The planets in order

One sentence holds all eight, in the right sequence.

The question

List the eight planets in order from the Sun.

The trick

Use the first letters as a sentence: **M**y **V**ery **E**ducated **M**other **J**ust **S**erved **U**s **N**oodles.

Worked example

1My — Mercury
2Very — Venus
3Educated — Earth
4Mother — Mars
5Just — Jupiter
6Served — Saturn
7Us — Uranus
8Noodles — Neptune

So: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Remember it like this

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles. Say it three times and it's yours for life.

In the exam

The first four are the small rocky planets and the last four are the gas and ice giants — the split falls exactly at 'Just'. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, so the answer is eight, not nine.

Why it works

A sentence has grammar holding it together, so the order can't scramble. Eight loose words can be shuffled; eight words in a sentence cannot.

Explain this to my childGet the words to teach it, in your language

Try it yourself

0/4 correct

1
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
2
Which is the largest planet?
Which is the largest planet?
3
How many planets are in the solar system? (number only)
How many planets are in the solar system? (number only)
4
Which planet comes right after Mars?
Which planet comes right after Mars?