Notes

The Solar System And Other Space Facts

The Planets in order including the Dwarf planets:

Our solar system has cool different features like some galaxies, stars, planets, meteors, rocks, space crafts and much more. Our planets in order closet to the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and finally Neptune. An easy mnemonic for remembering them is "My very educated mother just served us." Did you know if you add the dwarf planets, Ceres is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while the remaining dwarf planets are in the outer Solar System and in order from the sun are Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. There is, as yet, a bit of indecision about the Trans-Neptunian objects known as Orcus, Quaoar, 2007 010, and Sedna and their inclusion in the dwarf planet category. A mnemonic for this list would be "My very educated mother could just serve us Noodles, Pie, Ham, Muffins and Eggs." (and Steak if Sedna is included.). There are more planets beyond our Solar System that scientists are still trying to work on for farther information.

What is a Planet?:

In 2006, the international Astronomical Union (IAU) decided on the definition of a planet. The definition states that in our Solar System, a planet is a celestial body which:
*Is an orbit around the sun,
*has sufficient mas to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape),
*has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit,
*and is NOT a moon.

This means that Pluto, which was considered to be the farthest planet since its discovery in 1930, now classified as a dwarf planet. The change in the definition came after the discovery three bodies that were all similar to Pluto in terms of size and orbit, (Quaoar in 2002, Senda in 2003 and Eris in 2005.).