Ever since the discovery of Pluto in 1930, we’ve been told that there are nine planets in our solar system. That all changed in the late 1990s, when astronomers began to argue about whether Pluto was actually a planet. In a controversial 2006 decision, the International Astronomical Union decided to classify Pluto as a “dwarf planet,” which cut the list of “real planets” in our solar system down to eight. But many people still hold onto to the notion of nine planets.
Regardless of your opinion, here’s the order of the planets, starting with those closest to the sun and working outward through the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
With the exception of Uranus and Neptune, the planets can all be seen by the naked eye. Uranus and Neptune can both be seen using inexpensive amateur telescopes.
Here are cool facts about each of the eight “real” planets and that imposter Pluto.
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