THE MILKY WAY GALAXY A JOURNEY THROUGH OUR COSMIC MOME DISCOVER THE GALAXY THE SOLAR SYSTEM ,PLANETS STARS AND THE WONDERS OF SPACE
The Milky Way Galaxy The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. It is a huge collection of stars, planets, gas, dust and other celestial objects held together by gravity. The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. From a great distance, it would look like a giant spiral with curved arms extending from a central region. Our galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars, including our Sun. The Solar System is located in one of the galaxy's spiral arms, called the Orion Arm or Orion Spur. The Milky Way is enormous. Light takes about 100,000 years to travel across its main disk.Did You Know? The name “Milky Way” comes from its appearance in the night sky. It looks like a faint, milky band of light stretching across the sky.
How Is the Milky Way Organized? The Milky Way has several main parts: 1. Galactic Center At the center of the galaxy, there are many stars and a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*. 2. Galactic Disk The disk is a flat region where most of the galaxy’s stars, gas, and dust are found. 3. Spiral Arms The Milky Way has large spiral arms made of stars, gas, and dust. Our Solar System is located in the Orion Spur. 4. Central Bulge The central bulge is a dense area near the center. It contains many old stars. 5. Galactic Halo The halo surrounds the galaxy’s disk. It contains old stars, globular clusters, and a large amount of dark matter. Important Fact The Milky Way is more than just a group of stars. It is a complex galaxy made of stars, planets, gas, dust, and dark matter.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM Our Solar System and the Milky Way The Solar System is our space home. It is in the Milky Way Galaxy, about 26,000 light-years from its center. At the center of the Solar System is the Sun. It gives us light and heat. There are eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The planets have two groups: Rocky Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Gas and Ice Giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The Solar System also has moons, asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets. Did You Know? The Solar System is a very small part of the huge Milky Way Galaxy.
THE SUN ☀ Our Star The Sun is the star at the center of our Solar System. It is very hot and is made mainly of hydrogen and helium. The Sun gives us light and heat. Its gravity keeps the planets in orbit. Key Facts Age: About 4.6 billion years Surface temperature: About 5,500°C Core temperature: About 15 million°C Main gases: Hydrogen and helium ⭐ Did You Know? The Sun contains about 99.8% of the mass of the Solar System.
MERCURY Mercury – The Smallest Planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the Solar System. It is a rocky planet with many craters. Key Facts Position: 1st planet from the Sun Type: Rocky planet Moons: None Year: 88 Earth days Surface: Rocky and full of craters Special Feature Mercury is very hot during the day and very cold at night. ⭐ Did You Know? Mercury is the fastest planet in the Solar System.
VENUS – Earth's Hot Neighbor Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is similar to Earth in size, but it is much hotter. Position: 2nd planet Type: Rocky planet Moons: None Atmosphere: Mostly carbon dioxide Surface: Rocky and volcanic Temperature: About 465°C Venus has a thick atmosphere that traps heat, making it the hottest planet in the Solar System. ⭐ Did You Know? Venus rotates very slowly and in the opposite direction to most planets.
🌍 EARTH – Our Home Planet Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the only planet known to have life. Position: 3rd planet Type: Rocky planet Moon: 1 Surface: 71% covered by water Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen and oxygen Age: About 4.5 billion years 🌱 Life on Earth Earth has many living things, such as plants, animals, bacteria and humans. ⭐ Did You Know? Earth is the only planet known to have life.
