Solar System & The Sun

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

• system-a group of parts or objects that work together

• solar system- the Sun and everything that revolves around it  

• revolve-travel around an object

• orbit-the curved path a space object travels on as it revolves around the Sun (also called orbital path)

• star-a huge ball of hot gas that produces (makes) heat and light

• planet-a large round body (sphere) that revolves around the Sun with its own orbital path

• dwarf planet- a smaller round body (sphere) that doesn't have enough gravity to keep it from crossing over a planet's orbital path as they revolve around the Sun

• moon- a space object that revolves around a planet as they both revolve around the Sun

• gravity- a force that pulls objects towards each other

• telescope-a tool that let's us see things that are far away 

• model-something that represents a real object or system that helps people visualize something that is too large to study (example:  model of the solar system)

ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS:

• Our Solar System includes the Sun and all of the space objects that revolve around it.  

• A star is a huge ball of gas that produces heat and light in its core.  The Sun is a yellow dwarf star located in the center of our solar system.  Its gravity holds our solar system together and keeps the planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets revolving around it.

• Other space objects in our solar system do not  make and give off their own light.  We only see them because they reflect the Sun's light.  

• The Sun is the only star in our solar system.  The rest of the stars are much further away. 

• The Sun is a medium sized star of medium brightness.  It only appears bigger and brighter than the other stars because it is closer to us.  

• Bigger and brighter stars look like tiny dots to Earth because they are so far away!  Smaller and less bright stars are almost invisible!    

• Although the Sun is only a medium sized star, its energy makes it possible for life to exist on Earth. Plants need sunlight to grow and make their own food.   Animals, including humans, need plants for food and the oxygen they produce.   Without heat from the sun, Earth would freeze.

• The Sun is the largest thing in our Solar System.    More than a million Earth's could fit inside.

• The Sun engages in nuclear fusion in its core, converting hydrogen to helium at temperatures of millions of degrees.  The heat and light made in the core takes one million years to reach the Sun's surface.  Then, the heat and light travels ninety-three million miles to Earth in just eight minutes.

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