The Planets and Days of the Week

Starting from the innermost planet and moving outwards: first, there’s Mercury, then Venus, Earth, and Mars. After Mars comes the big one, Jupiter, followed by Saturn. Then there’s Uranus and Neptune, and that’s it for the planets in our solar system.

Over time, the number of recognized planets has changed. To the ancients, there were seven planets, which included not just the ones we recognize today, but also the Sun and the Moon. This is because, back then, a “planet” was simply anything that moved across the sky against the background of stars. These moving objects were called “wanderers,” from the Greek word “planus,” which is where we get the word “planet.”

Interestingly, these seven “planets” are also the reason we have seven days in a week. Each day of the week was named after one of these celestial bodies. For example, Sunday is named after the Sun, and Saturday is named after Saturn. Monday is named after the Moon, which also makes sense.

Now, let’s talk about Tuesday. The English name doesn’t sound like it’s related to any planet, but in other languages, like Spanish, Tuesday is called “Martes,” which is named after Mars, the god of war. The English name “Tuesday” actually comes from a Norse god named Tiw, who was also associated with war, just like Mars.

Wednesday is another interesting one. In Spanish, it’s “Miércoles,” named after Mercury, the messenger god. In English, Wednesday is named after the Norse god Woden, who also had similar traits to Mercury, like being a traveler.

Thursday is named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, who wields a hammer. The corresponding planet is Jupiter, the Roman god who controls lightning. In French, Thursday is called “Jeudi,” after Jupiter.

Finally, Friday in English is named after the Norse goddess Frigg, associated with beauty and love, similar to Venus. In Spanish, Friday is “Viernes,” which is directly named after Venus.

This mix of names comes from both Norse and Roman traditions, reflecting how different cultures have influenced our modern language. But it’s all based on those original seven “planets.”

Fast forward to the mid-1500s, when Copernicus came along and changed everything. He pointed out that the Sun isn’t a planet, and neither is the Moon. This realization dropped the number of planets down to five. But then, Earth was recognized as a planet, bringing the count back up to six.

Later on, William Herschel discovered a new planet, which he initially named “Planet George” after King George. However, the rest of the world wasn’t on board with that name, so it eventually became Uranus.

So there you have it, the history of how the days of the week are connected to the planets. It’s fascinating to see how these ancient ideas still influence us today.