MercuryThe smallest planet, and the closest to the Sun.
VenusSecond from the Sun, and nearly the size of Earth.
EarthThird from the Sun, with one moon.
MarsFourth from the Sun, the last of the rocky planets.
JupiterThe largest planet; the oval is its Great Red Spot.
SaturnSixth from the Sun, and the second-largest planet.
UranusSeventh from the Sun, an ice giant.
NeptuneEighth from the Sun, the farthest planet.
Sun, moon, belts and more 7
SunThe star at the centre: everything here orbits it.
MoonEarth's moon, a little over a quarter of Earth's width.
Asteroid beltMost asteroids orbit here, between Mars and Jupiter.
Saturn's ringsRings of ice and rock that circle Saturn.
Pluto (dwarf planet)A dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, beyond Neptune.
Kuiper beltA doughnut-shaped region of icy bodies beyond Neptune.
CometNear the Sun its tail stretches away from the Sun.
How this list was compiled: All read 2026-09-23 for facts only; no NASA image is used. (1) NASA Science, About the Planets, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/planets/: eight planets in order Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; five dwarf planets including Pluto. (2) NASA Science, Pluto, https://science.nasa.gov/dwarf-planets/pluto/: reclassified as a dwarf planet, located in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. (3) NASA Science, Kuiper Belt, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/: a doughnut-shaped region of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. (4) NASA Science, Asteroids, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/: most asteroids orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter in the main asteroid belt. (5) NASA Science, Comets, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/: near the Sun a comet's dust and gas form a tail that stretches away from the Sun. (6) NASA Planetary Fact Sheet, https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/: diameters, which set the size order of the drawing. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-23. Sizes from the NASA Planetary Fact Sheet on a square-root scale; distances not to scale. Licence: own work
How it works
Label the planets in the solar system on one drawing: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, in order from the Sun. A second round adds the Moon, both belts, Pluto, Saturn's rings and a comet.
Read the full guide
Order and size, not distance
The planets run left to right in their real order from the Sun. Their sizes are in the right order too, from Jupiter down to Mercury, but shrunk so all eight fit. The gaps between orbits are not to scale.
Labeling the solar system on paper
After a round, print the drawing blank, with numbered rings and lines to write on, or labeled as the answer key.
The asteroid belt sits between Mars and Jupiter, splitting the four rocky planets from the four giants.
Questions and answers
What order are the planets in from the Sun?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper belt, where Pluto is, lies beyond Neptune.
Is Pluto a planet?
No. NASA lists Pluto as a dwarf planet, one of five with Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. The drawing labels it Pluto (dwarf planet), and typing Pluto alone counts.
Is this solar system diagram to scale?
No. Neptune is about 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth, too far to fit. Sizes are shrunk but kept in order: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, then Mercury.