The document summarizes key aspects of our solar system. It describes the sun as a luminous object that Earth and the moon orbit around. While the sun produces its own light, Earth and the moon are non-luminous and can only be seen when they reflect sunlight. It also explains what causes days, years, and seasons on Earth. Eclipses occur when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned. The solar system contains 8 planets that orbit the sun, along with moons, asteroids, and other objects held by the sun's gravity.

1. THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND
By Hassaan Anjum

2. THE SUN, EARTH AND MOON
If you were given a light source, a tennis ball and a football, how would you use
them to represent the Sun, Earth, and moon? The Sun, Earth, and Moon cannot be
represented accurately by models or diagrams because the Sun is much bigger
than the Earth and the Moon and is very far away from them.

3. 1. THE SUN
The Sun is a light source as it gives out its own
light.
Objects which give light are known as luminous
objects.
 We can see them when the light they give out
reaches our eyes.
A full moon appears bright.

4. 2. THE MOON
Non-luminous objects
Not all bright objects are light sources.
Objects which not give out light are non-
luminous objects. We can see them
when they reflect light into our eyes.
Moon
The moon does not give out its own
light. The Moon reflects the Sun’s light
and when the reflected light enters our
eyes we see the Moon.

5. 3.THE EARTH
The Earth, like the Moon, is a non-luminous object.
What is the cause of a year?
It was believed that the Earth was the center of the
universe, and that the Sun revolves around the Earth.
Now, we know that is not true. The Earth in fact revolves
around the Sun in an elliptical (oval) path or orbit.
The Earth takes 365.25 days (I Earth year) to make one
revolution around the Sun, at a speed of 110 000 km/h .
(Compare this to the speed of a fast moving car on a
highway , which is about 110 km/h.)
A year on earth is the time taken for the Earth to go
around the sun once.

6. What is the cause of a day?
The Sun rises in the morning and seems to move gradually across the sky from east
to west in the day before setting.
 people used to think that the Sun revolved around the Earth because of the apparent movement of the
Sun across the sky. Now we know better. Imagine that you are in a moving car. The trees and building’s
around seem to be moving past you. However ,this apparent movement of the scenery is due to the
movement of the car. Similarly, the sun appears to move because the Earth has moving.
The day is on the side of the Earth which is facing the Sun and the side away from
the Sun has night.

7. ECLIPSES
There are two types of eclipses:
1.Solar eclipse
2.Lunar eclipse

8. SOLAR ECLIPSE
During a solar eclipse, the Sun is partially or totally blocked by the Moon. This
happens when the Sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line and the Moon
becomes between the Sun and the Earth. The sun cast a shadow of the Moon on the
Earth.

9. LUNAR ECLIPSE
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon is
blocked by the Earth. This happens when
the Earth is between the Sun and the
Moon and all three are in a straight line.
The sun casts a shadow of the Earth on the
moon.

10. SEASONS
There are 4 seasons:
1.Summer
2.Winter
3.Autumn
4.Spring

11. CAUSES OF SEASONS
Earth rotates about its axis.
This imaginary axis is a line drawn
through the Centre of the Earth
from the North to the South pole.
It is not vertical but tilts at an angle
of 23.5 to the vertical.
 It is the tilt of the Earth’s axis
which causes the seasons on
Earth.

12. SOLAR SYSTEM

13. SOLAR SYSTEM
 Revolving around the Sun in elliptical orbits are eight planet
 The inner planets are separated from the outer planets by an asteroid belt.
 The four outer planets are gas giants.
 All the planets, with the exception of Mercury, Venus, have Moons revolving around them.
 The Sun together with the planets and their moons, asteroids and other objects which orbit
the Sun make up the Solar System.
 The Sun makes up more than 99% of the total mass of the Solar System and it’s Gravity pulls
the other objects in the Solar System to revolve around it.

14. LIFE SUSTAINABILITY ON EARTH
only Earth
Why?
The presence of liquid water
Right distance away from the Sun.
The Earth’s Atmosphere forms a life-support
system, providing living things with air.