Vocabulary - The Planets
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STUDENT RESOURCE 6.1
Vocabulary
INFORMATION SHEET
asteroid an object in space smaller
planet a large object that orbits
than a planet, that orbits a star
a star
Asteroids are small compared
The planets in our solar system
to planets. All are rocky. Many
are round or nearly round. Earth
asteroids are found in the asteroid
and the other three inner planets
belt. The asteroid belt is between
(Mercury, Venus, and Mars) are
the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
made of rock. The large outer
planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune,
orbit the path an object follows
and Uranus) are made of gas. Pluto
when it revolves around another
is a mix of rock and ice.
object
Each planet in our solar system
solar system the Sun and all of the
follows a regular path around the
objects that move around it
Sun. This path is called its orbit.
In our solar system, nine
Most orbits in our solar system
planets revolve around the Sun.
are ovals that are almost, but not
Moons revolve around their
quite, circles. Some orbits are close
planets, so they also travel around
to the Sun (Mercury and Venus)
the Sun with their planets. Our
and others are very far away
solar system also contains rocks
(Neptune and Pluto). Earth’s orbit
called asteroids that orbit the Sun.
is about 150 million kilometers
(93 million miles) from the Sun.
Earth completes one orbit every
1
365
days (one year).
4
SPACE • SECTION 6 THE PLANETS
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