UNIT
9: THE SOLAR SYSTEM
The
Solar System is made up of the Sun and all the stars that orbit
around it. The Earth is also part of the Solar System.
1.1.-
THE SUN
The Sun
is the closest star
to the Earth. It is a huge mass of gasses made up of mainly hydrogen
that is shaped like a sphere. Because its surface is very hot, it
releases a lot of energy
that reaches Earth
in form of light and heat.
When
the Sun is in the sky, it is day. When we cannot see the Sun, it is
night.
1.2.
PLANETS AND SATELLITES
The
planets
of the Solar System do not have their own light. They spin
around their own axes
and orbit around
the Sun.
Almost
all the planets have satellites.
Satellites are celestial
bodies without
their own light that orbit around a planet.
The
eight planets
of the Solar System are classified into two
groups:
- Inner planets: They are the closest to the Sun. They are smaller than the outer planets and have a solid rock surface. Their density is high.
These
planets are Mercury,
Venus, Earth and
Mars.
- Outer planets: They are the farthest from the Sun. They are much larger than the inner planets and they are made up of gasses like hydrogen and helium. They are surrounded by many satellites. Their density is low.
These
planets are Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune.
1.3.-
OTHER CELESTIAL BODIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Our
solar system is also made up of asteroids, meteorites, comets and
dwarf planets (planetas enanos).
- Asteroids: They are fragments of rock or metal that move around the Sun. They are smaller than planets. Most of them are placed between (la mayoria de ellos están situados entre) Mars and Jupiter what is called asteroid belt (cinturón de asteroides).
- Meteorites: When asteroids hit (impactan sobre) a planet or a satellite and they form craters on the surface, they are called meteorites.
Small
meteorites that disintegrate in our atmosphere are called shooting
stars (estrellas
fugaces).
- Comets: They are made of rock and ice.
They
come from two areas: The
Oort Cloud (la Nube de Oort) and The
Kuiper Belt (el
Cinturón de Kuiper).
Solar
energy evaporates the ice which (que) forms the tail (la cola). This
glowy path (estela luminosa) can have millions of kilometers.
- Dwarf planets: They are smaller than planets. They orbit the Sun further away than (más allá de ) Neptune. Pluto is the most well known ( el más conocido).
ACTIVITIES – SOLAR SYSTEM1. Match the two columns.
They are made up of gases.
Inner Planets They are far from the Sun.
They are small (the Earth is one of them).
Outer Planets They are very large.
They are close to the Sun.2. Write the names of the planets.
a) Inner planets: _______________________________________________________________
b) Outer planets: _______________________________________________________________
3. Circle the correct word.
a) The Sun is a star/planet.
b) When the Sun is in the sky, it is day/night.
c) The Sun’s surface is very hot/cold.
d) The Sun is shaped like a square/sphere.4. Fill in the blank with the correct word from the following.
comets - Solar System - satellites - meteorites - asteroidsa) Bodies of ice and rock that orbit the Sun:____________________
b) Celestial bodies without their own light that orbit a planet:_______________
c) A group of astronomical bodies:__________________________________
d) They are big rocks that are smaller than a planet:_________________
e) Asteroids that come into contact with the Earth:____________________5. Write Inner for inner planets or outer for outer planets.
a) __________________ Neptune
b) __________________ Mars
c) __________________ Saturn
d) __________________ Venus
e) __________________ Uranus
f) __________________ Jupiter
g) __________________ Earth
h) __________________ Mercury6. What are the names of the two areas where comets come from?
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