Which list contains the four outer planets?

Which list contains the four outer planets?

• A. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
• B. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• C. Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Neptune
• D. Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

Answer: (B)

The four outer planets are the ones farthest from the Sun, beyond the asteroid belt, and they are large gas or ice giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A list that includes exactly these four planets matches what the outer planets are, so it’s the best choice. The other lists mix in the inner rocky planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars—or leave out one or more outer planets, so they don’t fit as the outer set.

The four outer planets are the ones farthest from the Sun, beyond the asteroid belt, and they are large gas or ice giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A list that includes exactly these four planets matches what the outer planets are, so it’s the best choice. The other lists mix in the inner rocky planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars—or leave out one or more outer planets, so they don’t fit as the outer set.