Summary. The four inner planets have slower orbits, slower spin, no rings, and they are made of rock and metal. The four outer planets have faster orbits and spins, a composition of gases and liquids, numerous moons, and rings. The outer planets are made of hydrogen and helium, so they are called gas giants.

None of the inner planets have rings, while all of the outer planets have quite a few (rings are made up of small particles, possibly ice, that circle the outer planets). Inner planets have a paucity of moons, with Mars claiming two and Earth just one. Mercury and Venus have none.

The time for the inner planets to make 1 orbit is then a lot shorter than for the outer planets. Planets shine in visible light only by reflected sunlight. So they can show phases. The inner (or inferior) planets show the full range of phases, and they can never be very far from the sun in the sky.

1) The “inner planets” (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) don’t have rings and all of the “outer planets” (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) do.

Summary

• The four inner planets have slower orbits, slower spin, no rings, and they are made of rock and metal.
• The four outer planets have faster orbits and spins, a composition of gases and liquids, numerous moons, and rings.
• The outer planets are made of hydrogen and helium, so they are called gas giants.

All of the inner planets are solid, dense, rocky planets. The inner planets either do not have moons or have just one (Earth) or two (Mars). None of the inner planets have rings. Compared to the outer planets, the inner planets have shorter orbits around the Sun, but all the inner planets spin more slowly.

The inner planets, or terrestrial planets, are the four planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Figure below shows the relative sizes of these four inner planets. This composite shows the relative sizes of the four inner planets.

Patrick H. Besides all of them being planets, all follow an elliptical orbit, all are spherical, and all are made of iron and nickel to some degree.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system not named after a Greco-Roman deity. The name used in Western academia during the Renaissance was Tellus Mater or Terra Mater, the Latin for “earth mother”, i.e. “Mother Earth”, goddess of the earth in ancient Roman religion and mythology.

The name “Earth” is derived from both English and German words, ‘eor(th)e/ertha’ and ‘erde’, respectively, which mean ground. But, the handle’s creator is unknown. One interesting fact about its name: Earth is the only planet that wasn’t named after a Greek or Roman god or goddess.

The word sun comes from the Old English word sunne, which itself comes from the older Proto-Germanic language’s word sunnōn. In ancient times the Sun was widely seen as a god, and the name for Sun was the name of that god. Ancient Greeks called the Sun Helios, and this word is still used to describe the Sun today.

In a few billion years, the sun will become a red giant so large that it will engulf our planet. The sun is currently classified as a “main sequence” star. This means that it is in the most stable part of its life, converting the hydrogen present in its core into helium.

Sirius

The most beautiful galaxies in the universe

• Galaxy NGC 6753.
• Large Magellanic Cloud.
• Andromeda Galaxy.
• Cigar Galaxy or Messier 82.
• Molinete Galaxy.
• Hat Galaxy.
• Whirlpool Galaxy.
• The Black Eye Galaxy.

Brightest Stars.

Venus

planet Saturn

There are four known giant planets in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Many extrasolar giant planets have been identified orbiting other stars. Giant planets are also sometimes called jovian planets, after Jupiter (“Jove” being another name for the Roman god “Jupiter”).

Jupiter