Planets (junior)

The planets

Here is a list of planets in our solar system.

Mercury: Closest to the Sun, this planet gets both very hot and very cold.

Venus: T he brightest planet in the solar system.

Earth: The third planet from the Sun and our home - it's unique in many ways.

Mars: Sometimes called the ’red planet’ because it’s tinted red by iron oxide.

Jupiter: The largest planet, more than 300 times larger than the Earth.

Saturn: The second largest planet, which is surrounded by rings.

Uranus: The seventh planet from the sun, with 27 moons (that we know of).

Neptune: The planet farthest away from the sun.

Dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea.

General websites

These websites will help you find out about the planets in our solar system.

Britannica School Primary

Britannica School is one of the EPIC databases. EPIC is a collection of reliable resources covering lots of different topics.

• Enter the keyword 'planets' into the search bar.

• Choose the article called Planets.

• Find out how planets are formed, what they're made of, and more.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

NASA Space Place

This website has been created for kids by NASA. It includes interesting articles, fun games and activities to do.

• Go to the Solar System image at the top of the homepage.

• Look at the page All About Planets.

• Choose a planet to find out more.

Tips: We like sites that are from government or other reputable organisations, because we can trust the information. You can sometimes tell these sites by their web address – they might have .gov or .edu in their address – or by looking at their About us or Contact pages.

Planets for Kids

This website has been created for kids and has lots of great facts and statistics about planets, moons and the sun.

• Select the Planets topic.

• Explore the website to find out about moons, galaxies, and universes.

Books

You will find books about planets in your school library or public library. Here are some titles to help you begin your search:

• Planets by Rebecca Baines.

• Planets by Alice Harman.

• How many planets circle the sun? : and other questions about our solar system by Mary Kay Carson.

SCIS no. 5414477