How many planets are there?

Answer 1

No one knows.

Scientists keep discovering large round things going around the sun (which is one definition of a planet). Up until a few years ago, the pretty much accepted answer was 9:

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
and Pluto.

But in 2003 astronomers Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz discovered another planet-sized body, WAY out beyond Pluto. The official name of this 'planet' for now is just 2003UB313, which is an astronomical code for keeping track of new objects. The astronomers submitted the discovery to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU will not only pick a name for this new body, but they will also determine if it will be officially called a planet.

Since UB313 is bigger than Pluto, there is actually a chance that, if the IAU decides UB313 is not a planet, then Pluto will not be called a planet either. By discovering a new 'planet,' we may have decreased the number of planets in our solar system from 9 to 8!

But that's not the end of the story. Mike Brown and the gang keep discovering other big things out there that could possibly be called planets. Their web site (see the link below) lists three other large objects they have found that might someday be called planets.

And THAT's not the end of the story, either. That's just our solar system. Scientists are discovering planets that go around other stars quite often. The second web site below is NASA's place for information about these extrasolar planets. As of 15 June there were 193 of them!

Answer 2

10

Answer 3

10

Answer 4

There's 12. In this Solar System anyway. Ancient Texts such as the Enuma Elish speak of 12 planets. Somehow after the advent of mainstream religion all of this ancient knowledge was deliberately surpressed to control the masses.Example: THE INQUISITION. Look at what they did to Galileo. Ancient Cultures like the Dogons were and are well informed about the Solar System and beyond. Information that just needs to come to light.

Answer 5

There are 9 planets named as such, but at least sedna and a few other rocks may be as big a some of the planets. So we don't know for sure yet because we still don't know about the outer solar system. There are hundreds of asteroids and such
in the solar system which are like small planets.

Answer 6

9

Answer 7

i'm no longer asserting that i've got faith in Planet X or Nibiru yet one question to contemplate is how did a civilization 4000 plus years in the past became waiting to chart our image voltaic device? in the event that they weren't visited by utilising E.T.s then they might desire to have had superior technologies to confirm out of our planets environment and particularly deep in to our image voltaic device. if it is the case then why did it take all the way in to the mid 1900's to re-hit upon the those planets? Did the human race replace into much less intellegent throught the years? Mentally de-evolve? And in the sumer "translated" and pictured tableture it shows how whilst bodily staring at a chart of our planets the dimensions variations on a small scale assessment to a minimum of one yet another and its particularly precise... and it shows a planet X..... so its no longer trouble-free to rule the planet x concept out. in spite of the indisputable fact that it doesnt say something approximately specific doomsday. it is not trouble-free to rule out a planet x specifically on account that this previous month 32 planets have been dicovered.... exoplanets and "super earths" so if those exsist then why can no longer planet x or nibiru? no longer asserting they are an identical... basically those that are too scared to confess the possibltiy of a planet X or E.T. exisitance via feeling no longer rather much as good as a greater superior race might desire to void any of those questions out. And if a civilization 4000 years in the past might desire to be greater superior than what we've been in the early 1900's in area exploration then why couldnt there be a planet x and approximately it particularly is orbit? properly i'm specific that someplace available there may well be an intellegence able to controlling an environment... or hell it would desire to easily be a dying famous guy or woman off famous guy or woman wars ( frightening.... hqhahahah) the two way no longer something is impossible... no count the type you verify out existence and its creation, all of it looks impossible yet its no longer for we are o.k. here suitable?

Answer 8

OFFICIALLY there are 9 planets. That could very well change to 10 soon when all the eggheads get done squabbling and arguing about the recently found "planet" out beyond Pluto.

Answer 9

9 confirmed or official planets.

2 more objects have been discovered outside the orbit of pluto. Some scientists want to classify these as additional planets but others argue they are part of the kueiper belt (outer asteroid belt)

This link is from NASA about the proposed 10th planet:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/29jul_planetx.htm

Answer 10

All the planets that have been discovered until now are not more than 200, or something around this number. We have (zillions) of stars...because they have their own light and so, we can observe them. In the case of the planets, we cannot see them directly because they don't have their own light. So, their number is minimal...NO MORE than 200.... sorry:)
In our solar system there are 9 planets....and lately one more.....for which there are some oblections if it is planet or planetoid.
get these sites....and consider it is worth to surf around.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/new_planets_000804.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?extrasolar+planets