Which group are inner planets?

Which group are inner planets?

• A. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• B. Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Ceres
• C. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
• D. Moon, Sun, Earth, Venus

Answer: (C)

Inner planets are the four planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They are rocky worlds with solid surfaces and orbit relatively near the Sun, completing their years more quickly than the outer planets. This set is distinct from the outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—which are much larger gas or ice giants farther out. Another option lists dwarf or minor bodies like Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Ceres, which aren’t classified as full planets. The last option mixes the Sun and the Moon, neither of which are planets. So the group that fits the inner-planet category is Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Inner planets are the four planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They are rocky worlds with solid surfaces and orbit relatively near the Sun, completing their years more quickly than the outer planets. This set is distinct from the outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—which are much larger gas or ice giants farther out. Another option lists dwarf or minor bodies like Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Ceres, which aren’t classified as full planets. The last option mixes the Sun and the Moon, neither of which are planets. So the group that fits the inner-planet category is Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.