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Moon Phase Today

Solar System Sorter

Arrange the 8 planets by distance from the Sun
Inner Solar System
SUN
Outer Solar System
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Mission Debrief: Ranking Protocols

In orbital mechanics, precision is everything. A single misalignment can send a probe crashing into the Sun or drifting into the void. How fast can you reconstruct the Solar System?

🌞

Interplanetary Architect

Perfect alignment in record time.

🛰️

Solar Navigator

Knows the way from Mercury to Neptune.

🔧

Orbital Mechanic

Functional knowledge of planetary orbits.

☄️

Lost in Space

Drifting somewhere in the Kuiper Belt.

Field Guide: The Structure of our System

The Solar System is divided into two distinct neighborhoods separated by the Main Asteroid Belt. Understanding this division is the key to mastering the game above. The four inner planets are Terrestrial (rocky and small), while the four outer planets are Gas & Ice Giants (massive and gaseous).

🔥 The Inner System (Terrestrial Planets)

These worlds are defined by their proximity to the Sun. They have solid surfaces, few moons, and no ring systems.

  • Mercury: The speedster. It orbits the Sun in just 88 days. Despite being closest, it is not the hottest planet because it lacks an atmosphere to trap heat.
  • Venus: The hellscape. A runaway greenhouse effect makes Venus hotter than Mercury (870°F). It spins backward (retrograde) compared to the other planets.
  • Earth: The Goldilocks zone. The only known world with liquid water on the surface and active plate tectonics.
  • Mars: The Red Planet. Home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system (3x taller than Everest).

❄️ The Outer System (The Giants)

Beyond the frost line lies the realm of giants. These planets contain 99% of the mass orbiting the Sun.

Largest Planet
Jupiter (318x Earth Mass)
Most Moons
Saturn (146 Moons)
Coldest Planet
Uranus (-371°F)
Windiest Planet
Neptune (1,200 mph)

Jupiter acts as the solar system's vacuum cleaner, using its massive gravity to attract comets that might otherwise hit Earth. Saturn is famous for its rings, which are made of billions of chunks of ice and rock. Uranus rolls on its side (likely due to a massive ancient collision), and Neptune is a deep blue ice giant with supersonic winds.

Planetary Data: Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pluto?
In 2006, the IAU reclassified Pluto as a Dwarf Planet. It resides in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune. While beloved, it does not meet the criteria of "clearing its neighborhood" of debris, which is required for full planetary status.
What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)?
Space is too big for miles or kilometers. Astronomers use the AU, which is the average distance from Earth to the Sun (about 93 million miles). Earth is 1 AU from the Sun; Jupiter is 5.2 AU; Neptune is a staggering 30 AU away.
Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?
Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, it has almost no atmosphere. Venus has a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide that traps heat like a thermal blanket, creating a runaway greenhouse effect that keeps the surface hot enough to melt lead.
Where is the Asteroid Belt?
The Main Asteroid Belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It contains millions of asteroids, ranging from pebbles to the dwarf planet Ceres. It marks the boundary between the Inner and Outer solar system.

Expand Your Data Horizon

Now that you know the order, find out exactly how far apart they are or how much you would weigh on them.