The Solar System Concept Map

The Solar System

I. Planets

There are eight planets in the Solar System. Planets are bodies that orbit stars, such as the Sun. The planets rotate around a titled axis and all share similar characteristics such as seasons, ice caps, hurricanes, and volcanism.

A. 8 Planets that orbit the Sun

B.

1) Mercury

2) Venus

3) Earth

4) Mars

5) Jupiter

6) Saturn

7) Uranus

8) Neptune

II. Moons

The Moon, in the solar system, is the only natural satellite of the Earth. The moon is the only body, besides Earth, that man has walked on. Each planet has its own moon that orbits it.

A. Revolve around a planet

B. Natural Satellite

III. Stars

There are millions of stars in the solar system. They are gigantic balls of mostly hydrogen gas. Our sun is a star. Because there is so much gravity, the gas becomes very hot and dense. There are many different stars. They are of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Stars even orbit around each other.

A. The Sun

1. The Sun is about 150 kilometers from our Earth.  

2. The Sun is a star that is the basis of the whole solar system. The sun is the reason for sustaining life on the Earth and provides heat and light to it.

B. Mass of Gas

IV. Asteroids

Asteroids are rocky fragments that are found in the solar system. They orbit planets, moons, and the sun. They are made from a mixture of stone, light and heavy elements, and also could have gasses mixed in. (Examples: Solid, liquid, frozen, or plasma states)

A. Small celestial bodies

B. Revolve around the Sun

V. Meteorites

Meteorites are pieces of bodies from the solar system that make their way to the ground. This happens when a meteor or a shooting star flashes through the atmosphere.

A. Stony or Metallic mass of matter

B. Fallen  to the Earth's Surface