Solar System Planet Lineup

Eight planets cross the frame between the Sun's warm glow and a dark star field. Broad cloud bands wrap around Jupiter, while Saturn tilts its rings toward the viewer. The two outermost planets end the sequence in blue. Their sizes and distances have been changed for this illustrated arrangement, bringing widely separated worlds into one picture where their contrasting colors and surfaces can be compared.

Saturn's ring cuts a narrow diagonal through several otherwise dark pieces. Jupiter has a different signature, with curved bands that follow the planet's round outline. Those changes in direction matter as much as color here. Away from the planets, scattered rocks and small points of light interrupt the background; the sparsest areas will ask for closer comparisons at a larger piece count.