"Describes the eight planets in our solar system, including the birth of the solar system and the planets' orbits around the Sun"--Provided by publisher.

Find out about Earth and how it is unique from the other planets in our solar system.

Find out about the sun's properties and characteristics.

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.

Activities covered include: The scale of the solar system: How big are the planets? How far apart are the planets? The shape of planetary orbits Retrograde motion: The planets move backwards? Phases of the moon ...plus 13 more intriguing activities See other Hands-On Science Series titles (13-Book set)

Author David Aguilar uses brilliant photo-realistic illustration and fascinating up-to-date facts straight from the latest astronomy news to bring you a comprehensive look at our solar system as you've never seen it before.

See the Solar System like never before The Planets is an awe-inspiring and informative journey through the Solar System, with all-new 3D globes and models built using the latest data gathered by NASA and the European Space Agency that can be viewed from any angle and layer by layer. You can even move in for a closer look with 3D terrain models that take you on a trip to the surfaces of the rocky planets. As well as covering the Sun, the planets, hundreds of moons and thousands of asteroids and comets, The Planets includes all the major Solar System missions, right up to the latest Mars rovers. Timelines explore our relationship with each planet and infographics present fascinating Solar System facts and planet facts. The Planets is ideal for anyone interested in space exploration and all armchair astronauts or astronomers.