Planets MCQs with Answers
Solved Planets MCQs with answers — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune. Free quiz + PDF for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS & PMS.
Planets — Master Reference for Pakistani Competitive Exams
The chapter Planets is one of the most repeated Everyday Science / Astronomy topics in Pakistan’s PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS, PMS, OTS, CTS, BPSC, KPPSC and SPSC One Paper exams. Almost every Junior Clerk, Tehsildar, Assistant, Sub-Inspector, Lecturer and BPS-14 to BPS-17 paper carries 2–4 MCQs from this chapter — and it is core CSS Screening MPT (General Science & Ability) content. This page consolidates solved MCQs with answers covering all 8 planets of the solar system: the inner rocky/terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars), the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn) and the ice giants (Uranus, Neptune) — plus key facts on the dwarf-planet status of Pluto (downgraded by IAU in 2006), planet sizes, distances, moons, rings, atmospheres and the most-asked exam anchors (largest planet, hottest planet, red planet, coldest planet, etc.). For wider context, see Wikipedia: Planet and NASA Solar System Exploration: Planets — the official NASA reference.
The 8 Planets — Quick Reference
| Planet | Type | Diameter | Distance from Sun | Moons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Rocky / Terrestrial | ~4,879 km | 0.39 AU (58 M km) | 0 |
| Venus | Rocky / Terrestrial | ~12,100 km | 0.7 AU (108 M km) | 0 |
| Earth | Rocky / Terrestrial | ~12,756 km | 1 AU (150 M km) | 1 (Moon) |
| Mars | Rocky / Terrestrial | ~6,800 km | 1.52 AU (228 M km) | 2 (Phobos & Deimos) |
| Jupiter | Gas Giant | ~143,000 km | 5.2 AU (778 M km) | 53+ confirmed |
| Saturn | Gas Giant | ~120,600 km | 9.5 AU (1.4 B km) | 82 (53 known + 29 awaiting) |
| Uranus | Ice Giant | ~51,000 km | 19.8 AU (2.9 B km) | 27 known |
| Neptune | Ice Giant | ~50,000 km | 30 AU (4.5 B km) | 14 known |
Famous “Anchor Facts” — Most Tested in Exams
- Smallest planet — Mercury (closest to the Sun).
- Largest planet — Jupiter (11× wider than Earth).
- Hottest planet — Venus (~475°C, due to greenhouse effect).
- Coldest planet — Neptune (~-200°C average).
- Brightest planet — Venus (also called the morning star and Earth’s twin).
- Red Planet — Mars (iron oxide / rust on its surface).
- Blue / Green / Watery Planet — Earth (only planet with an atmosphere supporting life).
- Ringed planet (most spectacular) — Saturn (7 rings).
- Flattest planet — Saturn.
- Rotates from East to West (backwards) — Venus & Uranus.
- First planet found using a telescope — Uranus (William Herschel, 1781).
- Discovered by Le Verrier & Galle — Neptune.
- Pluto — downgraded to “dwarf planet” by the IAU in 2006.
- Number of planets visible without a telescope — 5.
- Inner rocky/terrestrial planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.
- Gas giants — Jupiter, Saturn. Ice giants — Uranus, Neptune.
- Largest moons: Saturn = Titan; Uranus = Titania; Mars = Phobos & Deimos.
- Earth’s atmosphere — 78% nitrogen + 21% oxygen + 1% other (argon, CO₂, neon).
- Earth aphelion — early July (Sun farthest); perihelion — early January (closest).
Exam tip: Lock six anchor facts and you cover ~80% of all MCQs from this chapter — Mercury = smallest & closest to Sun, Venus = hottest + brightest + Earth’s twin, Mars = Red Planet, Jupiter = largest, Saturn = most rings (7), and Neptune = coldest & farthest.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 8 planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars (inner rocky/terrestrial planets), Jupiter, Saturn (gas giants) and Uranus, Neptune (ice giants). In 2006 the IAU downgraded Pluto to a “dwarf planet”.
Jupiter is the largest planet — 11 Earths could fit across its equator. It is a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium.
Venus is the hottest planet — surface ~475°C (900°F). Despite Mercury being closer to the Sun, Venus is hotter due to its thick CO₂ atmosphere causing a runaway greenhouse effect.
Mars is known as the Red Planet because iron minerals in the Martian soil oxidise (rust), causing the soil and atmosphere to look red.
Neptune is the coldest planet — average temperature about -200°C (-392°F). It is the 8th (farthest) planet from the Sun.
Uranus was the first planet found using a telescope — discovered by William Herschel in 1781.
Yes — essential. Planet MCQs are tested in every One Paper, NTS NAT, GAT, OTS, CTS, BPSC, KPPSC, SPSC, PPSC and FPSC exam — and core CSS Screening MPT (General Science & Ability) content.
Yes. Click the Download PDF button to get all Planets MCQs as a branded QuizWing PDF for offline revision.