INTERESTING FACTS

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INTERESTING FACTS

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Our solar system has eight planets and one star: the Sun.

The planets are (in order, from the Sun, outward):

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

The Solar System

This mnemonic helps us remember the planets in order:My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos

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Pluto is no longer a planet, according to astronomers.

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In 1993, astronomers discovered thousands of objects similar to Pluto in size and composition, in the region of Pluto’s orbit.

Pluto does not fit with either the rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) or the gas giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune).

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The solar system is about 4.5 billion years old.

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Mercury Venus

Earth Mars

Planets come in different sizes and colours.

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Mercury Venus

Earth Mars

The four planets closer to the Sun are called rocky or terrestrial planets. They are small in size and

similar to Earth in composition.

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Mercury Venus

Earth Mars

The rocky planets have no rings, and only two of them (Earth and Mars) have moons.

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SaturnJupiter

Uranus Neptune

The four outer planets, called gas giants, are much larger than the rocky planets.

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SaturnJupiter

Uranus Neptune

The gas giants all have rings and many moons.

They are made up mostly of hydrogen, helium, frozen water, ammonia, methane, and carbon

monoxide.

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Some planets can be seen with the naked eye, which is how they were discovered by the ancient civilizations. They are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

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The other two planets —Uranus and Neptune— and Pluto were discovered using a telescope.

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Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings.

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Earth is not the largest object in the solar system.

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Stars and galaxies are part of the universe, not only part of the solar system.

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The sun is a star.

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Quiz on the Solar System

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The sun is…

• a comet• an asteroid• a star

Choose the correct answer

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The sun is a star

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How old is our solar system?

•It’s about 3.5 billion years old•It’s about 4.5 billion years old•It’s about 8.5 billion years old

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How old is our solar system?

• It’s about 4.5 billion years old

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Which planets are called “ rocky”?

• Mercury, Earth, Mars and Jupiter.• Mercury, Venus, and Earth.• Mercury,Venus, Earth and Mars.

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Rocky planets

Mercury Venus

Earth Mars

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Which planets have rings and moons?

• Rocky planets

• Gas planets

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Which planets have rings and moons?

• Gas planets

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Which planets can be seen with the naked eye?

• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Uranus.

• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune.

• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

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Which planets can be seen with the naked eye?

• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

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Which is the correct answer?

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings• Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings• Earth, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings

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Which is the correct answer?

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings

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Is it true or false?

• Earth is the largest object in the solar system.

• Stars and galaxies are part of the universe not only part of the solar system.

• The sun is a star.

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