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 dwarf planets, that are bound by gravity.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

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Which planet is closest to the Sun?

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Mercury.

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What is the largest planet in our Solar System?

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Jupiter.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

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What is a dwarf planet?

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A dwarf planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun and is similar to a planet but does not clear its orbit of other debris. An example is Pluto.

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How many stars are in our Solar System?

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There is 1 star in our Solar System, which is the Sun.

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What is the Milky Way galaxy?

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The Milky Way galaxy is the galaxy that contains our Solar System, and it is estimated to have over 2 billion stars.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

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Name the four terrestrial planets in our 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 asteroid belt?

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The asteroid belt is a region in space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many small rocky bodies, called asteroids, are found.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

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What is a comet?

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A comet is a small celestial body made of ice, dust, and rocky material that, when close to the Sun, develops a glowing coma and tail.