Day 2

The Solar System

 Day 2
The Solar System
2
Introduction
The solar system is our Sun and everything that travels around it. There are planets, moons,
comets, asteroids, and even dust and gas. All these objects travelling around the Sun are held
in the Sun’s gravity, making the Sun the center of the solar system. Even though the distances
between the Sun and the planets are enormous, gravity is great enough to hold the planets in
orbit around the Sun.

Questions to guide explorations and experiments

• What is the solar system?
• What is a planet? What planets are in the solar system?
• Why do the Earth and other planets revolve around (orbit) the Sun?
• What else revolves around the Sun?
• How big is the solar system? How big are all the planets?

Books and activities

• Books: fiction, nonfiction and poetry all about our solar system
• Activities: explore the size of the planets in our solar system and how far they are from
the Sun

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Children's Books 2
Fiction
• The Lizard and the Sun / La Lagartija y el Sol by Alma Flor Ada (Ages 4-8)
• Pluto Is Peeved: An Ex-Planet Searches for Answers by Jacqueline Jules (Ages 6-9)
• Miss Tracy Is Spacey! by Dan Gutman (Ages 6-9)
• Stink: Solar System Superhero by Megan McDonald (Ages 4-8)
• Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg (Ages 4-8)

Poetry
• Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian (Ages 6-9)
• The Day the Universe Exploded My Head by Allan Wolf (Ages 9-12)

Biography
• Caroline’s Comets: A True Story by Emily Arnold McCully (Ages 6-9)
• Nicolaus Copernicus: The Earth Is a Planet by Dennis Fradin (Ages 9-12)
• Galileo's Universe by J. Patrick Lewis (Ages 9-12)
• I, Galileo by Bonnie Christensen (Ages 6-9)
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky (Ages 9-12)
• The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto by Elizabeth Rusch (Ages 4-8)
• Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis (Ages 6-9)

Nonfiction
• Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids: Voyagers of the Solar System by Ellen Lawrence (Ages 6-9)
• Exploring Our Solar System by Sally Ride and Tam O'Shaughnessy (Ages 9-12)
• Gravity by Jason Chin (Ages 6-9)
• Little Kids' First Big Book of Space by National Geographic Kids (Ages 4-8)
• The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole (Ages 6-9)
• Magic School Bus Presents: Our Solar System by Tom Jackson (Ages 6-9)

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Children's Books 2
Nonfiction
• Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeney (Ages 4-8)
• Our Solar System by Seymour Simon (Ages 6-9)
• The Planets by Gail Gibbons (Ages 6-9)
• The Planets in Our Solar System by Franklyn Branley (Ages 4-8)
• Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System by Dr. Dominic Walliman (Ages 6-9)
• Science Comics: Solar System: Our Place in Space by Rosemary Mosco (Ages 9-12)
• The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk (Ages 4-8)
• The Sun: Our Nearest Star by Franklyn Branley (Ages 4-8)
• What Makes Day and Night? by Franklyn Branley (Ages 4-8)

Online fact sheets

Small Worlds, Big Discoveries! by NASA
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/posters/small-bodies/small-bodies-factsheet.pdf

Asteroids: Space Rocks with a Story by NASA (also available in Spanish)

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/posters/stardust/asteroids_fun_sheet.pdf
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/posters/stardust/asteroids_fun_sheet_spanish.pdf

26
Asteroid
Day 2: The Solar System

Space Words
Planet
2
A rocky space object that can be a few feet wide A celestial body that (1) is in orbit around the Sun,
to several hundred miles wide. Most asteroids in (2) has sufficient mass to have a nearly round
our solar system orbit in a belt between Mars and shape, and (3) it is the dominant body in
Jupiter. its orbit.

Axis Revolve
An imaginary line that goes To move in an orbit or circle around a fixed point.
through a planet’s center from The Earth revolves around the Sun.
top to bottom. A planet spins
(rotates) around its own axis. Rotate
To turn around a center point—or axis, like a wheel
Comet turns on a bicycle. The Earth rotates from day to night.
A frozen mass of gas and dust that orbits the Sun
and may form a long, bright tail when it is flying Satellite
close to the Sun. An object that orbits another object. A moon is a
natural satellite.
Dwarf planet
A non-satellite body that is in orbit around the Sun, Scale
has sufficient mass to have a nearly round shape, Scale is the implied relationship (or ratio) between
but is not the dominant body in its orbit. a model and the actual object. A scale model is a
representation of an object that is larger or smaller
Elliptical orbit than the actual size of the object being represented.
The oval (not round) pattern that describes how the
planets in our solar system move around the Sun.

Gravity
A force that pulls matter together; a force that pulls
people and objects toward the ground.

Moon
A natural satellite that orbits a larger object. Earth
has one Moon, the one we see in the night sky.

Orbit Solar system

The curved path followed by an object in space The Sun and all of the planets, comets, asteroids, and
as it goes around another object; to travel around other space bodies that revolve around it.
another object in a single path.
Star
A giant ball of hot gas that emits light and energy
created through nuclear fusion at its core.

Sun
The star in the center of our solar system. Like all stars,
the Sun is composed of a great burning ball of gases.
It is made of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium.

27
 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 1: Solar System Model

(Distance)
2
Introduction
Our solar system is the Sun and everything that travels around it. Traveling around the Sun
are eight official planets, at least five dwarf planets, nearly 200 moons (or natural satellites
of the planets), and a large number of comets and asteroids.

Supplies
• Tape measure
• Rolls of toilet paper
• Index cards or paper
• Markers
• Tape
• Solar System Statistics cards
(See printable cards after page 45. The cards are set up to print double-sided.)

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 1: Solar System Model

(Distance)
2
Get kids thinking
Our solar system is BIG! The sizes of the planets vary greatly as do the distances between
planets and their distance from the Sun. Start by asking about distances kids have traveled.

• How many miles is it from home to school? How much time does the trip take?
• How long would it take and how many miles would you have to travel from where you live
to get to London, England, or to La Paz, Bolivia? What about to Mars?

Let's get started!

Mars is relatively close to Earth, while the Sun and other planets even farther away. Talk about
scale and how good a way to show the vast distances among the planets is to make a scale
model that is smaller than the actual size of the solar system.

Talk about the planets with the kids.

Step 1: Identify the planets

Ask kids: Can they can name all the planets in the solar system?

• As you name them together, have kids write each planet name down on its own index card
or small piece of paper along with the average distance (in miles) of each planet from the
Sun. These are big numbers, so share the distance chart on page 31 to help.

• Instead of writing, kids can cut out and use the Solar System Statistics cards. (See printable
cards after page 45. The cards are set up to print double-sided.)

• Once you have cards for each planet, have kids put them in order from nearest the Sun to
farthest.

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 1: Solar System Model

(Distance)
2
Step 2: Decide on the scale for your model
Toilet paper sheets are going to represent the distances of planets from the Sun in this model.
What’s fun about making this model is deciding the scale. If you have a lot of space , consider
a scale of 10,000,000 (10 million) miles equals 1 square of toilet paper. That will put Neptune
about 1,100 sheets or 94 feet away from your “Sun.” (See the Expanded Distance Table on the
fiollowing page if you plan to use this scale.)

• As you think about your scale, ask kids to estimate space available for the model.

• Have them measure a square of toilet paper and predict if their model will fit into the
available space.

• Provide kids with a copy of the Expanded Distance Table. The table is for this scale:
10,000,000 miles = 1 square of toilet paper (95 feet of floor or outdoor space needed)

Alternative scale options

If you do not have access to 95 feet of room, you can calculate the numbers for a scale that
requires only about 20 feet of space. This is a good math challenge for kids who like to do
calculations! 50,000,000 miles = 1 square of toilet paper (19 feet of floor or outdoor space
needed)

For younger kids, you can use this simplified chart below:

Planet Squares Average distance from Sun

Mercury 2.0 36 million miles
Venus 3.7 67 million miles
Earth 5.1 93 million miles
Mars 7.7 142 million miles
Jupiter 26.4 484 million miles
Saturn 48.4 888 million miles
Uranus 97.3 1.8 billion miles
Neptune 152.5 2.8 billion miles

30
 Expanded Distance Table 10,000,000 miles = 1 square of toilet paper (95 feet of floor or outdoor space needed)

True Average Rounded Average Distance to Distance to Sun Distance to Sun Distance Between
PLANET Distance to the Distance to Sun Sun in Sheets* in Inches in Feet Each Planet in
Sun in Miles in Miles (10,000,000 miles/ Sheets
sheet)
* 4-inch toilet paper
squares

MERCURY 35,983,610 36,000,000 3.6 14.4 1.2

VENUS 67,232,360 67,000,000 6.7 26.8 2.3

31
EARTH 92,957,100 93,000,000 9.3 37.2 3.1

MARS 141,635,300 142,000,000 14.2 56.8 4.7

JUPITER 483,632,000 484,000,000 48.4 193.6 16.2

SATURN 888,188,000 888,200,000 88.8 352.2 29.6

URANUS 1,783,950,000 1,800,000,000 180 720 60

NEPTUNE 2,798,842,000 2,800,000,000 280 1,120 93.3

 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 1: Solar System Model

(Distance)
2
Step 3: Make your model
• Make an index card for the Sun (or a construction paper Sun) and secure it on the ground
(with tape if you are inside, set a rock on top of it if you are outside).

• Attach the toilet paper to the index card with tape.

• Lay the toilet paper down, slowly walk and unroll the toilet paper. (If you are outside and it is
even a little windy, get some rocks to hold the toilet paper in place.)

• As you unroll, count the number of squares.

• When you reach Mercury (3.6 sheets on a 10,000,000 mile

scale), use a marker to make a dot on the toilet paper and
secure the Mercury card next to that square.

• If you want to be precise about where to put the dot,

turn a square of toilet paper into a tool that can help.
(See photo on the right)

• Continue unrolling the toilet paper and placing the planet

cards until you get all the way to Neptune! Far out, right?

For an added challenge

Ask kids if they have a plan for keeping track of their mileage.

For example, Venus is 6.7 sheets from the Sun, but only 3.1 sheets from Mercury. Will they count
sheets from the Sun for each planet? See if they can calculate the number of sheets between
each planet and add that information to their distance chart. Or, find out if they have another
idea to keep their model accurate.

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 1: Solar System Model

(Distance)
2
Step 4: Talk about your model
Now that kids have an idea of the relative distance between planets, what do they think?
Ask kids:
• Why is it important to know these distances?
• Who is it important to?
• How do the distances between planets get measured?
• What units are the best units for measuring these distances?

As you discuss, be sure to explain to kids that the distances they used to create their model
represent the planets average distances from the Sun.

• Planetary orbits are elliptical and not circular, so the distances change depending on the
planet’s orbit.
• Also, be sure to point out that orbiting planets are never all in a straight line going out from
the Sun as they are represented in this toilet paper model.
• And worth sharing: astronomers measure distances in the solar system in “astronomical
units” or AU. 1 AU = 93 million miles, the distance from the Sun to the Earth.
• Talk about what a solar system model that demonstrates the relative average distances
between the planets and the Sun and the relative sizes of the planets would look like.

Save your Solar System Statistics cards for future activities.

More model solar system activities

Scale Model of our Solar System (University of Manitoba)
https://umanitoba.ca/observatory/outreach/solarsystem/

The Thousand-Yard Model or, the Earth as a Peppercorn (National Optical Astronomy Observatory)
https://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html

Solar System Bead Activity (NASA)

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/solar-system-bead-activity/

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
Introduction
The sizes of the planets relative to each other and the distances between them are very large.
This makes a true scale model of the solar system really difficult to make. Either the planets
are correct in size but too close together, or the distances between them are correct but the
planets are too small to see. Kids can get a sense of the relative sizes of the planets when they
create models of the objects in our solar system.

Supplies
• Collection of different sized balls: ping pong, golf, tennis, basketball, soccer, a really
big exercise ball
• Different-sized marbles
• Different-sized ball bearings
• Other round objects of different sizes, including beads, pebbles, pinheads, etc.
• Buttons, coins, bottle caps, frisbee
• A few grains of sand, poppy seeds, salt

"Sizing up the Solar System" chart (for each child)

• Ruler
• Yellow craft paper (optional)
• Paper
• Drawing compass
• Markers
• Scissors
• Tape

Access to a basketball court makes this activity easier.

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
Get kids thinking
Watch: Watch This Guy Build a Massive Solar System in the Desert
https://youtu.be/Kj4524AAZdE

Let's get started!

Step 1: Choose objects for your model
Spread out all the round objects you have and get kids exploring and talking about the
objects. Ask kids:

From what you’ve read and learned about the planets, what objects best represent the planets’
size in relationship to each other?

• Which planet is the largest and smallest?

• What object here is the largest? Smallest?
• Most nearly the size of Earth?
• What’s the biggest thing in the solar system?
• How big is an asteroid compared to a planet?

After getting close up with the objects, have kids record their ideas about relative size in the
Sizing Up the Solar System chart (see page 40).

Using the ideas they’ve recorded,

• Have kids lay out the objects they chose to represent bodies in the solar system and explain
their choices.
• Have them look at their Solar System Statistics cards and put the planets in order from
smallest to largest.

Ask kids: How well does what you know about actual planet size match up with the relative
sizes of the objects you chose to represent the planets?

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
Step 2: Think about diameter
Now that kids are thinking about actual size and scale size proportions, together as a group
make a solar system model using scaled diameters. The table below includes the Sun, planets,
and other bodies shown to scale in size proportions. On this scale:

• The Sun will be about 12 feet in diameter — the size of the center circle on a basketball court!
• Mars will be the size of a penny
• The Vesta asteroid is a grain of sand.

Have kids look over the scaled diameters and think about the round objects they examined
earlier. Ask kids: Which objects are a good fit for this model? How can you tell?

True Diameter Aproximate Scaled Diameter

in Miles Diameter in Inches

Sun 864,938 144

Mercury 3,032 0.5
Venus 7,521 1.25
Earth 7,926 1.3
Earth's moon 2,159 36
Vesta asteroid 329 .05
Mars 4,222 7
Jupiter 88,846 14.8
Saturn 74,898 12
Uranus 31,763 4.8
Neptune 30,778 4.7
Pluto 1,473 0.23

36
 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
Head to the nearest basketball court to build your model.

• Use yellow craft paper to cover the center court circle to represent the Sun. Have kids write
facts about the Sun and questions they still have right on the Sun’s surface.
• Kids should select objects they think could represent the other bodies in the solar system
model.
• Have them measure the objects to see if they match the scaled diameters. If they can’t find
an appropriately sized object, have them use a compass to draw one.
• Secure small objects on paper so they can be labeled and seen!
• Kids should write facts and questions they still have for each body.
• Add the objects to the model by placing them in order next to the Sun.

Step 3: Use your model to think about the solar system

When all the pieces of the solar system are in place, ask kids:

• What are some of the main differences of the objects in the solar system?
• What is similar about all the planets?

As you discuss, you’ll want talk about the differences in size and composition:

• Five planets are solid

• Four planets — Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune — are made of gas
• The atmospheres and temperatures of every planet are different
• All planets are spherical, rotate on their axes, and revolve around the Sun in the same
direction (counterclockwise)
• In addition to revolving around the Sun, each planet also spins, or rotates, on its own axis.

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
Step 4: Make your model MOVE!
Orbiting the Sun
Time to get your model moving! Have kids get their Solar System Statistics cards and look at
the rotational periods and orbital periods for the planets. Start with Earth. Ask kids:

• What looks familiar about those numbers?

• How do we refer to those periods of time?
• Have them compare Earth’s day and year with the rotational periods and orbital periods of
other planets.
• And what’s Earth’s moon doing?

Demonstrate the differences in orbital periods with Earth and Mars. Mars takes almost twice as
long to orbit the Sun as the Earth.

• Have two kids represent Earth and Mars and make their year-long trip around the Sun.
• Mars should move much more slowly than Earth.
• “Mars” and “Earth” can also rotate as they orbit.

Have other kids choose a planet, pick up the object representing it and walk its orbit around
your model Sun. When kids start the orbits of other planets, have them adjust their pace for the
planet’s orbital period.

Step 5: Talk about exploring the our solar system

Now that they understand what’s out in the solar system, get kids thinking about exploring
it! Discuss what kids know about space exploration, find out what they want to learn, and get
ready to launch into more books and activities.

Save your Solar System Statistics cards and models for future reference and activities.

38
 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 2: Sizes in the

Solar System
2
More model solar system activities
Solar System in My Neighborhood (Lunar and Planetary Institute)
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/solar_system/activities/familyOfPlanets/solarSys-
tem/

Where Are We in the Solar System? (NASA)

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/jewel-of-the-solar-system-part-2-where-are-we-
in-the-solar-system

Scale Model of the Sun and Earth (NASA)

https://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2007/materials/solar_pizza.pdf

If the Moon Were Only One Pixel: A tediously accurate map of the solar system
https://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html

39
 Sizing Up the Solar System

Space Object Why You Chose It

2
Sun

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Earth's moon

Vesta asteroid

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 3: Comet on a Stick 2

Introduction
Comets are large balls of ice, frozen gas, and dust, sort of like outer space snowballs! They
travel in long, elliptical orbits around the Sun — it can take hundreds of years to complete
one orbit. When a comet gets close to the Sun, the ice turns to gas and together with the dust
it streams out to create two long tails. If the comet passes closes to Earth, we can see the tails
as bright streaks in the night sky. Comet dust tails can be 6 million miles long and can some-
times stretch almost 100 million miles!

Supplies
• Chopsticks, popsicle sticks, wooden skewers, or glow sticks (one per child)

• Aluminum foil (12-inch wide)

• Metallic ribbon, mylar strips, or regular ribbon — 3-6 ft per child
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Hairdryer (optional)

Get kids thinking

Watch: Comets and Astriods (SciShow Kids): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02wrLS-ue1Q
Comets have four parts: (1) the solid nucleus made of rock, dust, gas, and ice; (2) the coma, a
fuzzy cover of ice and dust; (3) a gas tail; and (4) a dust tail.
Ask kids: Have you ever seen a comet in the night sky? What did it look like?

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Activity 3: Comet on a Stick 2

Let's get started!
In this challenge, kids will make a simple model of a comet and then observe what happens
when their comet gets close to the Sun.

Making the comets

• Preparation: Cut five pieces of ribbon: two long pieces, two medium pieces, and one short
piece for each child. If you want an extra long tail, make the long pieces about three feet in
length. For each child, cut three pieces of aluminum foil so they’re roughly 6” x 6”.
• Show kids how to tie the ribbons around the end of the chopstick, popsicle stick, skewer, or
glow stick. To make the ribbon to be as long as possible, tie the knot close to the edge of
the ribbon. The ribbons are your comet tails.
• Tell kids to hold the ribbon pieces off to one side and gather the tin foil around the end of
the stick with the knot of ribbons. The aluminum foil creates the nucleus and coma.
• Have kids repeat with two more sheets of foil. Gather it around and form it into a ball. If you
want a bigger comet, add more aluminum foil!
Now your comet is ready to fly! Tell kids to hold the stick of their comets and run around the
room with enough speed so that the ribbon "tails" are flying behind them.

Demonstrating the solar wind

The solar wind is a stream of electrically charged particles that are constantly shooting out of
the Sun. Astronauts and spaceships need to steer clear!

The solar wind causes the coma to flow back behind the nucleus, forming the two tails of the
comet. Because it is blown by the solar wind, the comet's tail always points directly away from
the Sun.

Use a hairdryer to demonstrate the solar wind — the Sun's energy as it meets the comet. Have
one child be the Sun and stand in place with the hairdryer turned onto high speed. Have the
kids approach the hairdryer, one at a time. Ask kids: what happens to your comet as you get
closer to the Sun?
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 Day 2: The Solar System

Writing About the Solar System 2

Writing helps kids process and solidify new knowledge and gives them an opportunity to use
new vocabulary and concepts. Offer one or more of these prompts or questions to get your
Space Rangers writing. Look at your list of solar system words for inspiration.

Inspired by music
In the early 20th century, composer Gustav Holst wrote a seven-part suite for an orchestra
called The Planets. Each part was inspired by and named after one of the seven planets in our
solar system and their astrological character:
• Mars, the Bringer of War
• Venus, the Bringer of Peace
• Mercury, the Winged Messenger
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
• Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
• Uranus, the Magician
• Neptune, The Mystic

Listen!
Holst's The Planets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isic2Z2e2xs&t=2399s
'The Planets' at 100: A Listener's Guide to Holst's Solar System (NPR):
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2018/09/28/652700640/the-planets-at-100-
a-listener-s-guide-to-holst-s-solar-system
Gustav Holst's 'The Planets': a guide (Classic FM): https://www.classicfm.com/composers/holst/
pictures/holsts-planets-guide/

Get kids thinking

Talk about a planet and what we know about it. Ask the kids to listen to a portion of the piece
about that planet and imagine that they ARE the planet. Does the music suit them? How do
they feel when they hear the music? What is the planet thinking or what is happening on or to
the planet as the music is playing?

43
 Day 2: The Solar System

Writing About the Solar System 2

Writing prompts
Write about a planet — from the planet’s point of view! Give a first-person account of a planet,
providing details about your place in the solar system. What do you want everyone to know
about you?

Imagine that you are a reporter assigned to get the inside story about how Pluto feels about its
status change to dwarf planet.

Play with words

Write a list poem about the solar system. Create a thoughtful list that focuses on the relation-
ship between the Sun and all the other objects in the solar system. Create additional Planetary
Poetry using other poetic forms:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/planetary-poetry/

Travel the solar system

You’ve just opened a new travel business to take passengers on tours of the solar system.
Create a detailed itinerary (what’s going to happen on the trip) that gives passengers
information about the planets they will be visiting, how long it will take them to get there,
and what they should pack!

Planet puppet show

Share your knowledge of the solar system with others! Write an original script or adapt one of
the books you read about the solar system and use the planet models you created to put on
an out-of-this world performance filled with fun facts about the planets and their place in our
solar system.

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 Day 2: The Solar System

Kid-friendly Websites and Apps 2

Websites
A Tour of the Solar System (Sea and Sky)
http://www.seasky.org/solar-system/solar-system.html

Planet Compare
https://callumprentice.github.io/apps/planet_compare/

Video: Solar System Playlist (National Geographic Kids)

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/youtube-playlist-pages/youtube-playlist-so-
lar-system/

Space Place (NASA)

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/

Interactive: The Story of the Solar System (American Museum of Natural History)
https://www.amnh.org/explore/videos/space/impact%21-tracking-near-earth-asteroids/inter-
active-the-story-of-the-solar-system

Tour the Solar System (PBS Learning Media)

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/buac18-68-sci-ess-toursolarsystem/tour-the-so-
lar-system/

Solar System (BrainPOP)

https://www.brainpop.com/science/space/solarsystem/

Educational apps
NASA (Apple)
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/nasa

Solar System Explorer (Android)

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/solar-system-explorer

Britannica Kids: Solar System (Apple) $

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/britannica-kids-solar-system

Solar System (Apple) $

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/solar-system-for-ipad

45
 Sun Mercury Venus
The sun is a massive ball of gas and the Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and The second planet from the sun, cloud-
largest body in the solar system. the smallest in the solar system. covered Venus rotates from east to west.
Diameter 3,031 miles Diameter 7,518 miles
Diameter 863,400 miles (4,880 km) (12,103 km)
(1,390,000 km)
Natural Satellites 0 Natural Satellites 0
Surface 10,800° F (6,000° C)
Temperature Distance from the 35,974,272 miles Distance from the 67,214,920 miles
Sun (57,910,000 km) Sun (108,200,000 km)
Interior 27,000,000° F
Temperature (15,000,000° C) Rotational Period 58.65 days Rotational Period 243.0 days
Rotational Period 25–36 days Orbital Period 87.97 days Orbital Period 224.7 days
Estimated Age 4.5 billion years Surface 354° F (179° C) Surface 899° F (482° C)
Temperature Temperature
Primary Chemical Hydrogen
Component Main Atmospheric Helium Main Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Component Component

Earth Mars Asteroids and Comets

The only planet with liquid water on its The fourth planet from the sun is a barren, Asteroids are big space rocks left over from
surface, it is the only planet to support life. rocky, rusty red world. when the solar system formed about 4.6
Diameter 7,924 miles Diameter 4,220 miles billion years ago. Most asteroids orbit the
(12,756 km) (6,794 km) sun within the main asteroid belt between
Natural Satellites 1 Natural Satellites 2
Mars and Jupiter.

Distance from the 92,933,000 miles Distance from the 141,050,000 miles Number of known asteroids: 794,770
Sun (149,600,000 km) Sun (227,940,000 km)
Comets are the oldest, most primitive
Rotational Period 23 hours, 56 mins Rotational Period 24.62 hours bodies in the Solar System. They are huge
Orbital Period 365.2 days Orbital Period 687 days snowballs of frozen gases, rock, and dust
Surface 354° F (179° C) Surface -81° F (-63° C)
that orbit the sun. When close to the sun, a
Temperature Temperature comet heats up, and its dust and gases form
a tail that stretches for millions of miles.
Main Atmospheric Nitrogen Main Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Component Component Number of known comets: 3,570
 Jupiter Saturn Uranus
Almost twice the size of all of the other Saturn, a gas giant with three main bands of The only planet that rotates on its side,
planets combined and has a giant red spot. rings, is called the jewel of the solar system. Uranus is a featureless blue-green sphere.

Diameter 88,823 miles Diameter 74,565 miles Diameter 31,755 miles

(142,984 km) (120,536 km) (51,118 km)
Natural Satellites 64 known Natural Satellites 62 Natural Satellites 27
Distance from the 482,546,000 miles Distance from the 884,740,000 miles Distance from the 1,783,487,000miles
Sun (778,330,000 km) Sun (1,429,400,000 km) Sun (2,870,990,000 km)
Rotational Period 9.84 hours Rotational Period 10.25 days Rotational Period 17.3 hours
Orbital Period 4333 days Orbital Period 29.46 years Orbital Period 84 years
Cloud Temperature -185° F (-121° C) Cloud Temperature -193° F (-125° C) Cloud Temperature -315° F (-193° C)
Main Atmospheric Hydrogen Main Atmospheric Hydrogen Main Atmospheric Hydrogen
Component Component Component

Neptune Pluto Moon

A giant blue sphere with unusual cloud Pluto is officially classified as a dwarf planet Our moon is the 5th largest of the 190+
features and a thin, dark system of rings. and has an oval and tilted orbit. moons orbiting planets in the solar system.

Diameter 30,744 miles Diameter 1,473 miles Diameter 2,160 miles

(49,492 km) (2,370 km) (3,476 km)
Natural Satellites 13 Natural Satellites 5 Natural Satellites 0
Distance from the 2,798,116,000miles Distance from the 3,673,537,000miles Distance from the 238,800 miles
Sun (4,504,300,000 km) Sun (5,913,520,000 km) Earth (384,400 km)
Rotational Period 15.8 hours Rotational Period 6.3 days Rotational Period 27.32 days
Orbital Period 165 years Orbital Period 248 years Orbital Period 27.32 days
Cloud Temperature -315° F (-193° C) Surface -382° F (-230° C) Surface 0° F (-17° C)
Temperature Temperature
Main Atmospheric Hydrogen
Component Main Atmospheric Methane Main Atmospheric Hydrogen
Component Component