major planet

/ˌˈmeɪdʒər ˌplænət/

Other forms: major planets

Definitions of major planet

1. noun

   (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction
   synonyms: planet

   examples:

   evening star

   a planet (usually Venus) seen at sunset in the western sky

   types:

   inferior planet

   any of the planets whose orbit lies inside the earth's orbit

   Jovian planet, gas giant

   any of the four outermost planets in the solar system; much larger than Earth and gaseous in nature (like Jupiter)

   Lucifer, Phosphorus, daystar, morning star

   a planet (usually Venus) seen just before sunrise in the eastern sky

   outer planet

   (astronomy) a major planet whose orbit is outside the asteroid belt (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)

   superior planet

   any of the planets whose orbit lies outside the earth's orbit

   terrestrial planet

   a planet having a compact rocky surface like the Earth's; the four innermost planets in the solar system

   type of:

   celestial body, heavenly body

   a natural object visible in the sky