Major Planet (Noun)
Meaning
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- Mercury is the smallest of the eight major planets in our solar system.
- Astronomers use telescopes to study the surfaces and atmospheres of major planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
- Earth is one of the major planets that can support liquid water and an atmosphere, making it possible for life to exist.
- Venus is the hottest major planet due to a runaway greenhouse effect caused by its thick atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide.
- Uranus is often considered an ice giant rather than a major planet because it has a higher concentration of water and other volatile compounds.