太空 Space Let′s Explore Science儿童科普.pdf

CONTENTS CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 What Is Outer Space? 4 CHAPTER 2 The Solar System 8 CHAPTER 3 The Earth’s Place in Space 10 CHAPTER 4 The Moon 14 CHAPTER 5 The Sun 18 CHAPTER 6 The Eight Planets 20 CHAPTER 7 Other Objects in Space 36 Time Line of Space Exploration 44 Websites to Visit/Further Reading 45 Glossary 46 Index 48 3 CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS OUTER SPACE? WHAT IS OUTER SPACE? What do you think of when you hear the word “space?” You might think of the Sun and the planets in our solar system. You might picture the billions of stars that light up the sky at night, or asteroids and meteors as they hurtle through the sky. All of these are part of our incredibly vast universe. The solar system including dwarf planet Pluto and the asteroid belt. 44 Gases and dust gathering south of the constellation Orion’s belt. 55 When people talk of space, they usually mean outer space, which is the area of space beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. In the United States, anyone who flies beyond an altitude of 50 miles (80.5 km) is considered to be an astronaut. An astronaut on a spacewalk with the Earth in the background. 6 The farther you