The Planets - 04-02-2012
To start off this blog let's look to our home in the universe - The Solar System.
Click on the image for a closer look at the planets in more detail.
What Is The Solar System?
The Solar System is made up of all the planets that orbit our Sun. In addition to planets, the Solar System also consists of moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets, and dust and gas.
Everything in the Solar System orbits or revolves around the Sun. The Sun contains around 98% of all the material in the Solar System. The larger an object is, the more gravity it has. Because the Sun is so large, its powerful gravity attracts all the other objects in the Solar System towards it. At the same time, these objects, which are moving very rapidly, try to fly away from the Sun, outward into the emptiness of outer space. The result of the planets trying to fly away, at the same time that the Sun is trying to pull them inward is that they become trapped half-way in between. Balanced between flying towards the Sun, and escaping into space, they spend eternity orbiting around their parent star.
To take a look at an interactive solar system follow this link: http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
SCOUTS: investigate one of the following and write a couple of facts about it in your astronomer hand book:
- the sun
- one of the eight major planets
- one of the drawf planets (like Pluto or Ceres)
- the asteroid belt
- comets
- the Kuiper belt
- the Oort cloud
If you have questions or comments add them below.
Author: Steven HunterComments
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Well, at least two commenters here have volreooked Systemesolaire2.jpg up there. Yes, right there. Three pics up from this comment secion. Its thumbnail may look itty-bitty, but click on it. It's our solar system, to scale. See? It has an Astronomical Units measuring stick at the bottom. And that pic is gorgeously illustrated; I'd even call it majestic. And it's really friggin' huge.Who was the artist who made Systemesolaire2.jpg, anyway? I'd like to shake his hand. Our solar system never looked this good. :)
Samuel - 11th March 2012 at 8:42pm