More Fun Facts About Space
Earth
•Earth spins like a top. This movement is called rotating.
•The thin shell of air around Earth is called its atmosphere.
•Earth is mostly made up of rock and metal.
Moon
•Land formations, like mountains and plains, create the “man in the moon’s” face.
•An American astronaut was the first human to set foot on the Moon.
•The Moon is larger than the planet Pluto.
Saturn
•Long ago people thought Saturn’s rings were “ears”!
•Each of Saturn’s seasons lasts about 71/2 years.
•It takes Saturn nearly 30 years to travel around the Sun.
Galaxy
•Stars shine because they are hot.
•Stars look tiny because they are so far away.
•There are 200 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Space Shuttle
•Astronauts on the Space Shuttle exercise every day.
•There is no shower or bathtub on the Space Shuttle, so astronauts take sponge baths.
•The Space Shuttle is made up of three parts: the Orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters, and External Tank.
*Space images are courtesy of NASA.
International Space Station
•When finished, the Space Station will be the largest spacecraft ever built.
•The Space Station orbits about 230 miles above Earth.
•Astronauts aboard the Space Station play video games, listen to CDs, and get
Comet
•The word “comet” comes from a word that means “long haired.”
•A comet’s glow is light reflected from the Sun.
•Some scientists think that comets are the oldest bodies in the solar system.
Jupiter
•It takes Jupiter nearly 12 years to orbit the Sun.
•Jupiter has the biggest moon in the solar system.
•Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, has active volcanoes on it.
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