SARASWATI VIDYA NIKETAN

FORM 1
INTEGRATED SCIENCE
DATE: 06/16/2020

Astronomy
The Sun

Source: NASA

 Mass: 333 thousand times the mass of Earth

 Diameter: 109 times the diameter of Earth
 Temperature: 5,500 degrees C (10,000 degrees F) on the
surface
 Distance from Earth: 150 million kilometers (93 million
miles)
 Age: 4.5 billion years

What is the Sun like?

The Sun is a yellow dwarf star at the center of our Solar System. All the planets of the Solar System orbit
around the Sun. The Sun and the Solar System orbit around the center of our Galaxy, the Milky Way.

Although the Sun is a relatively small star in the universe, it is huge in relation to our solar system. Even with
massive gas planets like Jupiter and Saturn, the Sun contains 99.8% of all the mass in the solar system.

The Sun is made up of superheated hydrogen and helium gas. Hydrogen makes up about 74% of the mass of the
Sun. At the center of the Sun, hydrogen atoms, under intense pressure from gravity, undergo a process
called nuclear fusion and get converted into helium atoms. The process of nuclear fusion generates a
tremendous amount of heat causing radiation and eventually the sunlight that reaches the Earth.
 Cross Section of the Sun. Source: NASA
The Sun is the main source of energy in the Solar System and life on Earth. Plants use photosynthesis in order
to harness energy from the Sun. Even energy that we get from fossil fuels like oil originally came from the Sun.
We can also use solar cells to convert energy from the Sun directly into electricity.

An eruption from the surface of the Sun. Source NASA.

Interesting Facts About the Sun

 The Sun is officially classified as a G-type main sequence star.

 The distance from the Sun to the Earth is used for a standard unit of measurement called the
Astronomical Unit (au).
 The Sun has been worshiped as a god by many cultures including the Ancient Egyptian Sun god
Ra.
 The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way. It takes between 225 million and 250 million years
for the Sun to complete its orbit through the Milky Way.
 The Sun is expected to remain stable for the next 5 billion years.
 The outer atmosphere of the Sun constantly releases a stream of charged particles called the
Solar Wind.

Planet Mercury

 Moons: 0
 Mass: 5.5% of Earth
 Diameter: 3031 miles
 Year: 88 Earth days
 Day: 58.7 Earth days
 Temperature: -300 to +800 degrees F
 Distance from the Sun: 1st planet from the sun, 36
million miles
 Type of Planet: Terrestrial (has a hard rocky
surface)

What is Mercury like?

Now that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet, Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. Mercury
has a rocky surface and an iron core. The iron core in Mercury is very large compared to other rocky planets
like Earth and Mars. This makes Mercury's mass very high compared to its size.

Mercury is a barren planet covered with craters from impacts of asteroids and other objects. It looks very
similar to the Earth's moon.

Mercury has virtually no atmosphere and rotates very slowly in relationship to the sun. A single day on Mercury
is as long as almost 60 Earth days. As a result of its long day and little atmosphere, Mercury has some wild
extremes in temperature. The side facing the sun is incredibly hot (800 degrees F), while the side away from the
sun is super cold (-300 degrees F).
 From left to right: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

How does Mercury compare to Earth?

Mercury is much smaller than Earth. It's actually a lot closer to the size of Earth's moon. It has a shorter year,
but a much longer day. There is no air to breathe and the temperature changes wildly each day. Mercury is
similar in that it has a hard rocky surface like Earth's. How do we know about Mercury?

Since Mercury is close to the Sun, it is very difficult to send a space craft to explore the planet. The gravity
from the sun is constantly pulling on the space craft causing the ship to need lots of fuel in order to stop or slow
down at Mercury. There have been two space probes sent to Mercury. The first was Mariner 10 in 1975. The
second space probe was MESSENGER. MESSENGER orbited Mercury between 2011 and 2015 before
crashing onto the surface of Mercury on April 30, 2015.

Mercury is tough to study from Earth because it is inside the Earth's orbit. This means that when you try to look
at Mercury, you are also looking at the Sun. The bright light of the Sun makes it nearly impossible to see
Mercury. Because of this Mercury is best seen right after the Sun sets or just before it rises.
 Photo of a giant crater on the
surface of Mercury. Source: NASA.
Interesting Facts about the Planet Mercury

 Mercury has a huge crater called the Caloris Basin. The impact that caused this crater was so
huge that it formed hills on the other side of the planet!
 The element mercury was named after the planet. Alchemists once thought they could make gold
from mercury.
 The planet is named after the Roman god Mercury. Mercury was the messenger to the gods and
the god of travelers and merchants.
 Mercury orbits the Sun faster than any other planet.
 Early Greek astronomers thought it was two planets. They called the one they saw at sunrise
Apollo and the one they saw at sunset Hermes.
 It has the most eccentric (least round) orbit of all the planets.

Planet Venus

 Moons: 0
 Mass: 82% of Earth
 Diameter: 7520 miles
 Year: 225 Earth days
 Day: 243 Earth days
 Temperature: 850 degrees F
 Distance from the Sun: 2nd planet from the sun, 67 million
miles
 Type of Planet: Terrestrial (has a hard rocky surface)

What is Venus like?

Venus can be best described with two words: cloudy and hot. The entire surface of Venus is constantly covered
by clouds. These clouds are made up mostly of carbon dioxide which has a greenhouse affect keeping in the
Sun's heat like a giant blanket. As a result Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. It is even hotter than
Mercury, which is much closer to the Sun.

Venus is a terrestrial planet like Mercury, Earth, and Mars. This means it has a hard rocky surface. Its
geography is somewhat like Earth's geography with mountains, valleys, plateaus, and volcanoes. It is
completely dry, however, and has long rivers of molten lava and thousands of volcanoes. There are over 100
giant volcanoes on Venus that are each 100km or more across.

How does Venus compare to Earth?

Venus is very similar to Earth in size, mass, and gravity. It is sometimes called Earth's sister planet. Of course,
Venus' dense atmosphere and intense heat makes Venus very different in many ways. Water, an essential part of
Earth, isn't found on Venus.

How do we know about Venus?

Since Venus is so easily seen without a telescope there is no way to know who might have first noticed the
planet. Some ancient civilizations thought it was two planets or bright stars: a "morning star" and an "evening
star". In the 6th century BC, a Greek mathematician named Pythagoras noted that it was the same planet. It was
Galileo in the 1600's who figured out that Venus orbited the sun.

Since the space age began there have been many probes and spacecraft sent to Venus. Some spacecraft have
even landed on Venus and have sent us back information on what the surface of Venus is like under the clouds.
The first spacecraft to land on the surface was Venera 7, a Russian ship. Later, from 1989 to 1994, the Magellan
Probe used radar to map Venus' surface in great detail.

Since Venus is inside the Earth's orbit, the brightness of the Sun makes it difficult to see from the Earth during
the day. However, just after sunset or just before sunrise Venus becomes the brightest object in the sky. It is
typically the brightest object in the night sky except for the moon.
 Surface of the planet Venus

Interesting Facts about the Planet Venus

 Venus actually rotates backwards from the way the rest of the planets rotate. Some scientists
believe this backward rotation was caused by a giant impact with a large asteroid or comet.
 The atmospheric pressure on the surface of the planet is 92 times that of Earth's..
 Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love. It is the planet that is named after a female.
 It is the sixth largest of the eight planets.