Distance of the planets from the Sun

Mercury’s dimension vs. other planets (Wikipedia)

The Sun is at the center of our Solar System and it represents 99.8% of the mass of the whole system. The planet closest to the Sun is Mercury, which revolves around our star at a distance of about 47 million KM. Being so close to the Sun, Mercury has a temperature that varies greatly from the illuminated to the shaded, going from -170 ° C at night to 427 ° C during the day, this because the planet has almost no atmosphere.

Venus in rotation (image credit Boorp)

Venus is the second planet in terms of distance from the Sun and orbits at a distance of about 108 million KM. Considered as the twin of the Earth in size, Venus revolves around our star in about 224.7 days, much less than the 87.97 days of Mercury. Here too we find extreme temperatures that closely resemble those of Mercury.

In third position it’s the Earth of course. It is at approximately 150 million KM from the Sun and this represents the optimal distance in which life can thrive.

Mars in rotation (image credit  Giphy)

At about 228 million KM we find Mars which is also the last one of the rocky planets of our system. At this distance, the average surface temperatures are rather low (between -120 ° C and -14 ° C) and the atmosphere is very rarefied. Given the most acceptable temperatures and its surface, Mars is the planet most similar to the Earth among those in the solar system.

Jupiter is situated at 779.000.000 KM from the Sun (Image credit Wikipedia) 

After passing Mars, the asteroid belt and travelling around 779 million KM, we finally find Jupiter. The gas giant does not miss it at this distance because of the company of its 79 Moons, but at this distance to make a circle around the Sun it takes 4 333.28 days, or 11.86 years!

Saturn’s orbit around the sun (Image credit Wikipedia)

Past Jupiter we find ourselves facing the lord of the rings, Saturn, which with its 62 known moons until today, makes a revolution around the sun in 29.5 years. Notice how the orbital periods lengthen when we move away from the Sun? An interesting fact is that Saturn is the last planet to be visible to the naked eye, probably you have mistaken it for a star given its low lightness. The planet is located at 1,400,000,000 KM from the Sun!

Uranus (Image credit Voyager 2 in 1986)

Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system and rotates at 2,880,000,000 KM from the Sun, making a rotation in 84 years. This means that very few can say that they have seen Uranus go around the Sun. You may be surprised but Uranus can boast 27 moons and 13 rings that keep him company.

Neptune seen from the Hubble space telescope

The last one on our list today is Neptune which rotates at 4,500,000,000 KM from the Sun, which is about 43 times the Earth-Sun distance. It will not surprise you then to know that its orbital period is 165 years, an eternity if compared to the rocky planets!

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