Mythology of the Planets - Universe Today Universe Today by Abby Cessna [/caption] Thousands of years ago, ancient civilizations turned to the heavens, marveling at their wonders. These ancient people worshipped various gods and often linked their gods with planets in the sky, which they considered to be “wandering stars.” Mercury gets its name from the winged messenger of the gods. He was also the god of thievery, commerce, and travel. Most likely, the planet got its name from the rate at which it spins. Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty, so it is a fitting name for this brightly shining planet. The only objects in our Solar System brighter than Venus are the Sun and the Moon. Ancient civilizations thought that Venus was two different objects – the Morning Star and the Evening Star. Other civilizations have also associated the planet with love. The Babylonians called the planet Ishtar after their goddess of womanhood and love. Earth is the only planet not named after a Roman god or goddess, but it is associated with the goddess Terra Mater (Gaea to the Greeks). In mythology, she was the first goddess on Earth and the mother of Uranus. The name Earth comes from Old English and Germanic.

It is derived from “eor(th)e” and “ertha,” which mean “ground.” Other civilizations all over the world also developed terms for our planet. Mars is named after the Roman god of war. The planet got its name from the fact that it is the color of blood. Other civilizations also named the planets for its red color. Jupiter was the Roman king of the gods. Considering that Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System, it makes sense that the planet was named after the most important god. Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture and harvest. While the planet may have gotten its name from its golden color, like a field of wheat, it also had to do with its position in the sky. According to mythology, the god Saturn stole the position of king of the gods from his father Uranus. The throne was then stolen by Jupiter. Uranus was not discovered until the 1800’s, but the astronomers in that time period continued the tradition of naming planets after Roman gods. In mythology, Uranus was the father of Saturn and was at one time the king of the gods.

While Neptune almost ended up being named after one of the astronomers credited with discovering it – Verrier – that was greatly disputed, so it was named after the god of the sea. The name was probably inspired by its blue color. Pluto is no longer a planet, but it used to be. The dark, cold, former planet was named after the god of the underworld. The first two letters of Pluto are also the initials of the man who predicted its existence, Percival Lowell. Universe Today has articles on names of the planets and all the planets . For more information on the planets check out all about the planets and mythology of the planets. Astronomy Cast has episodes on all the planets including Saturn . What is the only planet in the solar system that is not named after a Greek or Roman god? | Reference.com Planets Q: What is the only planet in the solar system that is not named after a Greek or Roman god? A: Quick Answer Earth is the only planet in the solar system that is not named after a Greek or Roman god. Instead, the name Earth is derived from Old English and Germanic languages.

Full Answer The exact origin of the name Earth is not known, but it may come from the Old English word "eorthe," which may stem from the Hebrew word "eres," meaning ground. The other planets in the solar system were named after Greek and Roman gods, including Mercury, the god of commerce; Venus, the goddess of love and beauty; and Uranus, the god of the heavens. The International Astronomical Union is currently responsible for naming newly discovered planets and their moons. The Solar System The Solar System Our Solar System is an amazing place. Not only is it home to eight planets, it also hold several dwarf planets, hundreds of moons, and thousands of stars and asteroids. The eight planets in our Solar System are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets orbit the Sun. Here is a funny song to help you remember the planets The Sun The Sun is the center of our Solar System. It is because of the Sun that our solar system gets its name. Sol is the Roman name for Sun. The Sun is the largest object within the Solar System - it makes up more than 95% of all the matter!

It is because of the Sun's large size that the rest of the objects within the Solar System orbit around it. The Sun is very, very hot. It is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit on its surface. Mercury Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, making it the first planet in the Solar System. It is named after the Roman messenger god. In mythology, the god was known for being quick - Mercury is the fastest of all the planets to orbit the Sun, because it has the smallest route it has to take! Mercury can occasionally be seen from Earth Mercury is the second densest planet in the Solar System It is mainly made up of iron There is no atmosphere on Mercury Despite its fast trip around the Sun, Mercury's revolution is very slow - one day on Mercury equals about 59 days on Earth! Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is named after the Roman goddess of beauty and love. Venus is almost the same size as Earth, but other than size the two planets are very different! Fun Facts about Venus Venus appears to be the brightest planet in the sky due to the reflection of the Sun from its clouds, and its closeness to Earth Venus has an incredibly thick atmosphere.

This makes it the hottest of the inner planets Venus rotates East to West Venus is covered in volcanoes Venus does not have any moons Earth Earth is the only known planet that has any life forms in the Solar System. It is the third planet from the Sun. It is the only planet that is not named after a god. Most of the Earth is covered in water - 70%! Earth has a thin atmosphere, that protects us from dangerous gasses and heat in space Earth is the largest of the inner planets Air, water, and land make up the Earth Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees This a video showing the many different life forms that Earth has Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Named for the Roman god of war, it is also known as the "Red Planet". It is the last of the inner planets. Temperatures on Mars are very similar to temperatures on Earth It is believed that Mars once had water on its surface Mars is called the red planet because its surface is covered in red dust The largest volcano in the Solar System is on Mars. It is called Olympus Mons Mars has two small moons Jupiter Jupiter is the first of the outer planets, and the fifth planet from the Sun.

It is named for the king of the Roman gods. It is the largest of all of the planets. Fun Facts about Jupiter Jupiter is best known for its "Great Red Spot" - a mass of hurricanes that have been storming for hundreds of years. The spot is larger in size than that of Earth Jupiter is made up of gasses - there is no solid surface on it Jupiter is so big; Earth could fit inside of it more than 1,000 times! Jupiter has over 50 moons. Four of these moons are as big as planets Jupiter has the most active volcanic activity in the Solar System Learn more about the Great Red Spot! Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is named for the Roman god of agriculture. It is most well known for its highly visible rings. Other Features of the Solar System There are many other exciting elements in the Solar System. Here are a few. Asteroids Asteroids are rocky bodies in the Solar System that are too small to be considered actual planets. In between Mars and Jupiter lies the Asteroid Belt, containing well over 90,000 asteroids. Comets Comets are ice and rock that grow tails the closer they get to the sun.

The hotter they get, the longer this "tail" becomes. The sunlight makes comets glow, which causes them to be visible on Earth. Dwarf Planets Dwarf planets are bodies that orbit the sun that are not considered large enough to be actual planets. The most famous dwarf planet is Pluto, which was considered an actual planet up until 2006. Satellites Satellites are machines put into the Solar System by scientists in order to find out more about the Solar System, and what is in it. These machines take pictures, perform experiments, take data, and much, much more. Without them, we wouldn't have the vast amount of information that we have today. Summary The Solar System is a fascinating place. Each of the eight planets have their own unique features, but are also similar in some ways - much like people! It is amazing to think that the Solar System has been around for more than 4.6 billions years. Each of the eight planets orbits the sun in the same direction, and in their own time. We have so much more we can learn about the Solar System, and so much we have learned already today. sit this page to learn more interesting facts about the Solar System!

Want to get an idea of how far apart the planets are? Click here! Resources Our Solar System. Retrieved from Solar System. Retrieved from How do planets and their moons get their names? How do planets and their moons get their names? Answer: The official names of planets and their moons are governed by an organization called the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU was established in 1919. Its mission is "to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation". Its individual members are professional astronomers from all over the World. The IAU is the internationally recognized authority for assigning names to celestial bodies and any surface features on them. The IAU recognizes that astronomy is an old science and many of its names come from long-standing traditions and/or are founded in history. For many of the names of the objects in the solar system , this is especially so. Most of the objects in our solar system received names long ago based on Greek or Roman mythology . The IAU has therefore adopted this tradition in its rules for naming certain types of objects in the solar system. Planets With the exception of Earth, all of the planets in our solar system have names from Greek or Roman mythology.

This tradition was continued when Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered in more modern times. Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery in Roman mythology. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky. Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The planet is aptly named since it makes a beautiful sight in the sky, with only the Sun and the Moon being brighter. Earth is the only planet whose English name does not derive from Greek/Roman mythology. The name derives from Old English and Germanic. There are, of course, many other names for our planet in other languages. Mars is the Roman god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color. Jupiter was the King of the Gods in Roman mythology, making the name a good choice for what is by far the largest planet in our solar system. Saturn is the Roman god of agriculture. Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens, the earliest supreme god. Neptune, was the Roman god of the Sea. Given the beautiful blue color of this planet, the name is an excellent choice! Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld in Roman mythology.

Perhaps the planet received this name because it's so far from the Sun that it is in perpetual darkness. Natural Satellites For those moons have been known for a long time (such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter), the names were assigned from mythological characters. For example, the moons of Jupiter were named for characters who had roles in the life of Zeus (the Greek mythology counterpart of the Roman God Jupiter). For recently discovered natural satellites of the planets, they are first given a "provisional" or temporary name while additional observations are made to confirm their existence. This temporary name (usually consisting of the year of discovery and some number indicating the order of discovery in that year) is assigned by an organization called the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT). For example, when Voyager 2 found a bunch of new moons in its 1989 Neptune encounter, they were named S/1989 N 1, S/1989 N 2, etc. When the existence of the object is confirmed (and its orbit determined), it is given a final name. The name is suggested by the discoverer(s), but following tradition is strongly encouraged.

Note that the moons of Uranus are a special case in our solar system. They are named after literary characters (from works by William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope) rather then characters from mythology. Surface Features Landscape features on planets and natural satellites follow a set of complicated conventions set by the IAU Nomenclature Committee. The rules set restrictions on allowable names such as: a planetary feature may not bear the name of a living person or of a political or religious figure from the last 200 years. Earth Facts 🌎 - Interesting Facts about Planet Earth - Space Facts Leo -70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water When astronauts first went into the space, they looked back at the Earth with human eyes for the first time, and called our home the Blue Planet. And it’s no surprise. 70% of our planet is covered with oceans. The remaining 30% is the solid ground, rising above sea level. -Earth is mostly iron, oxygen and silicon If you could separate the Earth out into piles of material, you’d get 32.1 % iron, 30.1% oxygen, 15.1% silicon, and 13.9% magnesium.

Of course, most of this iron is actually down at the core of the Earth. If you could actually get down and sample the core, it would be 88% iron. 47% of the Earth’s crust consists of oxygen. -Earth doesn’t take 24 hours to rotate on its axis It’s actually 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. This is the amount of time it takes for the Earth to completely rotate around its axis; astronomers call this a sidereal day. Now wait a second, that means a day is 4 minutes shorter than we think it is. You’d think that time would add up, day by day, and within a few months, day would be night, and night would be day. -A year on Earth isn’t 365 days It’s actually 365.2564 days. It’s this extra .2564 days that creates the need for leap years.

That’s why we tack on an extra day in February every year divisible by 4 – 2004, 2008, etc – unless it’s divisible by 100 (1900, 2100, etc)… unless it’s divisible by 400 (1600, 2000, etc). -Earth has 1 moon and 2 co-orbital satellites As you’re probably aware, Earth has 1 moon (The Moon). But did you know there are 2 additional asteroids locked into a co-orbital orbits with Earth? They’re called 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29. We won’t go into too much detail about the Moon, I’m sure you’ve heard all about it. 3753 Cruithne is 5 km across, and sometimes called Earth’s second moon. It doesn’t actually orbit the Earth, but has a synchronized orbit with our home planet. It has an orbit that makes it look like it’s following the Earth in orbit, but it’s actually following its own, distinct path around the Sun.

2002 AA29 is only 60 meters across, and makes a horseshoe orbit around the Earth that brings it close to the planet every 95 years. In about 600 years, it will appear to circle Earth in a quasi-satellite orbit. Scientists have suggested that it might make a good target for a space exploration mission. -The Earth is not actually round in shape; in fact it is geoid. This simply means that the rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator. So what causes this geoid shape? This happens solely because the rotation of the Earth which causes the bulge around the equator. -The Earth tilts at roughly 66 degrees. -Only 3% water of the earth is fresh, rest 97% salted. Of that 3%, over 2% is frozen in ice sheets and glaciers. Means less than 1% fresh water is found in lakes, rivers and underground. -Asia Continent is covered 30% of the total earth land area, but represent 60% of the world’s population.

-Each winter there are about 1 septillion (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 or a trillion trillion) snow crystals that drop from the sky. Some random facts to add. Top Facts Earth Facts: Interesting Facts about Planet Earth • The Planets Interactive Solar System Model Earth Facts Earth is the third planet from the Sun and largest of the terrestrial planets . Surprisingly, while it is only the fifth largest planet in terms of size and mass, it is the densest (5,513 kg/m3) of all the planets. Earth is the only planet in the solar system not named after a mythological being. Instead, its name is derived from the Old English word "ertha" and the Anglo-Saxon word "erda" which means ground or soil. Earth was formed somewhere around 4.54 billion years ago and is currently the only known planet to support life - and lots of it.

Size of the Earth compared to the Moon Side by side comparison of the size of Earth vs the Moon Facts about Earth The Earth was once believed to be the centre of the universe. For 2000 years ancient astronomers believed that the Earth was static and had other celestial bodies travelling in circular orbits around it. They believed this because of the apparent movement on the Sun and planets in relation to their viewpoint. In 1543, Copernicus published his Sun-centered model of the Solar System which put the Sun at the centre of our solar system. Earth is the only planet not named for a mythological god or goddess. The other seven planets in the solar system were named after Roman gods or goddesses. For the five visible to the naked eye, Mercury , Venus , Mars , Jupiter and Saturn they we named during ancient times. This Roman method was also used after the discovery of Uranus and Neptune . The word “Earth” comes from the Old English word “ertha” meaning ground or land. Earth is the most dense planet in the solar system.

The density of Earth differs in each part of the planet – the core, for example, is denser than the Earth’s crust – but the average density of the planet is around 5.52 grams per cubic centimetre. The gravity between the Earth and the Moon causes the tides on Earth. This effect on the Moon means it is tidally locked to Earth – its rotation period is the same as its orbit time so it always presents the same face to Earth. The rotation of the Earth is gradually slowing down. The deceleration of the Earth’s rotation is very slow, approximately 17 milliseconds per hundred years. Eventually this will lengthen our days but it will take around 140 million years before our day will have increased from 24 to 25 hours. Earth’s atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases including argon and carbon dixoide. The large amount of oxygen on Earth comes from our plant life’s consumption of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Earth has a very powerful magnetic field.

This field protects the planet from the effects of solar winds and is believed to be a result of the nickel-iron core of the planet combined with its rapid rotation. The Earth has an Ozone Layer which protects it from harmful solar radiation. This shell is a special type of oxygen that absorbs most of the Sun’s powerful UV rays. 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water – the remainder consists of continents and islands which together have many lakes and other sources of water. The first life on Earth developed in the oceans through a process called abiogenesis or biopoiesis. This is a natural process in which life grows from non-living matter like simple organic compounds. Earth’s water was initially trapped within the planet. Over time the Earth’s water was brought to the surface by the planet’s volcanic activity. Earth has relatively few visible impact craters compared with other solid bodies in our solar system. This is because Earth is geologically active and has processes like tectonics and erosion that reshape its surface. The highest point found on Earth is Mount Everest which reaches a height of 8.8 km.

The lowest point on Earth is called Challenger Deep and at 10.9 km below sea level, it is further than the peak of Mount Everest. Earth has one of the most circular orbits of all the eight planets. Its axis of rotation is tilted 23.4° away from the perpendicular of its orbital plane, which produces the seasons we experience. A year on Earth lasts just over 365 days. It is actually 1/4 of a day over 365 days which is why we have a leap year every four years. More information and facts about Earth Throughout human history we have sought to understand our home planet. However, the learning curve has been steep, with many errors having been made along the way. For example, it was not until the time of the ancient Romans that the world was understood to be spherical rather than flat. A second example is the belief that the Sun revolved around the Earth. Only in the sixteenth-century, through the work of Copernicus, did we accept that, in fact, the Earth was merely a planet orbiting the Sun.

Perhaps most importantly, it is during the last two centuries that science has allowed us to see that the Earth is both an ordinary and unique place in the Solar System . On one hand, many of its characterisitcs are rather unexceptional. Take, for example, its size, interior, and geological processes&#8212being the fifth largest out of the eight planets, it is close to the median in terms of size; its interior structure is almost identical to the three other terrestrial planets; and the same geological processes that shape its surface can be found not only on other planets, but also on planetary moons. However, the Earth is special in one very important regard&#8212in all of the solar system, the Earth is the only world known to foster life. Atmosphere The ability for Earth to possess life is dependent in many ways on its atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere is roughly 78% nitrogen (N2), 21% oxygen (O2), 1% argon, with trace amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases. Nitrogen and oxygen are essential to DNA and biological energy production, respectively, without which life could not be sustained.

Additionally, the oxygen found in what is known as the ozone layer of the atmosphere protects the surface of the planet by absorbing harmful solar radiation. Remarkably, the significant amount of oxygen present in the atmosphere is due to the life found on Earth. As a byproduct of making sugars, plants convert the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen. Essentially, this means that without plants the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be much greater and the oxygen levels much lower. On one hand, if carbon dioxide levels were much higher, it is likely the Earth would suffer from a runaway greenhouse effect like that on Venus . On the other hand, if the percentage of carbon dioxide were any lower there would not be a greenhouse effect at all, thus making temperatures far colder. Therefore, the carbon dioxide levels are just right to maintain hospitable temeperatures ranging from -88° C to 58° C. Oceans When viewing Earth from space, there is one overwhelming feature&#8212the oceans of liquid water. In terms of surface area, these oceans cover approximately 70% of the Earth. What is even more amazing than this percentage is that a single drop of liquid water is yet to be found on any other planet in the Solar System.

In this regard, the Earth is truly unique. Like the Earth’s atmosphere, the presence of liquid water is vital for life. In fact, life is believed to have first developed 3.8 billion years ago in the oceans, only later evolving the ability to survive on land. The existence of the oceans is attributed to two sources. The first of these is the Earth itself. It is conjectured that large amounts of water vapor were trapped wintin the Earth during its formation. Over time, the planet’s geological mechanisms, primarily its volcanic activity, released this water vapor into the atmosphere. Once in the atmosphere, this vapor condensed and fell to the planet’s surface as liquid water. The second source is theorized to have originated from the ancient comets that struck the Earth. Upon impact, they deposited substantial amounts of water ice on the planet. Surface Although most of the Earth’s surface lies beneath its oceans, the remaining “dry” surface is quite remarkable. When comparing the Earth to other solid bodies in the Solar System, its surface stands out due to its lacking impact craters. It is not that the Earth has been spared the numerous impacts by small bodies; rather, it is because the evidence of these impacts has been erased.

Although there are many geological processes responsible for this, the two most important are weathering and erosion. In many ways these two mechanisms can be thought of as working in tandem. Weathering is the breaking down of surface structures into smaller pieces by the atmosphere. Moreover, there are two types of weathering: chemical and physical. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. An example of physical weathering is abrasion of river beds caused by rocks suspended in flowing water. The second mechanism, erosion, is simply the movement of weathered particles by water, ice, wind or gravity. Thus, impact craters have been “smoothed out” through weathering and erosion by being broken apart and redistributed to other areas on the Earth’s surface. Two other geological mechanisms have helped to shape the Earth’s surface. The first is volcanic activity. This process consists of the releasing of magma (molten rock) from the Earth’s interior through a rupture in the its crust. Some effects of volcanic activity can be the resurfacing of Earth’s crust or formation of islands (think of the Hawaiian Islands). The second mechanism is orogeny, or the formation of mountains through the compression of tectonic plates. An example of mountains created through this process is the Rocky Mountains.

Interior Similar to the other terrestrial planets, Earth’s interior is believed to consist of three components: a core, a mantle, and a crust. At present, the core is thought to be comprised of two separate layers&#8212an inner core composed of solid nickel and iron, and an outer core composed of molten nickel and iron. The mantle is very dense and almost entirely solid silicate rock; its thickness is roughly 2,850 km. Finally, the crust is also composed of silicate rock and varies in thickness. While the continental crust ranges from 30 to 40 km in thickness, the oceanic crust is much thinner at only 6 to 11 km. Yet another distinguishing feature of the Earth when compared to the other terrestrial planets is that its crust is divided into cool, rigid plates that rest upon the hotter mantle below. Furthermore, these plates are in constant motion. Along the boundaries of these plates two processes, known as subduction and spreading, can occur. During subduction two plates come into contact (sometimes violently, producing earthquakes) and one plate is forced under the other. Separation, on the other hand, is when two plates are moving away from each other.

Orbit & Rotation At roughly 365 days, the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is familiar to us. The length of our year is due in large part to the Earth’s average orbital distance of 1.50 x 108 km. What many people are not familiar with is that at this orbital distance it takes sunlight, on average, about eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach the Earth. With an orbital eccentricity of .0167, the Earth’s orbit is one of the most circular in all the Solar System. This means that the difference between Earth’s perihelion and aphelion is relatively small. As a result of this small difference, the intensity of the sunlight Earth receives remains almost constant year-round. However, the Earth’s position in its orbit is responsible, in part, for the varying seasons it experiences. The Earth’s axial tilt is approximately 23.45°. That is, the axis the Earth rotates about is tilted slightly with respect to the plane in which the Earth orbits the Sun.

The effect of this tilt, along with position of the Earth in its orbit, means that at certain times the amount of sunlight the northern hemisphere receives is greater than that of the southern hemisphere, and vice versa. This variation in intensity is what produces the warmer temperatures during the summer and colder temperatures during the winter. A second commonly know charecteristic is that the Earth takes approximately twenty-four hours to complete one rotation. This is fastest among the terrestrial planets, but easily slower than that of all the gas planets . Earth Profile How the Planets Got Their Names - Ancient Roman Gods for Kids FAQ, About Us All of the planets, except for Earth, were named after Roman gods and goddesses. Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury were given their names thousands of years ago. Those were the planets that the ancient Romans could see in the sky without a telescope. The other planets in our solar system were not discovered until much later, when telescopes were invented. Even then, the tradition of naming the planets after Roman gods and goddesses continued. Most of the moons and some asteroids are also named after the critters and creatures and gods and goddesses found in Roman mythology.

Some of the constellations in our solar system are named after Roman gods as well. OUR PLANETS MERCURY Roman Winged Messenger, winged god of travel because he moves so fast VENUS Roman Goddess of Love, beautiful EARTH MARS Roman God of War JUPITER Chief Roman God (Jupiter is King of the Gods, an elected position) SATURN Former Roman God of Agriculture, retired. Replaced by his daughter, Ceres URANUS Former Roman God of the Sky, retired. Replaced by his grandson, Jupiter. NEPTUNE Roman Lord of the Sea PLUTO Roman Lord of the Underworld (Pluto is no longer considered a planet.) Remembering the 8 planets: Names of the Planets - Universe Today Universe Today by Abby Cessna [/caption] You may recognize the names of the planets from your high school literature course or a history class. That is because many of the planets were first discovered by ancient civilizations, and so planets are named after their gods. The Romans named Mercury after the messenger of the gods because it appears to move so quickly. Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love because of its shining presence. The planet is the brightest object in the sky beside the Moon and the Sun.

A number of other cultures also named Venus after their own gods or goddesses of love and war. Earth is the only planet not named after a god. The name is based on Germanic and Old English words for “ground.” Mars was named after the Roman god of war because of its red color, which reminded people of blood. Other civilizations also had names for the planet based on its color. The Egyptians called it “Her Desher,” which means “the red one.” Jupiter was named after the king of the gods – Zeus by the Greeks and Jupiter by the Romans. Ancient civilizations most likely named this planet after the most powerful god because of its size. Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in our Solar System. Saturn was named after the father of the king of gods as well as being the god of agriculture and harvest. In mythology, Saturn had taken the position of king of the gods from his own father, Uranus, and then Jupiter overthrew him. Saturn is the last planet that can be seen from Earth without the aid of a telescope. Uranus was not discovered until 1781 by Sir William Herschel, so it was not necessarily going to be named after a Roman god.

In fact, Herschel named the planet “Georgium Sidus” in honor of George III who was King of England at the time. Others called the planet Herschel in honor of the astronomer who had discovered it. The name Uranus, which is the name of the Roman god who is the father of Jupiter, was suggested by the astronomer Johann Bode. That name was widely accepted in the mid 1800’s, and it fit in with the other planets, which all had names from mythology. Neptune had been observed by a number of astronomers, but they believed it was a star. Two people, John Couch Adams and Urban Le Verrier, calculated the planet’s location. Johann Galle, the astronomer who discovered the planet using Verrier’s calculations, wanted to name the planet after Verrier. Many astronomers objected though, so it was named after Neptune the Roman god of the sea. The name was very fitting because the planet is a bright sea blue. Universe Today has a number of articles on the planets including facts about the planets and the planets of the solar system . If you are looking for more information on the planets take a look at the planets and interesting facts about the planets .

Astronomy Cast has episodes on all of the planets, so start with Mercury . Planet Names and Greek Mythology Planet Names How do planets and their moons get ther names? With the exception of Earth, all of the planets in our solar system have names from Greek or Roman mythology. This tradition was continued when Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered in more modern times. Mercury (Hermes) is the god of commerce, travel and thievery in Roman mythology. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky. Venus (Aphrodite) is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The planet is aptly named since it makes a beautiful sight in the sky, with only the Sun and the Moon being brighter. Earth (Gaia) is the only planet whose English name does not derive from Greek/Roman mythology. The name derives from Old English and Germanic. There are, of course, many other names for our planet in other languages. Jupiter (Zeus) was the King of the Gods in Roman mythology, making the name a good choice for what is by far the largest planet in our solar system Mars (Ares) is the Roman god of War.

The planet probably got this name due to its red color. Jupiter was the King of the Gods in Roman mythology, making the name a good choice for what is by far the largest planet in our solar system. Saturn (Cronus) is the Roman god of agriculture. Uranus is the ancient Roman deity of the Heavens, the earliest supreme god. Neptune (Poseidon), was the Roman god of the Sea. Given the beautiful blue color of this planet, the name is an excellent choice! Pluto (Hades) is the Roman god of the underworld in Roman mythology. Perhaps the planet received this name because it's so far from the Sun that it is in perpetual darkness. Natural Satellites For those moons have been known for a long time (such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter), the names were assigned from mythological characters. For example, the moons of Jupiter were named for characters who had roles in the life of Zeus (the Greek mythology counterpart of the Roman God Jupiter).

For example: Metis (first wife of Zeus) Copyright 2005-16, Greek-Mythology-Gods.com Planets Planets Mercury | Venus | Earth | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune |* Pluto Traditional Definition Etymology: Middle English planete, from Old French, from Late Latin planeta, modification of Greek planEt-, planEs, literally, wanderer, from planasthai to wander. any of the seven celestial bodies: Sun, Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn that in ancient belief have motions of their own among the fixed stars. any of the large bodies that revolve around the Sun in the solar system. [see IAU resolutions below] a similar body associated with another star. EARTH -- usually used with "the". a celestial body held to influence the fate of human beings a person or thing of great importance : LUMINARY - plan�et�like /-"lIk/ adjective * The IAU [ International Astronomical Union ] officially designates planets within our solar system.

STATUS February 2, 2006 "The IAU notes the very rapid pace of discovery of bodies within the Solar system over the last decade and so our understanding of the Trans-Neptunian Region is therefore still evolving very rapidly. This is in serious contrast to the situation when Pluto was discovered. As a consequence, The IAU has established a Working Group to consider the definition of a minimum size for a Planet. Until the report of this Working Group is received, all objects discovered at a distance from the Sun greater than 40 AU will continue to be regarded as part of the Trans-Neptunian population." UPDATE August 24, 2006 RESOLUTION 5A The IAU therefore resolves that planets and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way: (1) A planet1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

(2) A dwarf planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape2, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite. (3) All other objects3 orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies". 1The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 2An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories. 3These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies. Relative sizes of the planets and stars by Dave Jarvis . Smallest Planets

Question: Which is the only planet in out solar system not named after a god?
Answer: Earth