Earth and Solar System Chapter Notes | EVS for Class 2 PDF Download

The Solar System

The solar system is like a big family of planets, moons, aestroids, comets, and other objects that all orbit around a star called the Sun.

Just like Earth revolves around the Sun, other planets such as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune also revolve around it. All these planets and celestial bodies are held in their specific paths, called orbits, because of the Sun's gravity.

The Sun

The Sun is the only star in our solar system. It gives us light and warmth, which are important for life on Earth. As the Sun moves across the sky, it helps us understand time. We see the Sun rise in the east and set in the west every day.

Mercury (The Nearest Planet)

Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest to the Sun, is only little bigger than Earth's Moon.

Venus (The Hottest Planet)

Venus is Earth's closest neighbor and the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's twin because of its size. Even though Mercury is closest to the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.

Earth (Our Home)

Earth is our home planet; the third planet from the Sun; it is the only place we know of where life can exist.

Mars (The Red Planet)

Mars, a cold, dry and dusty planet with a thin atmosphere, is the fourth planet from the Sun.

Jupiter (The Largest Planet)

The largest planet in the solar system and the first gas giant from the Sun is Jupiter. All of the other planets in the solar system could fit inside Jupiter.

Saturn (Planet having a Ring)

The second-largest planet in our solar system, Saturn, is located at a distance of six planets from the Sun.

Uranus (The Coldest Planet)

The seventh planet from the Sun is Uranus. It is also the coldest planet in our Solar system.

Neptune (The Farthest Planet)

The fourth largest and eighth planet from the sun, Neptune is also a gas giant.

The Moon

The Earth has one moon that revolves around it. The Moon of Earth is also called its natural satellite. The Moon does not have its own light.

Do you know?

• Inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called the inner planets because they are closer to the Sun.
• Outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are known as the outer planets of the Solar System.

Movement of Earth 

(i) Rotation of Earth

• The rotation of Earth refers to its movement on its own axis.
• Earth takes 24 hours to complete one full rotation.

(ii) Revolution of Earth

1. The revolution of Earth is the movement of Earth around the Sun.
2. Earth takes 365 days and 6 hours to complete one full revolution around the Sun.

Fun Facts about Solar System

• At the center of our solar system is the Sun, a bright and hot star, which is surrounded by eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• The planets orbit around the Sun, while the Moon orbits our planet, Earth. Among these planets, Jupiter is the largest, and Mercury is the smallest.
• Earth rotates on its axis, completing one full rotation every day. It takes almost 365 days for Earth to orbit the Sun, which defines a year.
• Our solar system is located within the Milky Way galaxy, which is home to countless stars, including our own Sun.
• On Mars, scientists have found evidence of water in the form of ice. Comets, on the other hand, are icy remains from the early formation of our solar system, which occurred a lot of years ago.
• Some planets, like Jupiter and Saturn, are gas giants and do not have solid surfaces that we could walk on.