OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION:

Our solar system is the Sun and all the planets,
moons, asteroids, meteoroids, comets,
dust, and gases that orbit it.
Scientists believe that our solar system
formed from a cloud of dust and gas
that surrounded the Sun five billion years ago.

sun

THE SUN

When you see the Sun shining during the day,
you are seeing a star.
A star is a huge glowing ball of gases.
The Sun is the only star in our solar system.
It looks larger than the stars we see at night,
because it is closer to us.

THE PLANETS

Our solar system has eight planets.
These planets are : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Pluto is no longer called a planet.

mercury

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.
It takes only 88 earth days for Mercury to orbit the Sun.
The planet is bare and rocky , with many craters .
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system .
The side facing the Sun is very very hot.
The side away from the Sun is very very cold.

venus

VENUS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun .
It is often called Earth's twin because
it is almost the same size as Earth.
It is surrounded by thick clouds of poisonous gases.
It is hotter on Venus than it is on Mercury
even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.

earth

EARTH

Earth is 150 million km. away from the Sun .
Earth is the third planet from the Sun .
It has one moon. It takes 24 hours to spin on its axis.
Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 and a quarter days.
70% of the surface of the planet is covered in water.

MARS

Mars is fourth planet from the Sun.
It is often called the "Red Planet" because
the surface soil and rocks contain rusted iron.

jupiter

JUPITER

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
It is 11 times bigger than Earth.
It takes 12 Earth years for Jupiter to orbit the Sun.
Jupiter has a very large red spot on its surface
that is 3 times bigger than Earth. The spot is a huge wind storm .

SATURN

Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system .
It is the sixth planet from the Sun .
Saturn is known for its thousands of beautiful rings
that circle the planet.

URANUS
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun.
It is a large ball of gas, 4 times bigger than Earth .
Uranus is tilted so that the poles are not on the top
and bottom, like Earth, but on its sides.
It has thin rings .

NEPTUNE
Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun .
It is a bluish color, like Uranus ,
and about the same size as Uranus.

PLUTO
Pluto is now called a dwarf planet.
It is very, very far from the Sun.
The surface is covered with ice.
Pluto was not discovered until 1930.

OUR MOON

As the Earth goes around the Sun, the Moon goes around the Earth.
It takes 29 days, 13 hours to complete this circle.
The Moon is 380 000 km. away from Earth.
It has no water and no air. The Moon does not give off light.
It seems to glow, because the Sun is shining on its surface.

SPACE INDEX
or

click on the words to learn more about:

ASTEROIDS COMETS METEORS

SUN
MERCURY VENUS EARTH

MOON
MARS JUPITER SATURN

URANUS
NEPTUNE PLUTO STARS

web page by J.Giannetta
jgiannet@hotmail.com
2003 (updated 2009)

images - from NASA image gallery

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION:

Our solar system is the Sun and all the planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, comets, dust, and gases that orbit it. Scientists believe that our solar system formed from a cloud of dust and gas that surrounded the Sun five billion years ago.

THE SUN

When you see the Sun shining during the day, you are seeing a star. A star is a huge glowing ball of gases. The Sun is the only star in our solar system. It looks larger than the stars we see at night, because it is closer to us.

THE PLANETS

Our solar system has eight planets. These planets are : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto is no longer called a planet.

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It takes only 88 earth days for Mercury to orbit the Sun. The planet is bare and rocky , with many craters . Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system . The side facing the Sun is very very hot. The side away from the Sun is very very cold.

VENUS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun . It is often called Earth's twin because it is almost the same size as Earth. It is surrounded by thick clouds of poisonous gases. It is hotter on Venus than it is on Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.

EARTH

Earth is 150 million km. away from the Sun . Earth is the third planet from the Sun . It has one moon. It takes 24 hours to spin on its axis. Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 and a quarter days. 70% of the surface of the planet is covered in water.

MARS

Mars is fourth planet from the Sun. It is often called the "Red Planet" because the surface soil and rocks contain rusted iron.

JUPITER

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It is 11 times bigger than Earth. It takes 12 Earth years for Jupiter to orbit the Sun. Jupiter has a very large red spot on its surface that is 3 times bigger than Earth. The spot is a huge wind storm .

SATURN

URANUS

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a large ball of gas, 4 times bigger than Earth . Uranus is tilted so that the poles are not on the top and bottom, like Earth, but on its sides. It has thin rings .

NEPTUNE

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun . It is a bluish color, like Uranus , and about the same size as Uranus.

PLUTO

Pluto is now called a dwarf planet. It is very, very far from the Sun. The surface is covered with ice. Pluto was not discovered until 1930.

OUR MOON

web page by J.Giannetta jgiannet@hotmail.com

images - from NASA image gallery

Our solar system is the Sun and all the planets,
moons, asteroids, meteoroids, comets,
dust, and gases that orbit it.
Scientists believe that our solar system
formed from a cloud of dust and gas
that surrounded the Sun five billion years ago.

When you see the Sun shining during the day,
you are seeing a star.
A star is a huge glowing ball of gases.
The Sun is the only star in our solar system.
It looks larger than the stars we see at night,
because it is closer to us.

Our solar system has eight planets.
These planets are : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Pluto is no longer called a planet.

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.
It takes only 88 earth days for Mercury to orbit the Sun.
The planet is bare and rocky , with many craters .
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system .
The side facing the Sun is very very hot.
The side away from the Sun is very very cold.

Venus is the second planet from the Sun .
It is often called Earth's twin because
it is almost the same size as Earth.
It is surrounded by thick clouds of poisonous gases.
It is hotter on Venus than it is on Mercury
even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.

Earth is 150 million km. away from the Sun .
Earth is the third planet from the Sun .
It has one moon. It takes 24 hours to spin on its axis.
Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 and a quarter days.
70% of the surface of the planet is covered in water.

Mars is fourth planet from the Sun.
It is often called the "Red Planet" because
the surface soil and rocks contain rusted iron.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
It is 11 times bigger than Earth.
It takes 12 Earth years for Jupiter to orbit the Sun.
Jupiter has a very large red spot on its surface
that is 3 times bigger than Earth. The spot is a huge wind storm .

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun.
It is a large ball of gas, 4 times bigger than Earth .
Uranus is tilted so that the poles are not on the top
and bottom, like Earth, but on its sides.
It has thin rings .

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun .
It is a bluish color, like Uranus ,
and about the same size as Uranus.

Pluto is now called a dwarf planet.
It is very, very far from the Sun.
The surface is covered with ice.
Pluto was not discovered until 1930.

web page by J.Giannetta
jgiannet@hotmail.com