Other Astronomical Bodies
Science: KS3, topic 3.6.3
Other Astronomical Bodies
As well as planets, there are lots of other bodies in the solar system.
Meteors, meteoroids and meteorites
- Meteoroids are smaller than asteroids.
- Meteoroids orbit the Sun.
- A meteoroid that enters our atmosphere and burns up is called a meteor.
- A meteor that streaks through the night sky is commonly called a shooting star.
- If a small piece of meteoroid reaches the Earth’s surface, we call this a meteorite.
Other bodies
- In the solar system, there are:
- 5 dwarf planets – these are too small to be a planet.
- Over 180 moons – these orbit planets.
- 566,000 asteroids - these are rocks that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Mars in the asteroid belt.
- Over 3,000 comets - these are made from dust and ice like big dirty snowballs.
- A comet called Halley’s Comet is pictured in the Bayeaux Tapestry.
History of the solar system
- The solar system is thought to have formed 4.6 billion years ago.
- People first thought that the Earth was the centre of the Universe. This is NOT correct.
- Observations show that the Sun is the centre of the solar system.
- We call the modern day model of the solar system 'The Heliocentric Model'.
- Helios was the Ancient Greek word for the Sun.
- A Polish astronomer called Nicolaus Copernicus suggested the Heliocentric Model.
Test yourself on Other Astronomical Bodies
What are comets made of?
How old is the solar system?