How to Remember the Order of the Planets (Mnemonics)
The planets in order from the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The easiest way to remember the order of the planets is the mnemonic "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos": each first letter matches a planet. Then attach one weird fact to each planet so the names aren't just letters in a sentence.
If you can recite the sentence but still blank when a test asks "which planet is fifth?", FlashDeck turns your notes into flashcards and shows you the ones you're about to forget: Build my study plan.
The order of the planets
Here are the 8 planets in order from the Sun, split into two teams:
Inner planets (small, rocky):
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
Outer planets (giant, mostly gas or ice): 5. Jupiter 6. Saturn 7. Uranus 8. Neptune
Between Mars and Jupiter sits the asteroid belt, which is a handy divider. Four rocky, belt, four giants. If you remember just that structure, you've already got half the battle.
Classic mnemonics for the planets
A mnemonic device is a phrase where each word's first letter stands for something you need to remember. For the planets, you need M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N.
The famous one
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.
| Word | Planet |
|---|---|
| My | Mercury |
| Very | Venus |
| Educated | Earth |
| Mother | Mars |
| Just | Jupiter |
| Served | Saturn |
| Us | Uranus |
| Nachos | Neptune |
How to remember the order of the planets with Pluto
Older versions ended with "Nine Pizzas": "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas." That last P was Pluto. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet, so the "Nine Pizzas" got cut down to "Nachos." If an older relative swears there are nine planets, that's why.
Other planet mnemonics people use
- "My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming"
- "Many Very Excited Monkeys Jump Swiftly Under Nets"
- "My Violin Exam Made Jane Sob Uncontrollably Nightly"
Watch out for the two Ms
Mercury and Mars both start with M. The fix: Mercury is first (it's the closest, fastest planet, named after the speedy messenger god), and Mars is the last rocky one before the asteroid belt.
Make your own planet mnemonic
This is the most underrated tip. A sentence you invent sticks way harder than one you read, because you had to think to make it.
Rules:
- Eight words.
- First letters: M V E M J S U N.
- Make it about something you care about.
Examples to steal the vibe from:
- Group chat: "My Very Extra Mate Just Spammed Us Nonstop."
- Gaming: "Mario Visits Every Map, Jumping Super Unbelievably Nicely."
- Food: "Mango Vanilla Espresso Muffins Just Smell Unreal, Nice."
- For kids: "My Very Excited Monkey Jumped Straight Up, Nice!"
Say it out loud a few times. Write it once. Done.
One fact per planet (so they actually stick)
Mnemonics give you the order. Facts give you the planet. When a quiz asks "which planet has rings?" or "which is the hottest?", a fact is what saves you.
| # | Planet | One fact that sticks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | Smallest planet and closest to the Sun |
| 2 | Venus | Hottest planet, because its thick atmosphere traps heat (hotter than Mercury!) |
| 3 | Earth | The only planet known to have life |
| 4 | Mars | Red because of iron oxide (rust) on its surface; home to Olympus Mons, a giant volcano |
| 5 | Jupiter | Biggest planet, with the Great Red Spot, a storm bigger than Earth |
| 6 | Saturn | Famous for its rings, and it's less dense than water |
| 7 | Uranus | Spins tipped on its side, like a rolling ball |
| 8 | Neptune | Farthest planet, with extremely strong winds; it was predicted using math before it was seen |
The Venus one is a fun trap. Lots of people assume Mercury is hottest because it's closest. Nope.
How to remember the planets in order of size
From biggest to smallest: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury.
Pattern: the four giants in order from the Sun (Uranus is slightly wider than Neptune), then the four rocky planets, roughly reversed. A mnemonic for this one: "Just Some Unusual Names, Even Venus Might Matter."
This is the point where doing it in your head gets messy: two orders (distance and size), eight facts, and you honestly can't tell which ones are solid. FlashDeck makes one card per fact from what you paste, then each day shows only the ones you're close to forgetting. Missed "hottest planet"? It's back tomorrow. Build my study plan
Planet flashcards
Make cards that test from different angles, not just "what's after Mars":
- Front: 5th planet from the Sun? / Back: Jupiter
- Front: Which planet is hottest, and why? / Back: Venus, thick atmosphere traps heat
- Front: Which planet spins on its side? / Back: Uranus
- Front: Biggest to smallest, first three? / Back: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
- Front: Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore? / Back: Reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006
Short reviews over a few days beat one long session. If you're on a memory-tricks run, the same approach works for the Great Lakes and the reactivity series.
Is there a song to remember the order of the planets?
Yes, there are plenty of planet songs on YouTube, especially for kids. They're great for the order. Pair one with the fact table above so you know what each planet actually is, not just where it goes in the song.
Quick planet quiz
Cover the answers. No peeking.
- Which planet comes right after Earth? (Mars)
- What's the 7th planet from the Sun? (Uranus)
- Which planet is the biggest? (Jupiter)
- Which is hotter, Mercury or Venus? (Venus)
- What separates the inner and outer planets? (The asteroid belt)
- Name the planets in order using your mnemonic. (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
- Which planet is red because of rust? (Mars)
Missed any? Those are your cards for tomorrow.
Remember the order of the planets past the test
You've got the mnemonic for the order, a fact for each planet and the size order as a bonus. Paste this page into FlashDeck, get a deck in seconds, and let it show you just the planets you're about to forget each day. You can share the deck with a friend or your class in one link.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to remember the order of the planets?
Use the mnemonic "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos," where each first letter matches a planet from Mercury to Neptune. Making up your own eight-word sentence with the same first letters works even better.
What mnemonic does NASA use for the order of the planets?
There isn't one official mnemonic you have to use. "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos" is one of the most widely taught since Pluto became a dwarf planet, and NASA's own planet pages list the same eight planets in the same order. Any sentence with the letters M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N works.
How do you remember the order of the planets with Pluto?
The old version was "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas," with Pluto as the last word. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, so most schools now teach eight planets.
How do you remember the planets in order of size?
Largest to smallest is Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury. Remember "giants first, then the rocky ones," and use a mnemonic like "Just Some Unusual Names, Even Venus Might Matter."
How can kids easily remember the order of the planets?
Kids usually do best with a song or a silly sentence they make up themselves, plus one fun fact per planet. Drawing the solar system and labeling it also helps.