A tour of The A tour of The Universe Universe
Jan 16, 2015
A tour of The A tour of The UniverseUniverse
PlanetsPlanets A planet is a A planet is a
body which body which orbits (travels orbits (travels around) a stararound) a star
The planet The planet Earth orbits Earth orbits the Sun (our the Sun (our nearest star)nearest star)
MoonsMoons A moon is a body A moon is a body
which orbits a which orbits a planetplanet
Our moon travels Our moon travels around the Eartharound the Earth
Most of the other Most of the other planets have planets have moonsmoons
Solar SystemSolar System
The Solar System is the sun and all the The Solar System is the sun and all the bodies orbiting itbodies orbiting it
It is the eight planets, their moons, the It is the eight planets, their moons, the asteroids and their cometsasteroids and their comets
Who is the furthest of them Who is the furthest of them all?all?
The terrestrial planetsThe terrestrial planets
Mercury Venus
Earth Mars
The gas giantsThe gas giants
Jupiter Saturn
Uranus Neptune
PlutoPluto
Pluto is now classified as a ‘dwarf planet’
It is much smaller than the other planets.
Its orbit is not in the same plane as the other planets – go back and have a look at the solar system image.
The Asteroid BeltThe Asteroid Belt
Located between Located between Mars and JupiterMars and Jupiter
Belt of lumps of Belt of lumps of rocksrocks
Largest rock, Ceres Largest rock, Ceres is 1000km in is 1000km in diameterdiameter
StarsStars Balls of hot gasBalls of hot gas Nuclear reactions Nuclear reactions
occur in starsoccur in stars Produce lots of Produce lots of
energy including energy including lightlight
Our nearest star is Our nearest star is the sunthe sun
Second closest is Second closest is Proxima CentauriProxima Centauri
NebulaeNebulae
Nebulae are Nebulae are large clouds of large clouds of dust and gas dust and gas within our own within our own galaxy made galaxy made visible by their visible by their interaction with interaction with nearby stars or nearby stars or star remnants.star remnants.
GalaxyGalaxy
Huge group of stars held together by Huge group of stars held together by gravitygravity
Earth is part of the Milky Way galaxyEarth is part of the Milky Way galaxy
UniverseUniverse
Contains one hundred thousand Contains one hundred thousand million galaxiesmillion galaxies
Contains everything that existsContains everything that exists