Exploring Space

Arrangement of Universe

Eartho Our planeto Diameter = 13,000 km

or 8,000 mileso Orbits the sun

Solar System Contains Earth, 7

other planets, the sun, and other smaller bodies.

Sun is a star Planets orbit the

sun.

Milky Way Galaxy It contains our solar

system and the stars we can see with our bare eyes.

It contains millions or billions of stars.

Universe Billions of galaxies Contains

everything in space and all the matter and energy in it.

Milky way is just one of the many billions of galaxies.

Galaxies extend in all directions.

Picture in the sky• Astronomers

have the sky mapped out like a road.

• The sky is divided into 88 areas named for a constellation.

Constellation• Group of stars that form a pattern.• Greek named many of the constellations for

animals and imaginary beings.• Stars in constellation are not really close to each

other.• They seem grouped from Earth, but many of the

stars are several light years away from each other.• We see different constellation due to Earth

rotating on its axis.

Polaris Fairly the brightest

star that we see. It is the star to

help locate North. If the north pole

extended into space this would be the star directly up above that point.

SatelliteAn object that

orbits a more massive object.

The moon is considered a satellite.

Ex. International space station.