NCERT Gist: The Earth in The Solar System | Additional Study Material for UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• The sun, the moon, and all those objects shining in the night sky are called celestial bodies.
• Stars-celestial bodies-very big and hot-made up of gases-have their own heat and light.
• Constellations-various patterns formed by different groups of stars (Ursa Major or Big Bear is one such constellation)- Saptarishi (Saptaseven, rishi-sages). It is a group of seven stars.Constellation
• Pole Star-North star which indicates the north direction in ancient times
• Planets-do does not have their own heat and light-gets all their heat and light from the sun our nearest star.
• The moon-a satellite that moves around the earth in about 27 days, has mountains
• Interesting Fact-Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus have rings around them. These are belts of small debris.
• These rings may be seen from the earth with the help of powerful telescopes.
  Question for NCERT Gist: The Earth in The Solar System

  Try yourself:The planet nearest to the sun is         

  • A.

    Mercury
  • B.

    Earth
  • C.

    Venus
  • D.

    Pluto

  Explanation

  The planet nearest to the sun is Mercury. Mercury is the smallest and closest

  to the Sun of the eight planets in the Solar System, with an orbital period of

  about 88 Earth days.

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The Solar System

Planets

• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• Orbits-All the eight planets of the solar system move around the sun in fixed paths. These paths are elongated. They are called orbits.
• Venus is considered as ‘Earth’s-twin’ because its size and shape are very much similar to that of the earth.
• Pluto-dwarf planets.

The Earth

• The third nearest planet, the fifth-largest planet-its shape is described as a Geoid (because it is slightly flattened at the poles)
• Interesting Fact-Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the surface of the moon on 21 July 1969.
• Indian satellites in space-INSAT, IRS, EDUSAT (They are manmade)
• A galaxy- a huge system of billions of stars, and clouds of dust and gases
• Asteroids-tiny bodies that move around the sun, found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
• Meteoroids-small pieces of rocks that move around the sun.