The Solar System contains eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets all orbit the sun in their own path.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury is named after the Roman god (Mercury) of trade and profit. Mercury can only be seen at morning and evening twilight.

Venus is the 2 nd closest planet to the sun. Venus is named after (Venus) the Roman goddess of love. Venus is the only planet that is named after a female.

Earth is the third planet closest to the sun. Earth is home to millions of species and humans. Earth’s outer surface is divided into several rigid segments.

Mars is the fourth closest planet to the sun. Mars is named after (Mars) the Roman god of war. Mars is also referred to as the red planet because it is covered in red dust called iron oxide.

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. The Romans named Jupiter after the Roman god (Jupiter) that was king of the gods. Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun. Saturn was named after the Roman god (Saturnus) the god of agriculture and harvest. Saturn has the most rings in the Solar System.

Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun. Uranus is named after the Roman god of sky. William Herschel announced his discovery about Uranus on March,

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun. Neptune is named for the Roman god of the sea. Neptune is the fourth largest planet by diameter and third by mass.

The solar system is a strange and dangerous place. There are tons of comets, meteorites, stars, asteroids, moons, and other galaxies beyond us. There are many rumors that we might not be alone. People claim sighting U.F.O’s and other suspicious things. However it is space how we like it!!!

Resources: Wikipedia.com Google Search Engine Yahoo Search Engine Scholastic News book series: The Solar System By Christine Taylor-Butler and Melanie Chrismer

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