How big is the Milky Way? What is the sun made of? Why is Pluto a dwarf planet? In this post from the series “Scientific discoveries”, you will discover these and other curious facts about the solar system and the mysteries of the universe. Share discoveries with children and stimulate an interest in science from an early age!
Why stimulate interest in science?
Science is so present in everyday life that we often don’t even realize it. For example, when we observe the sky, when we observe the changes of the seasons, when we eat and/or take medicine. Science is part of ourselves, but also of the world around us, and connects us to it.
That is why it is so important to stimulate children’s interest in science. Practicing the scientific method stimulates curiosity, reasoning and critical ability. The habit of seeking knowledge, regardless of the subject, should arise very early and remain present in adult life. This happens when we, as children, are encouraged to recognize that science goes far beyond textbooks: it is in everything and has a direct impact on our lives.
Discover facts about the solar system
Learning about the planets of the solar system, in addition to being essential to understanding the awe-inspiring things of Earth and the Universe, can be a lot of fun!
Then check out more facts about the solar system and space to share with the little scientists back home and learn even more together!
- The sun corresponds to 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system.
- Our sun is a giant fireball powered by nuclear reactions, providing the energy that sustains life on Earth.
- The sun is located between 25,000 and 30,000 light-years from the supermassive black hole that forms the center of our galaxy.
- If our solar system were the size of your hand, the Milky Way would cover North America.
- Eight confirmed planets and at least five dwarf planets orbit our sun.
- Mercury is named after the messenger of the Roman gods, because of its rapid rotation around the sun.
- Named after the Roman goddess of love, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.
- Scientists believe that Earth’s moon was formed from a piece of Earth that broke apart when a giant object collided with the planet.
- Rocks have been found on Earth that came directly from Mars. It is believed that these rocks fell here as a result of an asteroid that hit Mars, or a volcanic explosion on our neighboring planet.
- Most elements on other planets are helium and hydrogen. However, 90% of the earth is made up of iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium.
- Mars, the red planet, is home to the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons.
- Jupiter is twice the size of all the other planets in the solar system combined, but it has the shortest day of all, taking 10 hours to rotate on its axis.
- Saturn has 82 moons in addition to its rings, ranging from the size of a football field to the size of the planet Mercury.
- Uranus was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope. It is composed of elements heavier than its gaseous neighbors, namely a mixture of water, methane and ammonia.
- Named after the Roman god of the sea, Neptune is so far from the sun that it takes 4 hours for sunlight to reach the planet.
- Neptune’s strong winds drive clouds of frozen methane at speeds of up to 2,000 km/h.
- Pluto, once the ninth planet in the solar system, was downgraded to a dwarf planet in 2006 because it shares its orbit with other space objects.
- If you go into space, without the gravity of the earth, your spine can expand and you can grow up to 5 cm.
- “Space junk” can be any man-made object that remains floating in space. Scientists estimate that there are currently at least 500,000 pieces of space junk in orbit.
- There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth combined. In our galaxy alone, the Milky Way, there are about 400 billion stars.
Which of these facts about the solar system did you like to know the most? Tell us here in the comments.
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