The Universe
Bigger than Big
The universe is the very biggest thing you can imagine.It is made up of everything that exists anywhere-solar systems,stars,galaxies
Our Home in the Galaxy
The Milky Way
Look up at the sky on a dark,clear night and you will see what looks like a bright band of light stretching across the sky.People long ago thought the band looked like poured milk spilled among the stars.The called it the Milky Way-and so do we.Today we know that the band of light in the sky comes from the glow of billions of stars.
Up,Up and Away
For Good Measure
The solar system is our home in the Milky Way galaxy.But the solar system is only a small part of this vast neighborhood in space.The milky Way also includes billions of other stars besides our sun.Huge numbers of planets,smaller objects,dust,and gas and gas also belong to our galaxy.
For Good Measure
As you know,the milky way,and all galaxies,are enormous in size.Astronomers tell the milky way is about 100,000 light years from side to side.A light year is the distance that light travels in one year.It equals 5.9 trillion miles(9.5 trillion KM)
The Milky Way Galaxy
Th milky way galaxy,as seen from above looks like a giant pinwheel,with long,curved arms.Our solar system is located in one of the arms.It is about halfway between the center of the galaxy and the outer edge.
Around and Around
The planets revolve around the sun.At the same time,the whole solar system revolves around the center of the galaxy.The solar system speeds along at about 135 miles per second (217 KMPS).It takes 225 million years to make one huge loop around the center of the Milky Way.
The Solar System
The sun is a star at the center of the solar system. Nine big bodies,called planets travel around the sun in a counterclockwise (clock running backward direction).Starting from the sun,the nine planets of the solar system are Mercury,Venus Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune and Pluto. The planets in order have the same first letters as the words of this sentence:My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas.
Hanging Together
Gravity is a powerful natural force in the universe.It attracts,or pulls,all objects to one another.It keeps the various bodies in the solar system from flying off into space.The sun's gravity pulls on the planets and keeps them in their orbits.The planets' gravity pulls on the moons and keeps them moving around their planets. Gravity keeps the entire solar system from spinning out of control.
Huge Size
Everything about the solar system is Enormous.It is about 3.6 billion miles(5.8 billion KM) from the sun to the edge of the solar system.Light,moving at 186,000 miles a second(300,000 KMPH),takes about five hours to reach Pluto,the farthest planet from the sun.
Around and Around we go
Around and Around we go
The planets move in orbits,or paths,around the sun.But the solar system also contains many other smaller objects,called asteroids.Most orbit around the sun between Mars and Jupiter.Also,dozens of moons-some bigger,some smaller than our moon-are in our orbit around other planets.
Our place in Space
Where we live
Your address is the number of your house,the street you live on,your city,state and country.But here is some food for thought:Your country is only one country on planet Earth.Earth is only one planet among nine that travel around the sun in the solar system.The solar system is only one part of a galaxy of stars and planets called the Milky Way.And the Milky Way is only one of billons of galaxies that make up the universe!
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