Place Names

Planet Names

The planet Earth on which we live is part of the solar system. The Sun is a star at the centre of the solar system, and eight planets and other bodies revolve around it. The eight planets, in order from the Sun, are:

• the inner planets:
  Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
• the outer planets:
  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

This section looks at the origins, meaning and usage of their names.