Space

By Brooke Foskey

Contents:

• Introduction• Our solar system

INTRODUCTION:

Space is a very mysterious place – there are lots of strange things happening there. Some of the things that happen there include birth and explosions/deaths of stars. Much of it is also very unknown to us, since it is so big, no one has or could explore it all.

Our solar system

Mercury• Mercury is the planet that is closest

to the Sun in our solar system. In fact, Mercury spins so fast that it only takes 88 days to finish its orbit around the Sun!

• Mercury is named after the winged messenger of the Gods in Roman Mythology. This planet was probably given its name because it’s fast, like the winged messenger of the Gods.

Venus

• Venus is named after the Goddess of love in Roman Mythology. It is the second-closest planet to the Sun. This planet takes 224.7 days to finish its orbit around the Sun. Usually, because Venus reflects the Sun’s light so well, it shines like a star and could be seen before sunrise and after sunset. Many scientists think that Venus once had life, but for some reason, it died out.

Our planet Earth

• Our planet Earth is the only planet we know that has life on it. Earth was born 4.6 billion years ago as a star. After it cooled down, water and air began to form, and that’s how life began to form.

Mars• Mars is the fourth-closest planet to

the Sun. Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Earth are all planets that have a rocky surface. Mars is named after the God of War in Roman Mythology.

• Mars has a volcano called Olympus Mons, which is the biggest volcano in our solar system. Like Venus, Mars is also thought to have once had life, but for some unknown reason, life died out.

Jupiter Jupiter is the closest planet to the Sun

that is classified as a “Gas Giant”. This means that, unlike Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, it is made entirely out of gas.

Jupiter is named after the King of the Gods in Roman Mythology. It has a violent storm on it called the “Great Red Spot”. Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system, so that may be one of the reasons why it is named after the King of the Gods.

Saturn

• Saturn is the second-largest planet in our solar system. It is named after the Roman God Saturn, and this planet has nine rings.

• Saturn has a moon called Titan that is the second-largest moon in our solar system. Titan is so big that even Mercury appears to be smaller than this moon.

Uranus• Uranus is the third-biggest planet in

our solar system and the planet furthest away that is visible to the naked eye.

• Uranus’ journey around the Sun takes about 84 Earth years, and it is known for spinning right on it’s side, like a bowling ball, instead of spinning on a slight tilt.

Neptune• Neptune is the furthest planet from the Sun in

our solar system that is not considered as a dwarf planet. In Roman Mythology, Neptune is the God of the Sea, and this planet was given its name because of its bluish color.

• Neptune has a violent storm called the Great Dark Spot where recorded wind speeds have been known to reach 2,100 km/h.

Pluto• Pluto is the planet closest to the Sun

that is classified as a “dwarf planet”. Pluto, along with its companion, Charon, take an extremely slow period of time-248 years-to complete their orbit around the Sun.

Eris• Eris is the planet furthest away from

the Sun. Because this planet is so far away and so faint it was only discovered in the year 2006, so much about this dwarf planet is unknown to us.

Resources:• Info on planets was found on :• www.wikipedia.com Videos:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1AXbpYndGc