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🌌 The Solar System

Te Pūnaha Rā — Our Cosmic Home

🚀 Exploring Space!

Our solar system is made up of the Sun (our star) and everything that orbits around it — eight planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and more. It's part of the Milky Way galaxy!

☀️ The Sun

Our Star

  • The Sun is a star — a giant ball of hot gas
  • It provides light and heat for all planets
  • About 109 Earths could fit across its diameter!
  • Distance from Earth: ~150 million km

🪐 The Eight Planets

1. Mercury

Smallest, closest to Sun

🟡

2. Venus

Hottest, thick atmosphere

🌍

3. Earth

Our home! Has water & life

🔴

4. Mars

Red planet, has ice caps

🟠

5. Jupiter

Largest! Giant gas planet

💛

6. Saturn

Famous rings!

🔵

7. Uranus

Tilted on its side

💙

8. Neptune

Furthest, very cold

Memory Trick

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos

(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)

🌠 Other Objects

More in Our Solar System

  • 🌙 Moons — orbit planets (Earth has 1, Jupiter has 95+!)
  • ☄️ Comets — icy objects with tails
  • 🪨 Asteroids — rocky objects (asteroid belt between Mars & Jupiter)
  • 💫 Dwarf planets — like Pluto

✏️ Activities

Planet Facts

  1. Which planet is biggest? ___________
  2. Which planet is closest to the Sun? ___________
  3. Which planet has the most famous rings? ___________
  4. Which planet do we live on? ___________

If you could visit any planet, which would you choose and why?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

Curriculum Links

  • Science: Planet Earth and Beyond