Eighth Planet From The Sun Crossword Clue

By: Five Letter Words | Last edited: May 03, 2025

Exploring the Eighth planet from the sun crossword clue from the May 03, 2025 New York Times Mini puzzle? We've conducted thorough research and identified the precise 7-letter answer you're seeking. For those who prefer a hands-on solving approach, we offer interactive features to enhance your experience. Uncover the solution gradually with our letter-by-letter reveal tool, or browse our carefully crafted hints—including a helpful mnemonic, alternative clues with the same answer, or detailed astronomical information to guide your thinking. We've also streamlined navigation between related clues from the same puzzle, enabling you to solve multiple clues efficiently. Ready to discover this distant planet? Let's explore the answer together!

Crossword Answer:

NEW YORK TIMES MINI, MAY / 03 / 2025
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About This Clue

The May 3, 2025 New York Times Mini Crossword featured the clue "Eighth planet from the sun" with the answer NEPTUNE. This is a straightforward factual clue based on astronomical knowledge. In our solar system, Neptune is indeed the eighth planet from the Sun, following Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. This type of clue relies on common scientific knowledge rather than wordplay or puns, making it accessible to most solvers with basic knowledge of our solar system.

Context for "NEPTUNE"

Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun in our solar system. It was discovered on September 23, 1846, by Johann Galle, guided by mathematical predictions made by Urbain Le Verrier. The planet is named after Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, due to its vivid blue color caused by methane in its atmosphere. As an ice giant, Neptune is similar in composition to Uranus, consisting primarily of a hot, dense fluid of water, ammonia, and methane above a small rocky core. It has the strongest winds in the solar system, with speeds reaching up to 1,200 miles per hour (2,000 kilometers per hour). Neptune has a system of at least 14 known moons, with Triton being the largest. It also features a dynamic atmosphere with visible weather patterns, including the Great Dark Spot, a storm system similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The planet completes one orbit around the Sun every 165 Earth years, at an average distance of 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers) from the Sun. Due to its extreme distance, Neptune cannot be seen with the naked eye and was the first planet to be discovered through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation. In the context of this crossword clue, the identification of Neptune as the eighth planet relies on the current classification of planets in our solar system, which has been stable since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.

NYT Mini Crossword Tips

When solving factual clues like "Eighth planet from the sun" in the NYT Mini Crossword, consider these helpful strategies: First, assess your knowledge of the subject matter. For astronomical clues like this one, recalling the order of planets in our solar system can quickly lead to the answer. A common mnemonic device that many people learn is "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos" (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). Count the squares provided for the answer. In this case, the 7-letter word NEPTUNE perfectly matches the grid space, confirming that it's likely the correct answer. When you encounter science-based clues, remember that the NYT Mini generally uses widely accepted scientific facts rather than obscure or controversial information. Since the designation of Neptune as the eighth planet is standard knowledge taught in elementary schools, it makes for an appropriate Mini Crossword clue. Use crossing answers to verify. If you already have some letters from intersecting words, these can help confirm whether your answer is correct. For example, if you had an "N" in the first position from a down clue, this would support NEPTUNE as the answer. For celestial body clues in particular, be aware of terminology changes over time. For instance, Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006 changed Neptune's status to the outermost planet in our solar system. The Mini Crossword tends to reuse certain answers periodically, so if you solve these puzzles regularly, you might recognize NEPTUNE as a recurring answer for similar astronomy-themed clues.

Related Crossword Answers

NEPTUNE

Clue: "God of the sea, in Roman myth"

NEPTUNE

Clue: "Blue planet"

URANUS

Clue: "Seventh planet from the sun"

PLUTO

Clue: "Former ninth planet"

More Clues & Answers For The New York Times Mini (May 3, 2025)

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