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The Launch:

Outer space enchants us with its 

vastness and infinite potential for 

explorations. It's time to embark on our 

journey to outer space. Try jumping in 

the air. Notice that as soon as your feet 

left the ground they were on their way 

back down. This is because on Earth, we 

have something called gravity. The 

gravitational pull of Earth is what keeps 

you grounded unlike space where you 

become weightless. However, there is a 

way to escape it and that is through 

space travel. When we travel to space it 

is made possible by escaping Earth's 

gravitational field. Unlike an airplane or a 

jet that use the wind to help them fly, 

our rocket uses liquid hydrogen fuel to 

propel us through Earth's atmosphere. 

Our rocket must achieve escape velocity 

which is approximately 25,000 mph or 7 

miles per second. This type of velocity is 

really about energy not velocity or 

speed. We're simply saying that the 

rocket has accumulated enough kinetic 

energy to launch into out space. Look at 

this beautiful rocket. Admire the iconic 

white tube, its body made out of 

aluminum metal. It's as thin as a can yet 

when it's pressurized and loaded up, it 

can withstand immense forces. Everyone 

is piled into the rocket, our launch will 

take place in 3....2....1...BLAST OFF!  

We've pushed on into orbit, let the 

exploration begin.

The Launch:

Outer space enchants us with its vastness and infinite potential for explorations. It's 

time to embark on our journey to outer space. Try jumping in the air. Notice that as 

soon as your feet left the ground they were on their way back down. This is because on 

Earth, we have something called gravity. The gravitational pull of Earth is what 

keeps you grounded unlike space where you become weightless. However, there is a way 

to escape it and that is through space travel. When we travel to space it is made possible 

by escaping Earth's gravitational field. Unlike an airplane or a jet that use the 

wind to help them fly, our rocket uses liquid hydrogen fuel to propel us through 

Earth's atmosphere. Our rocket must achieve escape velocity which is 

approximately 25,000 mph or 7 miles per second. This type of velocity is really about 

energy not velocity or speed. We're simply saying that the rocket has accumulated 

enough kinetic energy to launch into out space. Look at this beautiful rocket. Admire 

the iconic white tube, its body made out of aluminum metal. It's as thin as a can yet 

when it's pressurized and loaded up, it can withstand immense forces. Everyone is 

piled into the rocket, our launch will take place in 3....2....1...BLAST OFF! We've 

pushed on into orbit, let the exploration begin.

The Celestial Sphere:

The celestial sphere is a map of the earth, showing the equator, 

line of right ascension and declination, north and south poles, 

elliptical, and the vernal equinox. In simpler terms this means 

that the celestial sphere maps out the constellations and 

measure distances and sizes between two objects that appear 

fixed because they are so far away from us. The celestial sky is 

divided into 88 uneven areas, each one containing a 

constellation. Absolute magnitude simply refers to absolute 

brightness of a celestial object. The apparent magnitude of an 

object only tells us how bright an object appears from Earth.

The Universe:

The Universe includes planets, stars, galaxies, the contents of intergalactic 

space, the smallest subatomic particles, and all matter and energy. The size 

of the whole Universe is not known and may be infinite. Observations and 

the development of physical theories have led to inferences about the 

composition and evolution of the Universe. The Big Bang Theory has 

been the most prevailing theory to explain how the Universe came to be. 

Theoretically, the big bang was an event that created space and time. 

The cosmos contained a vast array of fundamental particles such as 

neutrons, electrons, and protons. In a fraction of a second, the Universe 

grew from smaller than a single atom to bigger than a galaxy. Now for the 

duration of our trip, you will come to learn about our Universe in its 

entirety. Space has a temperature of 2.7 Kelvin or 2.7 degrees above 

absolute zero. So to warm things up, our first stop is the Sun.

The Sun:

The Sun is the source of Earth's heat and one of the largest features in 

our solar system. The surface of the sun is about 11,000 degrees 

Fahrenheit. The temperature of the center of the Sun has been 

recorded at 27,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The diameter of the sun 

is 1,112,000 miles. This pressure is so intense at the core that nuclear 

reactions take place. This reaction then transmits light and energy to 

warm our planet. From the sun our planet is able to create solar 

energy which we use to power buildings and our electronics. This 

would be considered an alternative energy resource. For a solar 

eclipse to take place, the Sun, Moon, and Earth must be aligned in 

perfect straight line. This only occurs in the new Moon phase although 

a solar eclipse may not happen with every new Moon. This is because 

the plane of the Moon's orbital path around Earth is inclined at an 

angle of 5 degrees to the Earth's orbital plane around the Sun. Our 

next stop is a planet named after a Greek God, can you guess what 

planet that could be?

Mercury: 

Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system and is named after the 

Greek God Mercury who was known for his fast running. Mercury completes 

its solar orbit in at an average of 88 days. For every two orbits of the Sun, 

Mercury completes three rotations about its axis and up until 1965 it was 

thought that the same side of Mercury constantly faced the Sun. Mercury 

has two surfaces; the one closest to the sun makes it the hottest planet in our 

solar system because its 801 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and at night 

the surface is -279 degrees Fahrenheit. Mercury is a small yet heavily 

cratered planet that is baked by the sun on one side and frozen on the 

other. Because Mercury is in close vicinity of the sun, it retains little to no 

atmosphere. This makes Mercury have an uncomfortable climate. 

Resembling the name of a Roman Goddess our next planet is one of the 

brightest, can you figure out our next stop?

Venus:

Venus resembles planet Earth very closely. It is close in size to the Earth 

and is covered in clouds of water vapor and carbon dioxide. There is 

even evidence of H2O on the surface. However, the surface of Venus is an 

inferno, with extreme pressure and heat. It is also under a drizzle of 

hydrochloric acid rain. Scientist found that Venus suffers from an 

excessive greenhouse effect causing it to have an extreme environment. 

In photographs it's easy to see a forbidden rocky terrain. It has a surface 

temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Venus is also the second 

brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. It’s the third rock from the 

sun and one we call home, Earth is up next.

Earth:

The Earth is one of the most dynamic planets. Our plant has a core of 

molten iron which creates a magnetic field around the entire planet. 

Earth's mantle has solid rock which is not quite liquid but behaves like 

flexible plastic. Earth's upper mantle is dense and is responsible for 

volcanoes and the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth's crust, which 

is where we live, does not extend very far down. It reaches 6 miles below 

the ocean floor and 30 miles below the continents which is where earth's 

thickest part of crust lies. Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78 percent of 

nitrogen and 21 percent of oxygen which is the reason why life can 

inhabit and thrive on this planet. It is also divided into four 

hemispheres; North and South, East and West. Known as the “Red 

Planet” this next stop is sure to be a good one.

Mars:

Mars is half way between the Earth and the Moon in size. Because of the 

low gravity of Mars and its cold climate, the atmosphere is very thin. Mars 

actually has seasons that last much longer than those on Earth. Mars is 

considered a vast desert of red rocks and sand dunes. It also has 

gigantic valleys and mountains. Also known as the "Red Planet," it is 

known that Mars has ice caps made up of frozen CO2 and water. Red dust 

storms often engulf the entire planet's surface. Like Earth Mars has a 

moon, in fact it has two moons Phobos and Deimos. Both the moons are very 

small and are abnormal in shape. With Mars being close to the 

asteroid belt, scientist have theorized that Phobos and Deimos are large 

captured asteroids. Our next planet is known for its four moons, could you 

figure out where to next?

Jupiter:

Jupiter is the largest of the planet and containing hydrogen gas. Because it 

rotates at a rapid rate, the disc of the planet is somewhat flattened. The 

outer clouds of Jupiter are very cold and even contain ice crystals. Just like 

earth, Jupiter produces a strong magnetic field. It has an extensive satellite 

family constitute it to be like a miniature solar system with four moons. 

Four of the moons, Lo, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are so luminous 

that they are visible through any small telescope. Known for the rings 

around it, where do you think we’re heading next?

Saturn:

It takes Saturn over 29 years to make one rotation around the Sun. There 

are three primary rings around Saturn, two bright and one semi-

transparent. Within the rings are billions of icy particles ranging in size 

from tiny grains to 1 kilometer in diameter. The gaseous surface of 

Saturn is made up of hydrogen. Saturn has a polar diameter of 67,560 

miles. Saturn has a vortex over its south pole that resembles a hurricane 

like storm. Heading onto our next planet, keep in mind that this one is on its 

side. Do you have a clue which one it is?

Uranus:

Uranus appears in the sky as nothing more than a faint star. Like Saturn, 

Uranus also has rings that are no more than 100 feet thick and are made up 

of boulders 3-7 feet in diameter. One interesting thing about Uranus is 

that it is flipped on its side. Instead of the equator facing the Sun, the 

Uranian poles are facing in the direction of the Sun. It has an axial tilt of 

98 degrees. The planet rotates in a retrograde direction opposite to the 

way Earth and most other planets turn. We’re coming up on our last planet, 

could you guess the name of this one?

Neptune:

Neptune's size is identical with Uranus but is considerably denser. The 

diameter of Neptune is 30,800 miles. Its blue-green disk of this planet 

features white clouds and a dark stormy region. Neptune has a strong 

source of internal heat. Neptune's moon Triton, is hundreds of degrees 

below zero making it the coldest world encountered by a space probe. In 

Neptune's upper atmosphere large storms sweep across its surface causing 

high speed solar winds to occur. Our journey is far from over.   If you look 

out your window you will see we are surrounded by asteroids.

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