Planets are bodies that orbit around the sun (or other stars).  The Earth is a planet.  There are 8 other planets in our solar system:  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.  Earth is between Venus and Mars; it is the third planet from the sun.

Often in the night sky, there appear to be stars that seem bigger or shine more brightly than the others. The most obvious difference between these "bright stars" is that they are not fixed points of light like actual stars are but they change position in the sky from night to night.  These "bright stars" are actually planets in our Solar System reflecting the Sun's light.  The word planet means "wanderer". There are five planets that are frequently visible in the night sky.  They are the five planets that are closest to Earth: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. 

Venus:  Venus is the second planet from the Sun, between Mercury and Earth. Because of its brightness and the way it moves in the sky, Venus was thought to be a very special star. Many cultures have observed Venus in the sky and have used its appearance and disappearance to keep track of time. Because of its nearness to Earth and the Sun, Venus is the most brilliant and the most frequently observed planet.  Venus appears in the western sky after sunset or in the eastern sky before sunrise.

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G A L L E R Y Take a closer look at our solar system. [enlarge]

M O R E Learn about how the Aztecs used the helical rising of Venus to keep time.

M O R E Learn more about the planets at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum.