The document provides information about our solar system and the universe. It describes the major components of the solar system including the sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids and dwarf planets. It then discusses the history of astronomy from ancient civilizations studying the night sky to modern space exploration. It also explains how gravity and orbits allow the solar system to function and how scientists like Newton contributed to our understanding of motion and orbits. Finally, it summarizes the leading scientific theory of the origins of the universe via the Big Bang over 14 billion years ago.

1. Our solar system

2. What is The Universe?What is Space?What keeps it all in place?How did everything get where it is today?

3. What's in our Solar System?The Sun - a star in the center of our planetary system, composed of hydrogen and helium, which produces its own energy and light

4. Planets - large celestial spheres, illuminated by light from the star around which they revolve

5. Moons - natural objects that orbit a planet

6. Comets - balls of ice and rock with elliptical orbits around the Sun which develop long tails as they near the Sun

7. Asteroids and Meteoroids - small rocky objects orbiting the Sun, which can collide with planets, moons or other objects

8. Dwarf Planets - larger than asteroids but smaller than planets

9. Kuiper Belt Objects - smaller icy/rocky objects beyond the orbit of Neptune which may supply materials for cometsBrief History of Astronomy2000 BC - Stonehenge & Mayan temples show ancient civilizations studied the night sky Early calendars developed based on lunar cycles200 AD - Greek astronomers (Ptolemy, Aristotle, etc.) map 1000's of starsGeocentric view of the universe1543 AD - Copernicus writes On the Revolution of Heavenly BodiesHeliocentric view of the universe presented but not accepted1580 to 1597 - Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler study the motion of planets1609 AD - Galileo studies the night sky with a telescope (he didn't invent it)1686 AD - Sir Isaac Newton formulates his Universal Law of GravitationHeliocentric view gains popularity1900's - Space exploration begins, huge advances made

10. History of Astronomy2000 BC - Stonehenge & Mayan temples show ancient civilizations studied the night sky Early calendars developed based on lunar cycles200 AD - Greek astronomers (Ptolemy, Aristotle, etc.) map 1000's of starsGeocentric view of the universe1543 AD - Copernicus writes On the Revolution of Heavenly BodiesHeliocentric view of the universe presented but not accepted1580 to 1597 - Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler study the motion of planets1609 AD - Galileo studies the night sky with a telescope (he didn't invent it)1686 AD - Sir Isaac Newton formulates his Universal Law of GravitationHeliocentric view gains popularity1900's - Space exploration begins (space shuttle missions, ISS, Hubble space telescope)

11. How Does it All Fit Together? The Solar System is like a familyDifferent members, each unique, some close and others distantGravity is the "love" that holds them all together. (awwwww)Sun is center of our solar system. Who does your family revolve around?The solar system is just one among many in the Milky Way, just like there are many families in your community?

12. What is The Universe?What is Space?What keeps our solar system in place?How did everything get where it is today?

13. Motion, Gravity and OrbitWhat keeps the Earth spinning around the sun?NEWTON'SFIRST LAW OF MOTIONThe velocity of an object will not change unless the object is acted on by an outside force.What forces act on objects on Earth? In space?FrictionGravityCollisionSlope

14. Motion, Gravity and OrbitWhat keeps the Earth spinning around the sun?NEWTON'S LAW OF GRAVITYAll objects with mass are attracted to one another by a gravitational force. If you've got "stuff" (mass) then you've got "love" (gravitational attraction).The gravitational force between two masses is directly proportional to the mass of each object. The bigger your "stuff," the bigger your "love."The gravitational force between two masses is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between those two objects. The more space between your "stuff" and mine, the less "love" there is between us, (a.k.a. distance does NOT make the heart grow fonder).