5… 4…3…2…1… We have off! lift our solarsystem! Are you ready, cosmic cadets? are justaboutcomplete for your mission:to explore It’s aclearday at NGKidsSpace HQandpreparations
planets, meteorites and comets
all orbit (go round) the Sun. It’s of our solar system – all heat, light and energy comes from
huge and very, very hot, with
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started 340years ago! started is astorm ontheplanetthat Jupiter’s famousGreat RedSpot Cosmic fact astronomer in1610. Galileo largest were discovered by the spot its16moons–thefour fit insideit!As you gopast, you could more than1,300Earths of alltheplanets. It’s sobigthat planet. It’s Jupiter –thelargest Wow! Look at thesize ofthat
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star itself; is almost round round almost is itself; star in shape; and has enough enough has and shape; in 6. Jupiter
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S HOWED watch out! into 8km theair–better throw updarkmaterial geysers onitssurface is Triton, andspouting Neptune’s largest moon Cosmic fact planet haslotsgoingon! around Neptune–this rings and13moons away. There are sixknown for afew years, thenfade ofthestorms last Some at speedsof1,200kmph! Huge storms are goingby You race onto Neptune. 9. Neptune U S N EW EW Nix, Kerberos andHydra. Pluto hasfiveknown moons-Charon, Styx, Cosmic fact (Xena). It’s almosttimeto land! planet, alongwithCeresas adwarf andEris planets inoursolarsystem. It’s now known was strippedofitstitle, leaving justeight orbit overlapped withNeptune’s, poorPluto asaplanet,known butnotnow. its Because Your stop next isPluto, whichusedto be 10. Pluto P LANETS – LANETS and now Xena! 2003 UB313,Lila names, including Eris hashadmany Cosmic fact has beenawesome! here, butthejourney taken awhileto get from has theSun.It distant object known Eris isthemost in oursolarsystem. planet largest dwarf destination, Eris–the on to your last behind andzoom You leave Pluto
11. Eris (Xena) about 4.6 billion billion 4.6 about
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Saturn and Sun c Getty Images UK. Other planets, courtesy of NASA. Planets are not shown to scale.