EARTH AND SPACE

v Solar system

v Rotation and revolution

v Eclipse

v Season

 Solar system

The sun and all the bodies orbiting around it make up the solar system. The planets and their moons are the main bodies that revolve around the sun.

Other bodies in the solar system are asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

THE PLANETS

Nearest to the sun is Mercury, the smallest of the planets. Then come Venus, Earth, Mass, Jupiter [the biggest planet], Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The distance across the solar system is about 12,000 million kilometers.

PLANET

1.     Mercury
2.     Venus
3.     Earth
4.     Mass
5.     Jupiter
6.     Saturn
7.     Uranus
8.     Neptune
9.     Pluto

Rotation and revolution

Rotation: This is the movement of a planet about its axis. The rotation of the earth brings about night and day.

Revolution: This is the movement of a planet around the sun in the solar system. The Earth revolves around the sun giving rise to seasons. The earth takes approximately 365 days to revolve around the sun.

THE EARTH

The Earth is the third planet from the sun and it is the only known planet in the universe that harbors living things. The Earth contains water which in addition to oxygen assists in supporting life on Earth.

The earth does not produce light hence it is said to be non-luminous.

While those heavenly bodies that give out light, such as the stars and the sun are said to be luminous.

The Earth has only one satellite called the Moon. The moon revolves around the Earth. The earth rotates about its axis giving rise to day and night.

THE SUN

The sun is the single biggest star in the universe that supplies all planets’ light and heat. The sun does not rotate. Earth revolves around the sun giving rise to seasons. The earth takes approximately 365 days to revolve around the sun. There is no water or atmosphere in the sun.

THE MOON

The moon is the only Earth satellite that revolves around its axis. The moon gives a reflection of light from the sun and supplies the earth with moonlight. The moon is non-luminous and has no life on it.

Eclipse

Eclipse is the full or partial blocking of light from one celestial body by another celestial body

Types of eclipse

1.     Eclipse of the sun: This occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth and all are exactly in a straight line.
2.     Eclipse of the moon: It occurs when the earth is between the sun and the moon and the three are exactly on a straight line.

NOTE: There is nothing like an eclipse of the earth.

Climate and Seasons

Climate can be defined as the average weather condition of a particular area for a given period.

Seasons: The revolving of the earth about the sun gives rise to seasons.

Different parts of the surface of the earth have the sun shining on them at different times of the year.

There is a time when there are shorter days and longer nights during some months in a year, and also shorter nights and longer days during some other months.

There are also some months during which the days and nights are equal in duration. This happens because the Earth moves in an orbit around the sun. The earth tilts in opposite directions twice a year, hence, giving rise to two seasons –Rainy and Dry seasons

CLASSWORK 7&8

1. What is a solar system?
2. How many planets do we have? Mention them
3. What is climate?