Our solar system currently has eight officially recognized planets. These are, in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
. Historically, Pluto was considered the ninth planet until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the criteria for planethood. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet because it does not clear its orbital neighborhood, reducing the number of planets to eight
. In addition to these eight planets, there are five officially recognized dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris
. Some scientists have proposed broader definitions of planets that could increase the count to over 100 by including large moons and other objects, but this is not the current accepted standard
. Summary:
- Number of planets in our solar system: 8
- Names: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
- Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet since 2006
- There are also 5 recognized dwarf planets
This is the widely accepted count as of now.
