Describes the origins, characteristics, and future of the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

Where is it partly cloudy and 860°F? Venus. Read about the eight planets in our solar system and Earth's special place in it. This book also includes instructions for making your own solar system mobile, and on the new "Find Out More" page learn how to track the moon and visit the best plant web sites.

Readers will want to grab a telescope and explore the night skies after finishing this overview of our solar system. Our solar system consists of eight planets, as well as numerous moons, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids. For thousands of years, humans believed that Earth was at the center of the Universe, but all of that changed in the 17th century. Astronomers like Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton proposed the unthinkable theory that Earth and the other planets actually revolved around the Sun. This engaging book chronicles the beginning of the modern age of astronomy, then follows later discoveries, including NASA's current missions in space.

The mysteries of space are endless, but some of the most extraordinary places in the universe can be found right in our own solar system. Home to nine very different but individually fascinating planets and their moons, our solar system is a universe of wonders.

""Presents facts about the composition, atmosphere, and history of exploration of Mercury and Venus and features large illustrations and photographs."-Provided by publisher"--

"Dr. Mae Jemison and 100 Year Starship"--P. [1] of cover.

Introduces the solar system, its origins, and shooting stars, and looks at how scientists are exploring outer space.