3 6 objects in space (earth sciences)

Earth Sciences
Standards
Preview
4.c. Students know telescopes magnify
the appearance of some distant
objects in the sky, including the Moon
and the planets. The number of stars
that can be seen through a telescope is
dramatically greater than the number
that can be seen by the unaided eye.

Standard Set 4. Earth Sciences
4. Objects in the sky move in regular
and predictable patterns. As a basis
for understanding this concept:
4.a. Students know the patterns
of stars stay the same, although
they appear to move across the sky
nightly, and different stars can be
seen in different seasons.

4.d. Students know that Earth is one of
several planets that orbit the Sun and
that the Moon orbits Earth.

by Peggy Bresnick Kendler

Genre

Nonfiction

Comprehension Skill

Predict

Text Features

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Captions
Diagrams
Labels
Glossary

Science Content

Objects in Space

Scott Foresman Science 3.6

ISBN 0-328-23533-4

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Vocabulary
asteroid
binoculars

orbit
planet
solar system
star
telescope

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Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd)
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Oglesby; 6 (T) ©John Sanford/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 6 (B) ©Andy Crawford/DK Images; 8 Digital Vision; 9 NASA;
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Researchers, Inc.

ISBN: 0-328-23533-4
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Objects
in Space
by Peggy Bresnick Kendler


What moves

around the Sun?
The Sun
The Sun is a star. A star is a huge ball of hot,
glowing gases. The Sun is 100 times as wide as
Earth. Its surface temperature is about 5,500°C. Its
center is much hotter!
The Sun is the star closest to Earth. It appears

How Objects in
the Solar System Move
Our home is planet Earth. A planet is a large
body of matter that travels around a star, such as
the Sun. Many planets have moons. Our solar
system is made up of the Sun, the planets and
their moons, and other objects orbiting the Sun.
The path an object takes as it moves around
the Sun is its orbit. The Sun’s gravity has a strong
pull. It keeps each planet in its orbit.

larger and brighter than any other star. Other stars
look smaller because they are so far away.

Earth is part of the solar system.
It orbits the Sun with the other planets.

The Sun is closer to Earth
than any other star.

Mercury

2

Venus

Earth

Mars

3


The Path of the Moon

Planets of the Solar System
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four

Our Moon orbits Earth. At the same time, Earth

planets nearest the Sun. They orbit the Sun quickly.

orbits the Sun. The Moon turns on its axis as it

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the

orbits. Every 27 days the Moon completes a turn. It

planets farthest from the Sun. They orbit the Sun

completes an orbit of Earth in about the same time.

slowly. Asteroids of all sizes orbit the Sun between

We always see the same side of the Moon. This is

planets. An asteroid is a large piece of rock.

because the Moon turns so slowly on its axis.
Our Moon is the closest object to Earth. Other

Pluto, A Dwarf Planet
Pluto is very small, smaller than Earth’s moon.
In 2006, scientists decided to call Pluto a “dwarf
planet.” Dwarf planets are small, round objects

than the Sun it is the brightest object in the sky.
The Moon does not make light. Its light comes
from sunlight reflecting off its surface.

that orbit the Sun.
The Moon completes its orbit
in a little less than a month.
Charon

Pluto

4

NASA’s Hubble Space
Telescope was used
to take this picture of

Pluto and its moon,
Charon.

5


How do we observe
objects in space?
Telescopes and the Night Sky
To see the Moon more clearly, look through a
telescope. A telescope is a tool for making distant
objects appear nearer and larger. Some telescopes
use curved mirrors. The mirrors collect light. The
light travels to a lens. Telescopes that use these
mirrors help make objects appear bright in the
night sky.
A telescope makes the
Moon look larger. It
can help you see the
Moon’s features.

6

Binoculars are two telescopes joined together
as a unit. They are less powerful than telescopes.
Binoculars and telescopes work best on clear
nights, far from city lights.
Before you look at the night sky, study charts of
the stars and planets. Next, observe the sky with
your eyes. Then try binoculars or a telescope.

Planets look like stars. They shine by light
reflected from the Sun. Planets move across the
sky’s star patterns.
Binoculars are like
telescopes. But they
are not as powerful.

7


Viewing Distant Planets
Binoculars and telescopes can help you study
the solar system’s planets. Use binoculars to see
Mars’s red surface. Use a telescope to see the band
of clouds above Jupiter’s surface. Jupiter’s Giant

Some planets are very far away from Earth.
They are too far away for people to see them
clearly. These planets are Uranus and Neptune.
The United States has sent space probes to study
these planets.

Red Spot can also be spotted with a telescope. It is a
storm three times the size of Earth!

This picture shows Mars’s
red soil. The white dot at
the top is a polar ice cap.

Neptune has a light

blue color. It is
surrounded by rings.

Have you ever heard of the
Giant Red Spot? It is a huge
storm on Jupiter’s surface.

8

9


Viewing Stars and Galaxies
On a clear night, you can see many stars. With

Different Kinds of Stars
The Sun is our brightest star because it is closest

a telescope, you can see even more stars. Stars look

to Earth. Does this mean that bright stars are

different from one another. Some look brighter

closer to Earth than ones that are less bright? This

than others. Some look larger than others. And

is not always so. Stars differ in size. Stars differ in

some appear to have a different color than others.

the amount of light they make. Many small stars

A star might really be a galaxy. A galaxy is a group

make more light than big stars. Stars that appear

of stars, dust, and gas that are arranged together.

less bright may be closer to Earth than stars that
appear bright.

Stars can have different
colors and sizes.
The Milky
Way Galaxy

The Magellanic
Cloud galaxies

A spiral
galaxy

10

11


Glossary

asteroid

What did you learn?
1. How does a telescope work?

a large piece of rock that orbits
the Sun

2. What is a dwarf planet?

binoculars

two telescopes joined together as
a unit

3. What two things does the Moon complete about once
every 27 days?

orbit

the path an object takes as it
moves around the Sun

planet

a large body of matter that
revolves around a star such as
the Sun

solar system a system made up of the Sun, the

planets and their moons, and
other objects that orbit the Sun
star

a huge ball of hot, glowing gases

telescope

a tool for making distant objects
appear nearer and larger

12

4.

Write a paragraph about the
best way to see planets in the night sky. Include a topic
sentence and simple supporting facts and details.

5.

Predict Predict whether or not scientists will
discover any more planets in our solar system, and give
a reason for your answer.