Solar System.

What Is The Solar System? 

The Solar System formed around 4.6 billion years ago.
The Solar System is full of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and many other exciting objects.

The Solar System is made up of all the planets that orbit our Sun. Everything in the Solar System orbits or revolves around the Sun.
It is true that there are only eight planets. However, the Solar System is made up of over 100 worlds that are every bit as fascinating. Some of these minor planets, and moons are actually larger than the planet Mercury! 

There are eight planets in the Solar System. The four inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars while the four outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

The inner planets (also known as terrestrial planets) are smaller and made mostly of rock and metal.
The outer planets (also known as gas giants) are much larger and made mostly of hydrogen, helium and other gases.

THE EARTH’S ROTATION AND ORBIT

The Earth rotates on its axis. The Earth’s axis is tilted.

This rotation is why we have day and night.

It takes twenty-four hours to complete one rotation.

The Sun shines on one half of the Earth, so it’s day on the half of the Earth that faces the Sun and it’s night on the half of the Earth that faces away from the Sun.

When the Earth orbits the Sun, one hemisphere receives more light and heat than the other. This is why there are different climates and seasons on Earth.

THE EARTH’S MOON.

The moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite.

The moon takes about twenty-eight days to orbit the Earth and it rotates on its axis at the same time.

The bright part of the moon is the part that the Sun is shining on.

The moon reflects this light from the Sun and this is what we see from the Earth.

The moon looks as if it’s changing shape and we call these shapes the phases of the moon.

The six main phases of the moon are: