The Solar System

The Milky Way Galaxy Our solar system is part of a family of stars called a “galaxy.” Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. Our sun is only one of about 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy!

The Milky Way is a giant spiral of stars with arms that curve outward The Milky Way is a giant spiral of stars with arms that curve outward. Our solar system lives in one of these arms.

The following picture is what the Milky Way Galaxy looks like…

Interesting Fact The Milky Way is shaped like a pancake. From the side, it looks like a flat tire. You can sometimes see its shape in the night sky.

The Solar System The solar system is made up of the sun and all of the different bodies that travel, or revolve, around it. This includes asteroids, comets, meteors, moons, and planets.

The Sun The sun is a star. It is a hot ball of fiery gas that is very big. The sun is the largest object in our solar system.

The following are pictures of what the sun looks like…

The sun is so large one million Earths could fit inside of it. Interesting Fact The sun is so large one million Earths could fit inside of it.

Asteroids Asteroids are relatively small, rocky and metal objects that orbit the sun. Asteroids are made up of left over materials from the formation of the solar system. Millions of asteroids exist in the solar system.

The following are examples of asteroids…

Most of the asteroids in the solar system are found in the asteroid belt. The asteroid belt is made up of millions of asteroids that continuously revolve around the sun. The asteroid belt is located between the planets Mars and Jupiter.

The asteroid belt is divided into an inner belt and an outer belt The asteroid belt is divided into an inner belt and an outer belt. The inner belt, which is made up of asteroids that are within 250 million miles of the sun, contains asteroids that are made of metals.

The outer belt, which includes asteroids 250 million miles beyond the sun, consists of rocky asteroids. These asteroids appear darker than the asteroids of the inner belt, and are rich in carbon.

The following is a picture of the asteroid belt…

Interesting Fact The asteroid Ida is as long as Manhattan Island and moves within the asteroid belt.

Comets Comets are small, orbiting bodies that are made of dust, ice, and frozen gases.

The following are examples of comets…

As comets move within the solar system, they have flashing tails. Interesting Fact As comets move within the solar system, they have flashing tails.

Meteors Meteors are chunks of matter that enter Earth’s atmosphere and are heated by friction with the air. For a few moments, these chunks burn as they fall, appearing as streaks of light across the dark sky.

The following are examples of meteors…

Interesting Fact Many people think that the dinosaurs died out as a result of an enormous meteor hitting the Earth about 65 million years ago.

Planets A planet is a large body that revolves around the sun. There are eight planets in our solar system. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

The first four planets from the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets are called the inner planets because they are closer to the sun than the other planets are. The inner planets have certain characteristics in common. They are rocky and much smaller than most of the other planets.

Mercury Mercury is the smallest of the inner planets. It is 36 million miles from the sun, making it the closest planet to the sun. It can reach temperatures of over 800° F!

Mercury is a rocky planet that is covered in huge dents, called craters. Craters are made when asteroids crash into a planet or other celestial body.

The following are pictures of the planet Mercury…

The hottest surface temperature on Mercury is 801° F. Interesting Fact The hottest surface temperature on Mercury is 801° F.

Venus Venus is the second planet from the sun and the planet that is nearest to Earth. It is 67 million miles from the sun, yet it is hotter than Mercury is. Venus can reach temperatures of over 900° F.

The following are pictures of the planet Venus…

The planet Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love. Interesting Fact The planet Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love.

Earth The third planet from the sun is Earth. Earth is approximately 93 million miles from the sun. It is the only planet we know of that has life on it.

The following are pictures of what planet Earth looks like from outer space…

Interesting Fact In the center of the Earth is a iron core where temperatures reach up to 10,832 ° F! This is as hot as the surface of the sun.

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is nicknamed “The Red Planet.” It is orangey-red in color because of rusty iron in the huge rocks that cover it.

Mars is 141 million miles from the sun Mars is 141 million miles from the sun. It has canyons, which may have once been rivers. It also has the biggest volcano ever found in space, Olympus Mons. The volcano is the size of Texas!

The following are pictures of what planet Mars looks like…

Interesting Fact You can spot Mars in the night sky because it shines a slightly red color.

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets are called the outer planets because they are farther away from the sun than the inner planets are. The outer planets are larger than the inner planets and made up mostly of gas.

Jupiter Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It is so big that all the other planets could fit inside of it. Jupiter is approximately 483 million miles from the sun and has 63 rocky moons that orbit it.

Jupiter is well known for its Great Red Spot Jupiter is well known for its Great Red Spot. This gigantic storm is visible on the surface of the planet. Jupiter is the first of the gas planets, and has bright yellow and red clouds that swirl around it. Jupiter has no surface at all! If you were to fly to Jupiter, you would have nowhere to land.

The following are pictures of what the planet Jupiter looks like…

Interesting Fact Jupiter was the king of the Roman Gods and is 11 times bigger than Earth.

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is 890 million miles from Earth. It is a huge ball of gas that has no hard surface. Saturn has 62 moons and is famous for the amazing rings that surround it.

The rings of Saturn are made up of billions of pieces of ice The rings of Saturn are made up of billions of pieces of ice. Some are the size of a tiny speck of dust while others are as big as a car!

The following are pictures of what the planet Saturn looks like…

Interesting Fact Saturn’s rings are only about ½ mile thick, but they are approximately 180 miles wide.

Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun. It is 1.784 billion miles from the sun, 19 times farther away from the sun than Earth is. Like Saturn, Uranus has a band of rings around it.

Uranus is known as the “Blue Planet Uranus is known as the “Blue Planet.” It is a giant ball of gas and liquid. One of the gases is methane, which makes the planet look blue. Uranus has a total of 27 different moons.

The following are pictures of what the planet Uranus looks like…

Interesting Fact Scientists think the rings around Uranus could have once been moons that were smashed to pieces by huge falling asteroids.

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet in the solar system. It is 2.792 billion miles from the sun. Neptune is a giant ball of liquid and gas. Neptune has 13 moons.

Neptune also has the most violent weather in the solar system Neptune also has the most violent weather in the solar system. Storms the size of Earth swirl around at huge speeds ten times faster than our worse hurricanes.

The following are pictures of what the planet Neptune looks like…

Interesting Fact Neptune was discovered when a scientist figured out that Uranus was being gravitationally pulled by another object, which turned out to be Neptune.

Kuiper Belt & Pluto Beyond Neptune is an area known as the Kuiper Belt. Millions of icy bits and pieces float together around the sun. The dwarf planet Pluto lies in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is the largest object in the belt, but is smaller than our moon.

The following are pictures of what the dwarf planet Pluto looks like…

Interesting Fact Pluto has a moon called Charon. Pluto and Charon always face each other. It appears as if they are dancing through space together.

Our solar system is a beautiful place Our solar system is a beautiful place. I hope you enjoy looking at the following pictures of it…

The End