Space is a big, mysterious place filled with stars, planets, moons, and more. It stretches far beyond what we can see with our eyes. Even though we live on Earth, we are part of a much larger neighborhood called the solar system.
Let us take a journey through space where we will learn about the planets, how they move, what they are made of, and what makes our Earth so special.
The solar system is made up of the sun and everything that travels around it, including:
At the center of the solar system is the sun, which gives light and heat to all the other objects. All the planets orbit (move around) the sun.
The planets are arranged in a specific order based on their distance from the sun. You can remember them using the phrase:
"My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos"
Order | Planet |
1 | Mercury |
2 | Venus |
3 | Earth |
4 | Mars |
5 | Jupiter |
6 | Saturn |
7 | Uranus |
8 | Neptune |
Some lists include Pluto as a dwarf planet, which means it's very small and different from the main eight.
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Earth is the third planet from the sun. It's special because:
That's why Earth is often called the "Water Planet" or the "Blue Planet".
Venus is the second planet from the sun and is called the "Evening Star" because it shines brightly in the night sky. It is:
Even though it looks beautiful, Venus would be too hot for humans to live on.
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is often called the Red Planet because of its reddish color. Mars:
Many scientists believe that Mars is the best place to look for signs of life beyond Earth.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and the largest planet in our solar system. It is known for:
It is so big that it could fit more than 1,300 Earths inside it!
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is famous for its beautiful rings. These rings are made of ice and rock. Saturn:
It is one of the most popular planets to observe with a telescope.
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun. It's special because:
Neptune is the eighth planet. It is:
Both Uranus and Neptune are made mostly of gas and ice.
Pluto used to be called the ninth planet, but now scientists call it a dwarf planet. It is:
Pluto is part of a region of space beyond Neptune that has many small icy objects.
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Between Mars and Jupiter, there is a region called the Asteroid Belt. It is filled with rocky objects called asteroids.
Scientists study asteroids to learn about the early solar system.
Comets are like dirty snowballs in space. They are made of:
They have long elliptical orbits and glow when they come close to the sun, forming a bright tail.
Meteoroids are chunks of rock or metal floating in space. They often come from:
If a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up, we call it a meteor (a shooting star).
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Planets move around the sun in paths called orbits, which are not perfect circles-they are elliptical (oval-shaped).
Two main forces work together to keep planets in orbit:
Force | What It Does |
Gravity | Pulls planets toward the sun |
Inertia | Makes planets want to keep moving in a straight line |
Together, gravity and inertia create a balanced path that keeps planets moving around the sun instead of flying off into space or falling into the sun.
Inertia means that an object will keep doing what it's doing unless something changes it.
This law of motion helps explain how planets keep moving in their orbits. They don't stop or change direction unless another force acts on them.
The sun gives us energy in the form of:
This energy travels through space and reaches Earth as sun rays. The sun's energy:
Without the sun's energy, life on Earth would not be possible.
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Earth is a unique planet in many ways:
That's why Earth is often the focus of space exploration-to protect and learn more about the place we call home.
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