Planet Wheel
Spin to pick a planet. For Pluto, switch to “Dwarf planets” under “Choose a list”.
No spins yet. Each pick is listed here in order.
Planets and dwarf planets on the wheel
Planets (8)
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
Dwarf planets (5)
- Ceres
- Pluto
- Haumea
- Makemake
- Eris
Source: Wikipedia, article “Solar System”, as last edited on October 12, 2026. We read it on October 12, 2026.
About the planet wheel
The wheel opens with the 8 planets of the Solar System, in order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Each has a 1 in 8 chance (12.5%). Under “Choose a list”, “Dwarf planets” swaps them for a second wheel of 5, each with a 1 in 5 chance (20%). Both lists are printed further down the page, with their source and the date it was checked.
Pluto is on the second list. It was counted as the ninth planet until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet. The list has 5 names, the ones the Union has named as dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.
If your class wants Pluto back in the running, stay on “Planets” and type Pluto on a new line under Neptune. The wheel redraws with nine slices, and each one then has a 1 in 9 chance.
Classroom ideas for the planet spinner
- Hand out report topics, one spin per student or group.
- Spin a planet and ask the class to name its neighbors, counting out from the Sun.
- Warm up a science lesson: spin, then ask whether the planet is rocky, a gas giant or an ice giant.
- Switch to “Dwarf planets” and let the wheel choose which one to look up next.
How to use the wheel
- Type or paste your options, one per line. The wheel redraws as you type.
- Press Spin, click the wheel, or press Ctrl+Enter while you are in the list.
- Read the pick. Remove it from the wheel if nobody should be picked twice, then spin again.
How the pick is made
Before the wheel moves, your browser draws one slice at random with crypto.getRandomValues, the same generator browsers use for security keys. Every slice has the same chance. The spin you watch only plays that result out.
Nothing about the animation changes the outcome: not how hard you click, not how long the wheel turns, not the size of your screen. The pointer always stops inside a slice, never on a line.
Your list stays in your browser. A link you copy carries the list inside the link itself, so nothing is uploaded.
Questions about the planet wheel
- Which planets are rocky and which are giants?
- Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are rocky planets. Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, and Uranus and Neptune are ice giants.
- Are the planets in order on the wheel?
- Yes. When the page opens, the list runs in order from the Sun, from Mercury to Neptune. “Shuffle” mixes it up, and the Undo link that appears right after puts the order back.
- How do I give each student a different planet?
- Switch on “Remove the winner after each spin”. A planet leaves the wheel after it is picked, so after 8 spins every planet has been handed out exactly once.
- Can I share the planet wheel with my class?
- Yes. Press “Copy link to this wheel” and post the link for your class. Everyone who opens it sees the same wheel, and nobody needs an account.