| Planets and dwarf planets revolve around the Sun in our solar system. The planets and dwarf planets, shown here in order of their distance from the Sun, vary greatly in size, rotation, color, and composition. For instance, Mercury, a small, hot planet, is, on average, 58 million km (36 million mi) from the Sun, while the icy dwarf planet Pluto is 5.9 billion km (3.67 billion mi) away. Venus rotates so slowly around its axis that one day on the planet equals 243 Earth days. Jupiter is the largest planet in the system, with a volume 1,400 times greater than that of Earth. Saturn has a broad set of rings and features more than forty satellites. Mars is characterized by orange coloration and distinct polar ice caps, while methane in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune makes these planets a bright blue-green. Frozen methane on the surface of Pluto gives the tiny world a pinkish color. |
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