
What is a Planet? - Science@NASA
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 …
Planet - Wikipedia
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 …
Planet | Definition, Solar System, Characteristics, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 20, 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 …
What Is a Planet? - timeanddate.com
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 …
Planet - National Geographic Society
May 21, 2024 · A planet is a large object that orbits a star. To be a planet, an object must be massive enough for gravity to have squeezed it into a spherical, or round, shape,. It must also …
What Is A Planet? - The Planetary Society
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 …
What is a Planet ? - Universe Guide
Nov 16, 2025 · 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.
What is a Planet? - National Geographic Kids
But what exactly is a planet? It seems like an easy question. After all, you’re standing on one right now! But the scientific definition was fairly loose until recently. The discovery of...
PLANET Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
In line with astronomical discovery and advancement, planet began to be used specifically of the rocky or gaseous bodies that orbit around the sun—a definition which excluded the moon and …
About the Planets - Science@NASA
May 28, 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 …