Planet groupings need source properties, not picture colours

Simplified artwork can make planets easy to recognise while concealing what a classification actually means. Compare official property descriptions one at a time before sorting rocky planets and giant planets.

Select a property. Compare entries. Explain the grouping.

Put the selected property in the comparison table

Compare one property at a time and retain the official terminology. A planet's artistic colour is not a substitute for information about its composition.

A category based on composition needs source information beyond apparent colour.

Simplified artwork can mislead.

Which recorded property matters? Use a short property table.

Resources

• Solar System Planet Order — Use the sequence cards and add a note that spacing is not a distance scale.

Further reading

• NASA Science — Solar System exploration

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