What other things are like the Earth?

Did you know the Earth was formed from a swirl of tiny gas and dust particles? Around the same time, gases and dust clumped together to make other planets.

There are eight planets in our solar system. Starting from the closest to the sun, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. You can think of the solar system’s planets as brothers and sisters. Even though the planets are in the same solar system, they are different sizes and have different characteristics. The four planets closest to the sun — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — are smaller and are made of rock. Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus are mostly made of gas and are very large.