{"id":14650,"date":"2025-06-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.telescoop.nl\/?p=14650"},"modified":"2026-02-26T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:56:27","slug":"remember-the-order-of-the-planets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/de-volgorde-van-de-planeten-onthouden\/","title":{"rendered":"The order of the planets: how to memorize them easily"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"14650\" class=\"elementor elementor-14650\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3aa45b64 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3aa45b64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6fe61c16 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6fe61c16\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order of the planets in our solar system is difficult for many to remember. Yet there is a simple way to learn this order and never forget it. In this blog, you will learn <strong>the order of the planets<\/strong>, clever reminders and some interesting facts about their visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the official order of the planets?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order of the eight planets in our solar system, counting from the sun, is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mercury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Venus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Earth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jupiter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saturn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uranus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neptune<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006, so it no longer officially counts as a full-fledged planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they in this order?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order is based on the distance from the sun. No, they are not in a perfect line (at least, that is rare). The four inner planets (Mercury to Mars) are rocky and relatively small. The outer planets (Jupiter to Neptune) are giants of gas and ice. The sun's gravity determines their orbits, and the farther a planet is from the sun, the longer it takes it to make an orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mercury takes 88 days to orbit the sun<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neptune: over 165 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The order of the planets based on orbit around the sun: a Dutch mnemonic device<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make this sequence easy to remember, we use a clever mnemonic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cMy Father Ate With Jan Lettuce From The Netherlands.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each initial letter corresponds exactly to the order of the planets. This makes the mnemonic suitable for children and adults alike, without confusion from outdated versions in which Pluto was still considered a planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The order of the planets based on order of magnitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Would you rather memorize the planets from large to small (based on diameter)? Then this mnemonic is handy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cJelle Steps Out To All Friendly Beautiful Lakes\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>J<\/strong>upiter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>aturnus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>U<\/strong>ranus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>N<\/strong>eptunus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A<\/strong>arde<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>V<\/strong>enus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>M<\/strong>ars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>M<\/strong>ercurius<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our solar system, while Mercury is the smallest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helpful tips for children (and parents)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have children draw the mnemonic by themselves with planetary icons attached<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use color codes by planet (such as red for Mars, blue for Neptune)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sing the row to a melody (like the alphabet song)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to make learning even more fun? Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/accessoires\/speelgoed\/\" data-type=\"product_cat\" data-id=\"129\">planets toys with Celestial Buddies<\/a>, specially designed to introduce children to the planets through play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does planetary order say about their properties?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order of the planets also reveals something about their properties. The inner planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - are all Earth-like and have solid, rocky surfaces. They are smaller in size and closer to the sun, which means they orbit the sun faster. In contrast, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are gas giants or ice giants, with thick atmospheres and often dozens of moons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Jupiter has the strongest gravity of any planet, and Saturn is known for its impressive rings. Uranus and Neptune contain a lot of ice, such as methane, which explains their blue color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Extra fact: visible from Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not all planets are equally easy to see. Mercury, for example, is often difficult to spot because it is so close to the sun. Jupiter and Venus, on the other hand, are often the brightest \u2018stars\u2019 in the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to know which planets you can see this month? Then check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/starry-sky-june-2025\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"14597\">monthly viewing guide<\/a> With visibility tips for Mercury, Venus and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order of the planets is easy to remember with the right mnemonic device. Whether you choose the classic Dutch mnemonic or a creative English variant - with a little practice you will know them by heart. And if you also want to remember the order by size, the row with Jelle and his lakes will help you on your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd17 Would you also like to know <strong>how many planets there actually are<\/strong> (and whether Pluto counts)? Then read our blog: <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/exoplanets-discovered\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1233\">How many planets are there actually?<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>De volgorde van de planeten in ons zonnestelsel is voor velen lastig te onthouden. Toch is er een simpele manier om deze volgorde te leren en nooit meer te vergeten. In deze blog leer je de volgorde van de planeten, slimme geheugensteuntjes en enkele interessante weetjes over hun zichtbaarheid. Wat is de offici\u00eble volgorde van [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168,2985],"tags":[553],"class_list":["post-14650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-astronomie-kenniscentrum","category-astronomie-101","tag-de-volgorde-van-de-planeten-zo-onthoud-je-ze-gemakkelijk"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/zonnestelsel.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1221,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/planeten-in-ons-zonnestelsel\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":0},"title":"Planets in our solar system","author":"admin","date":"29-05-2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Ons zonnestelsel is een mooie en bijzondere plek, bestaande uit de zon en de acht planeten die daaromheen draaien. Elk van deze planeten heeft unieke eigenschappen en biedt talloze interessante feiten om te ontdekken. In deze blogpost zullen we de planeten in volgorde van hun afstand tot de zon verkennen,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie 101&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie 101","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-101\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/500px-Neptune_Voyager2_color_calibrated.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1626,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/sterrenkunde-voor-kinderen\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":1},"title":"Astronomy for children","author":"admin","date":"16-09-2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Sterrenkunde kan een magische en leerzame ervaring zijn voor kinderen. Het kijken naar de sterrenhemel wekt nieuwsgierigheid en inspireert jonge geesten om na te denken over de wereld om hen heen en de eindeloze mogelijkheden van het universum. Sterrenkunde voor kinderen biedt een uitstekende manier om natuurwetenschappen te introduceren op\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie 101&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie 101","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-101\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95115,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/planeetuitlijning-februari-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":2},"title":"Planetary alignment February 2026: a special planet parade","author":"Info telescoop","date":"22-01-2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Wat maakt de planeetuitlijning februari 2026 zo bijzonder? De planeetuitlijning februari 2026 is \u00e9\u00e9n van de meest opvallende planetaire samenstanden van dit decennium. Op en rond 28 februari 2026 bevinden zes planeten zich tegelijkertijd aan dezelfde kant van de Zon, waardoor ze, gezien vanaf de aarde, binnen \u00e9\u00e9n brede boog\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie 101&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie 101","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-101\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"planeetuitlijning februari 2026","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/planeetuitlijning-2026-28-februari.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5162,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/planeten-waarvan-je-niet-gelooft-dat-ze-bestaan-volume-2-corot-7b\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":3},"title":"Planets you don't believe exist: Volume 2 - COROT-7b","author":"admin","date":"22-11-2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Als je dacht dat HD 189733 b al onvoorstelbaar was met zijn glasregens en onstuimige weerpatronen, dan zal COROT-7b je zeker niet teleurstellen. Deze exoplaneet is misschien wel een van de meest bizarre werelden die we tot nu toe hebben ontdekt. COROT-7b bevindt zich op slechts 480 lichtjaar van ons\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie 101&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie 101","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-101\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"COROT-7B","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/COROT-7B-scaled-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5734,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/kapteyn-b-een-planeet-uit-het-begin-van-de-tijd\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":4},"title":"Kapteyn b: A planet from the beginning of time","author":"admin","date":"28-11-2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Sommige werelden in het universum lijken rechtstreeks uit een kosmisch sprookje te komen. Kapteyn b is zo\u2019n wereld. Deze planeet, gelegen op slechts 13 lichtjaar afstand, is niet alleen fascinerend vanwege zijn nabijheid, maar vooral vanwege zijn geschiedenis. Stel je een wereld voor die bijna even oud is als het\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie 101&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie 101","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-101\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-4.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image-4.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14601,"url":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/waarom-jupiter-krimpt\/","url_meta":{"origin":14650,"position":5},"title":"Why Jupiter is shrinking","author":"Info telescoop","date":"02-06-2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Het klinkt bijna als sciencefiction, maar het is echt waar: Jupiter krimpt. De grootste planeet van ons zonnestelsel blijkt niet altijd zo geweest te zijn. 4,5 miljard jaar geleden was hij zelfs twee keer zo groot. En nog steeds is hij aan het samentrekken \u2014 langzaam maar gestaag. En dat\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Astronomie Kenniscentrum&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Astronomie Kenniscentrum","link":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/astronomie-kenniscentrum\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"jupiter krimpt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/57835cc6-9d29-469c-86dc-aba09546fa39.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/57835cc6-9d29-469c-86dc-aba09546fa39.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/57835cc6-9d29-469c-86dc-aba09546fa39.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/57835cc6-9d29-469c-86dc-aba09546fa39.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.telescoop.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/57835cc6-9d29-469c-86dc-aba09546fa39.webp?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89945,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650\/revisions\/89945"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.telescoop.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}