How many planets are there?

Answer

Since 2006 there are 8 planets (see also photo):
1 Mercury
2Venus
3 Earth
4 Mars
5Jupiter
6 Saturn
7 Uranus
8 Neptune

Until 2006, Pluto (discovered in 1930) was considered the ninth planet. However, during a large meeting of experts (International Astronomical Union) in 2006, it was decided that Pluto is no longer a planet. According to these experts, a planet must be in orbit around the sun, a planet must be nearly round by its own gravity, and the planet must have cleared the area around its orbit from other objects. However, Pluto did not meet this last condition and therefore lost its status as a planet.

Pluto is now considered one of the dwarf planets. Thus, a dwarf planet is not a true planet according to the definition introduced in 2006. Other dwarf planets include Eris and Ceres. So they are round by their own gravity, orbiting the sun, but they haven’t cleared the area around their orbit from other objects.