The+Solar+System

__**The Solar System**__ by Emmanuel C, Chloe L, Colleen M and Adelle R

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__//**Our Solar System**// __

The Solar System is made up of nine planets. These planets orbit the Sun, one of the major stars in our galaxy. Each planet orbits the Sun in the same direction. The following lists the planets in order from the Sun, with a useful mnemonic to help you remember them:

1) Mercury - My 2) Venus - Very 3) Earth - Easy 4) Mars - Method 5) Jupiter - Just 6) Saturn -Sums 7) Uranus - Up 8) Neptune - Nine 9) Pluto - Planets

NOTE: Pluto is no longer classed as a planet. In 2006, it was reclassified as a "dwarf planet."

Here's a song for children to learn... **P****lanets (to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star")** Here are nine planets that we know Round and round the Sun they go Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars These are the planets near our star. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, too Neptune, Pluto, we can't see you

__**//Day an////d Night//**__

The Earth rotates on its own axis every 24 hours. The part of the Earth facing the Sun experience the day, the part facing away from the Sun experiences night.

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__**//Seaso////ns//**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Earth is tilted on its own axis. As the Earth rotates around the Sun every 365.25 days, the part of the Earth tilted towards the Sun experiences summer, whilst the part tilted away experiences winter. Click [|here] for a useful BBC video clip about the seasons.

=<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__**//The Earth's Moon//**__ =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you ever heard the term the 'far-side' of the Moon? The same side of the Moon always faces the Earth. In other words, it takes the Moon the same amount of time to rotate around once as it does for the moon to go around the Earth once. As a result, Earth bound observers can never see the 'far-side' of the Moon. Click [|here] for more information.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__//Sunrise and Sunset//__** =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The length of a day is the time between these two occurences. Between January and June, the time of sunrise gets earlier so it gets lighter in the mornings. The time of sunset gets later between January and June so the nights are also lighter. The longest day is 21st June and the shortest day is 21st December. The sunrises in the general direction of the east and sets in the general direction west.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">__**//Misconceptions//**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The Earth is at the center of the Solar System <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The Sun moves across the sky <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The Sun is not a star <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- It is hotter in summer because the Earth is closer to the Sun <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Daytime begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The Moon can only be seen at night. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Every bright object in the sky is a star.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__**//Useful websites//**__ =

@http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm @http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/solar-system/