10
11
More Fun Facts About Space
Earth
• Earth spins like a top. This movement is
called rotating.
• The thin shell of air around Earth is called
its atmosphere.
• Earth is mostly made up of rock and metal.
Moon
• Land formations, like mountains and plains, create the
“man in the moon’s” face.
• An American astronaut was the first human to set foot
on the Moon.
• The Moon is larger than the planet Pluto.
Saturn
• Long ago people thought Saturn’s rings were “ears”!
• Each of Saturn’s seasons lasts about 7
1
/
2
years.
• It takes Saturn nearly 30 years to travel around
the Sun.
Galaxy
• Stars shine because they are hot.
• Stars look tiny because they are so far away.
• There are 200 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Space Shuttle
• Astronauts on the Space Shuttle exercise every day.
• There is no shower or bathtub on the Space Shuttle,
so astronauts take sponge baths.
• The Space Shuttle is made up of three parts: the
Orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters, and External Tank.
International Space Station
• When finished, the Space Station will be the largest
spacecraft ever built.
• The Space Station orbits about 230 miles above Earth.
• Astronauts aboard the Space Station play video games,
listen to CDs, and get e-mail from their families.
Comet
• The word “comet” comes from a word that means
“long haired.”
• A comet’s glow is light reflected from the Sun.
• Some scientists think that comets are the oldest
bodies in the solar system.
Jupiter
• It takes Jupiter nearly 12 years to orbit the Sun.
• Jupiter has the biggest moon in the solar system.
• Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, has active volcanoes on it.
*Space images are courtesy of NASA.
