FAQ

How many planets are in the solar system?

Eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. The IAU definition requires a body to orbit the Sun, be round, and clear its orbital neighborhood. Pluto has not cleared its neighborhood.

What is the hottest planet?

Venus at 465 degrees Celsius, even hotter than Mercury which is closer to the Sun. Venus has a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere that creates a runaway greenhouse effect. Mercury reaches higher daytime temperatures but drops much colder at night since it has no atmosphere to trap heat.

How many exoplanets have been discovered?

Over 5,600 exoplanets have been confirmed as of 2024. The Kepler space telescope alone discovered over 2,600. The James Webb Space Telescope is finding more and characterizing their atmospheres. Scientists estimate there are more planets than stars in our galaxy, meaning trillions of planets exist.