Our Solar System

Our Solar System

The Sun and the planets revolving around it make up our Solar System. A moon is an object that moves around a planet. 

There are eight main planets in our solar system. The first four are rocky planets, and the last are gas or ice giants

Let’s explore and learn more about the Sun, Moon, and the eight planets.

Sun

The Sun is a star that is 4.5 billion years old. 

• Heat and light from the sun make life on Earth possible.
• The center of the sun is the hottest part at 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. 

Fun Fact: Sunlight takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth.

Moon

The moon is a natural object that revolves around the Earth once every 27 days.

• Craters cover the moon’s surface.
• It does not have its own light and only reflects sunlight.

Fun Fact: The moon does not grow or shrink. We just see the part of the moon which is lit by the sun. 

Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet and closest to the sun.

• Mercury has a solid surface covered by craters.
• It takes 88 days to travel around the sun once.

Fun Fact: One day on Mercury is the same as 59 days on Earth. If you lived on Mercury, you would have a birthday once in 3 months!!

Venus

Venus is the second planet from the sun and the hottest. 

• Venus spins in the opposite direction of the Earth.
• It has mountains and volcanoes on its surface.

Fun Fact: Venus takes 243 Earth days to spin around once, so it has only two sunrises in a year and not daily like we have on Earth!!

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the sun. It is unique as water covers 70% of its surface. It is also called the “Blue Planet”.

• Earth takes a day (24 hours) to spin around and 365 days (one year) to revolve around the Sun.
• It is the only planet known to support life.

Fun Fact: The Earth is so much smaller than the Sun that we could fit a million Earths within our Sun.

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. It is also called the “Red Planet”.

• Mars is about half the size of Earth.
• It has two moons called Phobos and Deimos.

Fun Fact: Mars is home to the highest mountain in our solar system, Olympus Mons. It is almost three times taller than Mount Everest on Earth.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and is a gas giant. 

• Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. 
• It is made up of hydrogen and helium gases.

Fun Fact: The “Great Red Spot” is a giant storm on Jupiter that is larger than Earth and has continued for over a hundred years.

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is a gas giant. 

• Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system. 
• It has seven main rings around it made of ice and rock.

Fun Fact: Saturn is the windiest planet in the Solar System. Winds on Saturn can be four times faster than winds on Earth.

Uranus

Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and is an ice giant. 

• Uranus is the coldest planet in the Solar System.
• It appears blue due to the presence of Methane gas. 

Fun Fact: Uranus is the only planet that spins on its side.

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun and is an ice giant. 

• Neptune takes 165 years to go around the sun once. 
• It has 14 moons and five rings around it.

Fun Fact: Neptune is the only planet that cannot be seen without a telescope.