in 1969. But the United States has sent robots and spacecraft across the solar system. For example, we have images of most of the planets. That's thanks to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. These two spacecraft have been zipping through space since 1977. They move at thousands of miles per hour. They’ve been snapping photos and beaming them to Earth for us to study.

4. Are more missions being planned?

Yes! One mission is to send astronauts back to Earth’s moon in 2024. NASA, the U.S. space agency, hopes to use what it learns on the moon to help send astronauts to Mars in the future.

Yes! One mission is to send astronauts back to Earth’s moon. That mission will happen in 2024. NASA, the U.S. space agency, hopes to use what it learns on the moon to help send astronauts to Mars in the future.

5. Will I be able to visit space someday?

Right now, only trained astronauts or tourists who might pay millions of dollars can go to space. But someday, other people might be able to orbit Earth, visit the Moon, or head way out into space. Scientists are working on spaceships that could carry 100 people to Mars! Would you want to be on board one of those ships?