Find out who is fastest

The solar system is a vast and fascinating universe that is home to a variety of celestial bodies, from planets to asteroids and comets. Each of these bodies has its own movement in its orbit around the sun, which gives it characteristic speeds.

The planets do not move at the same speed in their orbits. This variation is due to Kepler’s law of planetary motion and the distance of each planet from the Sun. Kepler’s law states that planets closer to the sun move at higher speeds than planets further away.

Next, using information from Enséñame de Ciencia, we describe the speed of the planets in the solar system.

Approximate speeds of the planets in the solar system

• Mercury: This is the closest planet to the Sun and also the fastest. Mercury moves in its orbit at an average speed of about 47.87 kilometers per second (km/s).

• Venus: Venus, Earth’s twin in size, moves in its orbit at an average speed of about 35.02 km/s.
• Earth: Our planet moves in its orbit around the sun at an average speed of about 29.78 km/s.

• Mars: Mars, the “Red Planet”, has an average speed of about 24,077 km/s in its orbit.
• Jupiter: As the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter moves in its orbit at an average speed of about 13.07 km/s.
• Saturn: Saturn, famous for its rings, moves in its orbit at an average speed of about 9.68 km/s.
• Uranus: Uranus has an average speed of about 6.8 km/s in its orbit.
• Neptune: Neptune, the most distant planet in the solar system, moves in its orbit at an average speed of about 5.43 km/s.

These speeds are average speeds and may vary slightly during each planet’s orbit due to the elliptical shape of their orbits. The units used, kilometers per second (km/s), are common in astronomy due to the enormous distances in space.