Introducing the Solar System

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What is the Solar System?

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The Solar System is a collection of celestial bodies, including the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids, that are bound by gravity.

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What is a dwarf planet?

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A dwarf planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun, is spherical in shape, but has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects. Example: Pluto.

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How old is the Solar System?

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The Solar System is approximately 4.6 billion years old.

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What did the Solar System form from?

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The Solar System formed from a cloud of hydrogen, helium, rock, ice, and other materials.

Front

Which planet is known for having conditions suitable for life?

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Earth is known for having 'just right' conditions for life.

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What is an astronomical unit (AU)?

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An astronomical unit (AU) is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.

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Name the four terrestrial planets in the Solar System.

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The four terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

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What are gas giants?

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Gas giants are large planets that are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium. In our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants.

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What is the Kuiper Belt?

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The Kuiper Belt is a region of the Solar System beyond Neptune that contains many small icy bodies, including dwarf planets like Pluto.

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What is the role of the Sun in the Solar System?

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The Sun is the central star of the Solar System, providing light and heat, and its gravitational pull keeps the planets in orbit.