Did you know that there are eight planets in our solar system? In order from the closest to the sun, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto, previously considered the ninth planet, was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. The smallest planet in our solar system is Mercury, while the largest is Jupiter. Mercury is also the closest planet to the sun, with an average distance of about 36 million miles. On the other hand, Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun, at an average distance of about 2.7 billion miles. Saturn is known for its beautiful rings, made mostly of ice particles, dust, and debris. These rings can be seen from Earth using a telescope. Saturn is also the least dense planet in our solar system - if there was a body of water large enough, it would actually float! Uranus is unique among the planets because it rotates on its side, making its axis almost parallel to its orbit around the sun. This tilt means that Uranus experiences extreme seasons, with each pole facing the sun for 42 years at a time. Next time you look up at the night sky, see if you can spot any of these fascinating planets in our solar system!