All the planets of our Solar System rotate counter-clockwise, from west to east, except for Venus and Uranus. Venus is the hottest of all the planets with surface temperatures reaching up to 460 degrees Celsius. Its size is similar to that of Earth and thus it is often called Earth’s “sister planet.” Venus’s atmosphere is made mostly of carbon dioxide and its clouds trap in heat, much like the greenhouse effect. Temperatures on the planet can range from -183 degrees Celsius to 427 degrees Celsius. The side of Mercury that faces the Sun is extremely hot, while the side facing away is extremely cold. It takes nearly eighty-eight Earth days for Mercury to complete its orbit around the Sun. ![]() It rotates slowly, taking about fifty-eight Earth days to rotate. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. Many have craters, ridges, and volcanoes. The planets of the inner Solar System are considered terrestrial, which means they are rocky. ![]() The inner Solar System contains four planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The Solar System is divided into two main sections. The Sun provides heat and light and enables living things to survive. Even though the Sun is millions of miles away from Earth, it is the closest star to our planet. There are many stars that are significantly larger. Despite its large size, the Sun is actually a medium-sized star. The diameter of the Sun is about 1.4 million kilometers, or roughly 870,000 miles. The center of the Sun is about twenty-seven million degrees Fahrenheit, or about fifteen million degrees Celsius. ![]() A star is a body of hot gases that makes its own light and heat. In our Solar System, the Sun is the star at the center of our Solar System and bodies orbit around it. It is important to note that a solar system is a group of bodies that orbit a star. Celestial bodies include comets and asteroids. Remind children that our Solar System is a group of planets, moons, and other bodies that orbit, or go around, the Sun. We recommend screening the movies on the Moon and Earth and completing the accompanying features and activities before diving into the Solar System topic. Through learning about our Solar System, children can apply and build on concepts they have already learned and develop an understanding of the vast world beyond our planet. Space is a subject that engages children and encourages them to ask questions about the world around them.
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