The word planet comes from the Greek πλανήται (planḗtai) 'wanderers'. In antiquity, this word referred to the Sun, Moon, and five points of light visible to the naked eye that moved across …

Mar 12, 2025 · What is a Planet? The word goes back to the ancient Greek word planēt, and it means "wanderer." A more modern definition can be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary …

Oct 17, 2025 · Planet, broadly, any relatively large natural body that revolves in an orbit around the Sun or around some other star and that is not radiating energy from internal nuclear fusion …

May 21, 2024 · Discovered in 1930, it was long considered the ninth planet in our solar system. But in 2006, the International Astronomical Union revised its definition of a planet. Under the …

Apr 21, 2020 · Therefore, the word “planet” as used in planetary geology implies: a planet is a world too small to be a star (meaning it never produced nuclear fusion) and is big enough to …

In ancient Greek, the word planet simply meant “wanderer,” and could be applied to any object that appears to move against the background of fixed stars. Along with the five naked-eye …

Oct 18, 2023 · According to a definition issued by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006, a planet is a celestial body that: orbits the Sun; possesses sufficient mass to assume a …

Apr 7, 2018 · Astronomers define a planet as an object that orbits the sun (but not another object), is round (or nearly so) and has cleared the area around its orbit.

A planet is a large spherical object that orbits around a star. Planets can be rocky, like Earth, or gas giants like Jupiter. A planet can have any number of orbiting moons around it.

May 18, 2025 · When you gaze at the night sky, what do you see? A canvas of stars, perhaps the glow of the Moon, and maybe a bright dot that’s actually a planet. But beyond what our eyes …