“The solar system is like one big family of planets, moons, and other objects that all live together in space. The biggest and most important member of the family is the Sun, which is like a giant ball of fire that gives light and warmth to everyone else.”
Times of India
Today, let us discover fascinating solar system facts- all about planets, moons, and mysteries. When we think about the solar system an incredible, stunning image pops up in front of us which is full of planets, stars, and various other celestial bodies. It is filled with fascinating mysteries which are being unravelled by people all over the world and the quest is still on. It consists of eight planets that revolve around the Sun and have their unique features and characteristics. Read on to know some fun facts about the solar system and get ready to be amazed!
Did you know that facts about planets can help your children choose a career path in astronomy in the future?
6 Fun Facts About the Solar System
- The solar system is huge, and the Earth is a very small part of it
- The solar system has eight planets
- Each planet has a different temperature
- The solar system also has many moons
- There are many comets
- You can see some planets from Earth
The fact that we live on this planet makes us feel like it is a big place, but to be honest, it is just a small part of this massive system. Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system while Earth is one of the smaller planets.
There are a total of 8 planets in our solar system that revolve around the Sun. The names of the planets are – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Earlier, Pluto was considered as a planet too but now it is only termed as a ‘dwarf planet’ as it is much smaller than its counterparts and has a completely different orbit.
Our solar system facts help us understand that there might be life outside our planet in the universe.
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While there are 8 planets, each one has unique features and has different temperatures. Venus is the hottest while Uranus is the coldest among the eight. Knowing about the planet’s temperature is an important fact about planets for kids to further understand the solar system.
Now, we all know that our planet has one moon, but did you know that Jupiter has more than 60? Other planets to have several moons are Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The biggest moon in the system is Ganymede and it is a satellite of Jupiter. Further, understanding the moons is one of the important facts of planets for kids.
Comets are small celestial bodies, usually made up of ice, water, dust, and other chemicals. These also revolve around the Sun and sometimes have a tail of gas or dust blown out of them. One of the famous comets is probably Halley’s Comet which can be viewed from the Earth every 76 years.
The brightest of the planets are Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. This makes them visible from the Earth without a telescope. There are many other planets and celestial bodies which can be seen from time to time all around the year. These are the six interesting facts about the planet for kids.
Our solar system facts help children learn about the influence of planetary movements on the climate changes on earth.
8 Solar System Fun Facts for Kids
Here are some of the important facts about the solar system that one must know.
- The Sun is at the centre of the system and every celestial body revolves around it.
- There are many galaxies, one of them is the Milky Way galaxy – of which our solar system is a part.
- There are at least 500 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
- The last planet to be discovered in the solar system was Neptune.
- All the planets in our solar system are shaped like spheres or balls. Even the Sun is shaped like a huge ball that is made of hot gas producing heat and light.
- Ganymede, the moon of Jupiter, is bigger than the planet Mercury!
- When Pluto was considered a planet, it had a moon named Charon.
- There are rocky bodies in our solar system called asteroids. There is an Asteroid Belt located between Mars and Jupiter where most of these celestial bodies are found. Which of these solar system fun facts intrigued you?
Did you know that facts about the planets have the capacity to spark curiosity about learning in your kids?
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Exploring the Cosmos – 8 Fascinating Aspects About the Planets
As mentioned earlier, each planet is unique and has different features. Here are some interesting facts about planets that make them stand out.
- Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and it is said to be shrinking by the day.
- Venus is the brightest natural celestial object, after the moon, that can be seen from the Earth without a telescope.
- Earth is the only planet proven to have life on it that we know of, yet.
- Mars has a very thin atmosphere and is a cold desert.
- The stripes on Jupiter are, in fact, clouds made of ammonia and water that are actually cold.
- Saturn has some spectacular icy rings around it.
- Uranus rotates at an almost 90-degree angle from its orbit.
- Neptune is not visible without a telescope.
Our solar system facts help children learn and be aware of solar and lunar eclipses.
Conclusion
So, these were some of the fun, important, and interesting facts about our solar system. There are so many more that certainly cannot be fitted into one single write-up, but we are sure that this article has surely piqued your and your little one’s interest a little. Our solar system is indeed an awe-inspiring place! There are so many aspects that are still hidden and many that are being explored further to have deeper knowledge. No wonder it still is a mystery and surprises us from time to time. Do you know any other interesting facts you wish to share with us? Please leave your comments below.
We hope you enjoyed reading about our solar system and its fascinating facts about out planets for your kids. Do let us know which fact caught your fancy and which ones you want to know more about. You can turn this little fact file into a fun-filled project by making a model of the Solar System with your kids. Find out more at EuroKids to have more interesting craft ideas to get the creative juices flowing! We are sure that this would turn out to be a great activity for kids and parents, both!
References
https://www.firstcry.com/intelli/articles/planet-names-for-kids/
https://www.lovelytinythings.com/post/importance-of-teaching-about-solar-system-to-a-child
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