Our Universe

a) Our Universe is a vast and incredible expanse filled with many things like dust,
gas, galaxies, planets, stars, rocks, clouds, and living creatures like us.
b) Stars and galaxies make up a small part of the entire universe. Galaxies are
enormous systems of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity.
c) Our solar system, which includes eight planets, their moons, asteroids, comets,
and meteoroids, orbits around the sun.
d) We are part of the Milky Way Galaxy, which contains millions of planetary systems
like ours, and the universe itself has millions of galaxies.
e) The planets in our solar system, their moons, stars, and other celestial bodies are
like our neighbours in this vast universe.

Planet Earth
a) Earth is our home in the vast universe. It is the third planet from the sun and
receives enough sunlight for life to exist.
b) Earth is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere, which contains gases
like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide that are important for life.
c) Three-fourths of Earth's surface is covered in water, which is why it is sometimes
called the "blue planet."
d) Earth has both land and water on its surface. Its shape is called an oblate
spheroid, meaning it is a bit bulged at the equator and flatter at the poles.

Our Solar System

a) In the middle of our solar system, we have the sun.
b) The solar system is made up of the sun, planets, their moons, dwarf planets,
comets, meteors, and some rocks and gases.
c) If we look at the shape of the solar system, it's like a stretched-out oval. We call
this shape an "ellipse." It's kind of like a squashed circle.
Planets
a) Each planet has its own special path, kind of like a road or a track. We call these
paths "orbits." The planets follow these orbits and go around the sun in a fixed path.
b) We can group them into two types: the inner planets and the outer planets.

Inner Planets Outer Planets

1. The inner planets are the ones that are closest to the
1. The outer planets are much farther a
sun.

2. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 2. They are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and

3. These inner planets are smaller, made mostly of rocks, 3. These outer planets are really big, wi
and don't have many moons. made mostly of gases and have many m

4. They have shorter paths as they go around the sun. 4. They have longer paths around the su
They take a little less time to complete their journey. go around once.

Planets in Our Solar System

Each planet of the solar system is special and unique in its own way, with different
sizes, colours, and moons.

1. Mercury
a) It's the smallest planet and the one closest to the Sun.
b) It takes 88 days for Mercury to go around the Sun.
c) Mercury doesn't have any moons.

2. Venus
a) Venus is the second planet from the Sun.
b) It's known as the hottest planet and often called Earth's "sister planet" because
they are similar in size.
c) People sometimes call it the morning or evening star because you can see it in the
sky at dawn and dusk
d) Venus also doesn't have any moons.

3. Earth
a) Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
b) It's also called the blue planet because it has lots of water. We have air to
breathe, which is very important for living things.
c) Earth has one moon.

4. Mars
a) Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.
b) It's often called the red planet because it has a rusty colour. Mars has really tall
mountains and deep canyons.
c) Mars has two moons.

5. Jupiter
a) Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, and it's the biggest planet in our solar
system.
b) It's so big that it has 95 moons.

6. Saturn
a) Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun.
b) It's the second-largest planet.
c) Saturn is famous for its beautiful rings made of ice and dust.
d) Saturn has 146 moons.

7. Uranus
a) Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun.
b) It's the third largest planet.
c) Uranus is a bit different because it spins on its side.
d) Uranus has 27 moons.

8. Neptune
a) Neptune is the eighth planet, and it's the farthest one from the Sun.
b) It's really cold and windy on Neptune.
c) Neptune looks blue because of something called methane.
d) Neptune has 14 moons.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What causes day and night on Earth?

Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours. When your part of Earth faces the Sun,
it's day. When it faces away, it's night.

2. How are planets different from stars?

Planets are smaller, do not produce their own light, and orbit stars. Stars are huge,
hot balls of gas that make their own light.

3. What is the Milky Way?

The Milky Way is the galaxy in which we reside. It is home to billions of stars,
including the Sun.
4. What are the layers of Earth?

Earth has three main layers: the crust (where we live), the mantle (hot, semi-solid
rock), and the core (made of very hot metal).

5. What is Earth made of?

Earth is made up of layers, including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
The surface has land, oceans, and air (the atmosphere).

Exploring Our Celestial Neighbourhood

1. Stars

a) Stars are celestial objects that shine brightly in the night sky.
b) They emit their heat and light.
c) Although there are millions of stars in the sky, they appear as tiny specks of light
because they are located very far away from Earth.
d) The sun is also a star.
2. Planets

a) Planets are heavenly bodies that orbit around a star.

b) Unlike stars, planets do not emit their own light. We can see them because they
reflect the light from the Sun.

3. Satellites

a) Satellites are smaller celestial bodies that orbit around planets.

b) They are also referred to as moons.
c) Just like planets, satellites can be seen because they reflect the light of the Sun.
d) Unlike stars, planets and their satellites appear steady in the sky without
twinkling.

4. Comets

a) Comets are fascinating objects composed of a large number of rocky particles

covered with frozen ice of water and gases.
b) When a comet approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporise, creating
a glowing coma around the comet.
5. Meteors

a) Meteors, commonly known as "shooting stars," are frequent sights in the night
sky.
b) They are celestial bodies that appear as bright streaks of light for a brief moment.
c) Meteor trails, or shooting stars, usually last for less than a second.
d) When meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere and reach the surface, they are
called meteorites, which can create craters.
6. Asteroids

a) Asteroids are large chunks of rocks that orbit the Sun, primarily found between
the planets Mars and Jupiter.
b) They are often referred to as minor planets or planetoids.
c) Unlike comets, which contain mostly ice, asteroids are composed of rock and
metal.
7. Artificial Satellites

a) Some man-made objects orbit around the Earth. We call them artificial satellites.
b) These satellites have some important jobs like helping with communication,
predicting the weather, and guiding us during navigation.
c) Examples of a few artificial satellites are Hubble Space Telescope, INSAT 1A, and
GPS satellites.
Movement of the Earth

1. Rotation

a) The Earth is shaped like a round ball and it spins around an imaginary tilted line,
which we call the Earth's rotation.
b) This rotation makes the Earth turn around itself.
c) When a certain part of the Earth faces the Sun, it receives sunlight, and that's
when we have daytime.
d) On the other side of the Earth, where it doesn't face the Sun, it becomes dark,
and that's when we have nighttime.
e) It takes approximately 24 hours, which we call a day, for the Earth to complete
one full rotation around its axis.
f) As the Earth spins, different parts of the planet experience sunlight or darkness,
creating the cycle of day and night that we observe.
2. Revolution

a) The Earth doesn't just spin on its axis, it also moves around the Sun in a particular
path called revolution.
b) It takes about 365 and a quarter days, or one year, for the Earth to complete one
full revolution around the Sun. This revolution is what brings changes in seasons.
c) The timing of the seasons is different for the two halves of the Earth, which we
call hemispheres.
d) When the North Pole leans toward the Sun, the northern hemisphere gets more
direct sunlight.
e) So, the northern hemisphere gets warmer, and it becomes summertime there. At
the same time, the southern hemisphere experiences winter.
3. Constellations

a) Constellations are groups of stars that form patterns or shapes in the night sky.
b) Constellations have names inspired by creatures and characters from myths and
legends.
c) 88 official constellations have been identified and named by astronomers.
d) Some well-known constellations include Cassiopeia, which looks like a "W" shape,
Ursa Major, which resembles a big bear, and Orion, which represents a mighty
hunter.
4. Moon

a) The moon is Earth's natural satellite that revolves around our planet.
b) The moon follows a special path around the Earth called an orbit.
c) It doesn't have its own light, but it reflects the bright light from the sun.
d) As it moves around the Earth, different parts of the moon get lit up by the sun.
We can only see the part of the moon that is getting light. That's why the moon
seems to change its shape every day.
e) These different shapes are called phases of the moon.
5. Solar Eclipse

a) A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth.
The moon casts a big shadow that covers the sun for a little while.
b) This blocks the sunlight from reaching us on Earth and we can see a glowing halo
around the darkened sun.
c) During a solar eclipse, the sky gets darker, almost like nighttime during the
daytime.
d) But here's an important thing to remember: never look directly at the sun during
a solar eclipse, even if It's partially covered.
e) The sun's rays can harm your eyes, so always use special eclipse glasses or watch
the eclipse through a safe viewing device.
6. Lunar Eclipse

a) A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon. This
means the Earth's shadow falls on the moon, making it look dimmer or even turn
reddish-orange.
b) You can safely observe them with your naked eyes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of heavenly bodies?

"Heavenly bodies" are celestial objects such as the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets.
They're called "heavenly" because they appear to be high in the sky and can be seen
from Earth, making the sky more beautiful and mysterious.

2. What is a planet?

A planet is a massive, round body that moves around a star like the Sun. Our solar
system has eight planets, one of which we stay on, Earth.

3. What is "Solar System"?

A solar system is a collection of celestial bodies in space that revolve around the
sun. Our solar system has eight main planets, including, Earth. These planets, as well
as their moons, asteroids, and comets, all circle the Sun.

4. What is the difference between celestial and terrestrial bodies?

a. Celestial bodies, such as stars and planets, exist in space, whereas terrestrial
bodies, such as land and animals, exist on Earth.
b. Celestial bodies exist in space and often appear in the night sky.
c. Celestial bodies are "out there" in space, and terrestrial bodies are "right here" on
Earth.

5. Why do stars twinkle?

Twinkling stars come out because their light has to go through Earth's atmosphere,
which causes it to glitter.