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What Are Some Sayings to Memorize the Planets?

NASA acknowledges nine planets in the solar system. However, this was not always the case. For a few years in the early 21st century, scientists could not decide if Pluto was a planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union officially gave Pluto the label of "dwarf planet." As a result, students today have to memorize a list of nine planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Memorizing All Nine Planets
- Mnemonic devices to memorize the planets use the first letter of each planet as the first letter of each word in a silly sentence. Sayings to memorize all nine planets generally start with the planet closest to the sun and move in order toward the planet farthest from the sun. For example, "My very educated mother just sent us nine pizzas" helps students remember that the order of planets in the solar system goes: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
Memorizing Terrestrial Planets
- Of the nine planets, only the first four are labeled as terrestrial planets. According to NASA, terrestrial planets are planets with rock surfaces. The terrestrial planets are also the four planets between the asteroid belt and the sun. The saying "Many volcanoes erupt magma" not only gives the order of the four terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars), but also evokes the idea of magma, or molten rock, to help students remember that terrestrial planets are rocky.
Gas Giants
- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the four gas giants of the solar system. Gas giants are so named because they are much larger than terrestrial planets, and they are composed almost entirely of gas. "Jenny said 'Up now!'" is a saying that gives the first letters of the four gas giants. The word "up" will hopefully remind students of gas, as gas often rises.
Pluto the Dwarf Planet
- Pluto is the only dwarf planet in the solar system. It is also the planet farthest from the sun. One word is not enough to create a mnemonic device. However, there are short sayings to help students remember what makes Pluto unique. One such saying is "Peter Small lives far away." This sentence uses the letter "P" for Pluto, and references both Pluto's small size and distance from the sun.

Astronomy