LEARN THE UNIVERSE (The Perfect Book for Beginning Space) Ages 5-8

## **Space: Lots of Space!**

There is a place called space in the universe. We are all on it, because Earth is a part of space. Space is so big, yet the Earth seems so big, but it is really only a tiny speck of the whole universe.

## **Solar System: The Famous Star System**

The Solar System is just one of many star systems that exist in the universe. That is just how big the universe is, and the Solar System gets the most attention. Why? Because we live in it. And no other space probes have yet reached another star system.

## **Sun: The Brightest Object**

Picture the Sun. It rules the eight planets that live, giving them craters, volcanoes, and controlling their lives. The Sun is at least a few billion years old, so is the planets. The Sun is a star that is about 100 times hotter than any hot day you could imagine. All elements would melt at this hot temperature, that even the coolest areas of the Sun are at least a few thousand degrees Fahrenheit. It gives us heat, and it is a middle-aged star.

## **Mercury: The Perfect Home for Craters**

Mercury is known for many craters. Craters are when meteroids hit the surface because they do not burn through the atmosphere. Mercury also gets extremely cold at the night. Why? The atmosphere-free planet allows all the heat of the Sun to escape. The largest crater is 1 mile deep. Mercury is so close to the Sun and is difficult to observe. Even though, craters in the poles can be so deep scientists think that have found ice!

## **Venus: The Perfect Planet to Roast!**

Venus, also known as a hell world, is the second planet to the Sun. It is hotter than Mercury. Why? It has the thickest atmosphere in the Solar System and refuses to let the Sun's heat to escape. Yet, Venus has more craters than Earth does. Space probes that visit Venus are crushed right away or after a short time. Venus is not only hot at day, night, poles, equators, and summer and winter the same. There is a lot of pressure on Venus.

## **Earth: No Place Like Home**

Earth is the only body we know that where life exists on, even after searches for hundreds of years. However, other space bodies can actually lay in the habitable zone yet. The Earth is the perfect temperature for life to exist, and pure liquid water covers most of the planet from a view in space. Earth has many cool features. You were born here. And you probably will die here. Colonizing other planets is difficult.

## **Earth's Moon**

Earth's Moon is the only other body, besides Earth, where humans have stepped on. However, this was only from 1969-1972. The Moon is the second-brightest object in the night sky, obviously the Sun holds first place. The Moon is the closest celestial body to Earth. The Moon has many craters. Like Mercury, the Moon gets extremely hot during the day and very cold at night. The Moon's night shade has an average temperature of Mercury, however, the other side is only about 250 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the 842 degrees Fahrenheit day side of Mercury. The astronaut's footprints will continue to stay for millions of years, because of the atmosphere-free body.

## **Mars: The Red Planet**

Mars is the furthest terrestrial planet. Mars' water is frozen solid, unlike the liquid-water running oceans back on Earth. Mars has many fun features; it holds the tallest volcano, the longest canyon in the Solar System, and yet over 1,000 craters puncture the surface of Mars. Does Mars have an atmosphere? Yes, but it is very thin compared to Earth. So thin the Martian atmosphere sticks above the high volcano, Olympus Mons, which hadn't erupted for millions of years. Space probes had landed on this planet, but are not damaged like the ones on Venus. The Sun appears much smaller here.

## **Asteroids: Hunks and Chunks/Asteroid Belt**

Asteroids, most of them, belong to a group called the Asteroid Belt, which contains thousands of asteroids. Asteroids may be the leftovers that hadn't formed another planet. Ceres, is the dwarf planet to learn later in the book. Vesta is the second-largest. Asteroids look like rocks in your yard, but they are much bigger; some hundreds of kilometers to be exact.

## **Jupiter: The King of the Planets**

Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet in the Solar System. Jupiter, unlike the planets and asteroids, is just made of light gas. Jupiter has a storm, called the Great Red Spot that has lived for over 300 years. Jupiter has cloud bands.