CH. 7 L1 AND 2 SUNS AND PLANETS BY: CAMERON & BROOKLYN

WHAT IS THE SUN? The Sun is an average-sized star made mostly of hydrogen and helium. It is the central and largest body in our solar system. The sun is a ball of hot gas that gives off energy.

PARTS OF THE SUN Photosphere: The part of the Sun that gives off light energy. Chromosphere: The layer above the photosphere Corona: The outermost layer. Sunspots: Parts of the Sun that are darker because they are not as hot as the other parts of the sun. Prominence: An eruption on the Sun that looks like a ribbon of glowing gases. Solar flares: similar to volcanoes, give of forms of solar energy, a bright spot on the sun.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM The solar system is made of the Sun, its planets, moons, asteroids and comets Every object in the solar system revolves around the sun in a path called orbit.

PLANETS Planets are large round object s that move around a star, such as the sun. Planets stay in their orbits because of gravity. Instead of orbiting in a straight line, gravity causes them to move in an ellipse around the Sun. Planets are cooler and smaller than stars.

GRAVITY AND THE MOON The Moon is the satellite of Earth. A satellite is an object that orbits another object in space. All of the planets have at least one moon except for Mercury and Venus. Gravity is a force of attraction between objects. The Sun and each of its planets are attracted to each other because of gravity.

ORBITING THE SUN As the moon is orbiting the Earth, both the Moon and Earth are orbiting the Sun. The planet –moon systems stay together as they orbit the sun. Gravity between a planet and its moons keeps the moon in orbit.

FREE FALLING When you free fall, you are falling in space. Along with your spaceship. The spaceship falls all the way around Earth in an orbit. Gravity pulls on the ship and astronauts but they do not feel the effect.