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The Solar System: A Journey Through Our Closest Neighbors in Space, Study notes of Astronomy

An overview of the solar system, including the sun and its eight planets. Each planet is described in terms of its size, location, unique features, and notable characteristics. The document also includes a planetary puzzle for readers to engage with.

Typology: Study notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

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The Solar System: Our Closest Neighbors in Space
At the center of the Solar
System is the Sun. The Sun is a star,
just like many of the stars you see at
night when you look up at the sky. It
looks so bright during the day
because it is much closer to Earth
than the other stars.
The first planet is Mercury.
Mercury is the closest planet to the
Sun and the smallest planet in our
Solar System. It is covered in craters.
The side that faces the Sun is very
hot, but the side that faces away
from the Sun is freezing.
The second planet is Venus. It
is the hottest planet in the Solar
System because of its thick and heavy
atmosphere. It is often called Earth’s
sister planet because they are about
the same size.
The third planet is Earth. The
planet we live on is very special
because it receives the perfect
amount of light, heat, and energy
from the Sun for life to exist. The
Moon orbits Earth, and has lots of
dusty craters and dark, smooth areas
called maria.
The fourth planet is Mars, also
called the “Red Planet” because of
the red, rusty dust that covers its
surface. We have sent many rovers,
which are special robots designed to
do science experiments, to study the
surface of Mars.
In between Mars and the next
planet is the Asteroid Belt, where
many large rocks called asteroids
orbit the Sun. Asteroids can be as big
as 300 miles across or as small as a
speck of dust.
The fifth planet is Jupiter.
Jupiter is the biggest planet in our
Solar System. It is covered in storms.
The biggest storm, called the Great
Red Spot, has been raging for 400
years!
The sixth planet, Saturn, is
famous for its beautiful rings. These
rings are made up of small pieces of
rock, dust, and ice. Saturn also has 82
moons, which is more than any other
planet in the Solar System.
The seventh planet is Uranus.
It is the coldest planet in the Solar
System. It also has a beautiful ring.
Scientists think a large asteroid
crashed into Uranus a long time ago
and tipped it on its side!
The eighth planet is Neptune.
Neptune has faster winds than any
other planet. It is almost 3 billion
miles away from the Sun.
Our Solar System is home to
one star, eight planets, hundreds of
moons, and countless asteroids.
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The Solar System: Our Closest Neighbors in Space

At the center of the Solar

System is the Sun. The Sun is a star,

just like many of the stars you see at

night when you look up at the sky. It

looks so bright during the day

because it is much closer to Earth

than the other stars.

The first planet is Mercury.

Mercury is the closest planet to the

Sun and the smallest planet in our

Solar System. It is covered in craters.

The side that faces the Sun is very

hot, but the side that faces away

from the Sun is freezing.

The second planet is Venus. It

is the hottest planet in the Solar

System because of its thick and heavy

atmosphere. It is often called Earth’s

sister planet because they are about

the same size.

The third planet is Earth. The

planet we live on is very special

because it receives the perfect

amount of light, heat, and energy

from the Sun for life to exist. The

Moon orbits Earth, and has lots of

dusty craters and dark, smooth areas

called maria.

The fourth planet is Mars , also

called the “Red Planet” because of

the red, rusty dust that covers its

surface. We have sent many rovers,

which are special robots designed to

do science experiments, to study the

surface of Mars.

In between Mars and the next

planet is the Asteroid Belt , where

many large rocks called asteroids

orbit the Sun. Asteroids can be as big

as 300 miles across or as small as a

speck of dust.

The fifth planet is Jupiter.

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our

Solar System. It is covered in storms.

The biggest storm, called the Great

Red Spot, has been raging for 400

years!

The sixth planet, Saturn , is

famous for its beautiful rings. These

rings are made up of small pieces of

rock, dust, and ice. Saturn also has 82

moons, which is more than any other

planet in the Solar System.

The seventh planet is Uranus.

It is the coldest planet in the Solar

System. It also has a beautiful ring.

Scientists think a large asteroid

crashed into Uranus a long time ago

and tipped it on its side!

The eighth planet is Neptune.

Neptune has faster winds than any

other planet. It is almost 3 billion

miles away from the Sun.

Our Solar System is home to

one star, eight planets, hundreds of

moons, and countless asteroids.

Planetary Puzzle Fill in the blank with the answer for each clue. Then, write the circled letters in the right order below to find the answer to the question. The closest planet to the Sun: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ The eighth planet: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ The Red Planet: ___ ___ ___ ___ Orbits Earth: ___ ___ ___ ___ Found between Mars and Jupiter: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Question: What is the scientific study of the Universe called? Answer: Konnie is the star projector in our planetarium. Color in her visit to the dwarf planet Pluto! A FAR AWAY FRIEND visited Pluto. You’ve probably heard of Pluto, the most famous dwarf planet in our Solar System! Pluto isn’t considered a planet because its orbit around the Sun crosses over Neptune’s orbit. In fact, Pluto’s orbit is shaped like an oval, unlike the eight planets’ orbits, which are circular. We got to see its heart-shaped plain for the first time! In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft Design Your Own Planet Use the planets in our Solar System for inspiration to draw your own planet below. Then, use the lines to describe your planet. Does it have rings? Is it a terrestrial planet or a gas giant? Is there any life there? How many moons does it have? What other facts can you think of? My planet is called _______________________ 1 2

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