Planets

Far out! It’s time for some out-of-this-world exploration. In Planets, kids will find out everything they need to know about all the other heavenly bodies, besides the Earth, that orbit our Sun. Starting with the three criteria an object in our solar system must meet to be considered a planet, this issue then takes a look at each one in turn, picking up incredible facts along the way. Did you know that the poles of Mercury always stay well below freezing, that Venus’ clouds are made of sulfuric acid, and that on Mars, the daytime sky looks like our sunset, while sunset is bright and blue?

Next, take a peek at gas giant Jupiter and its 63 moons, then dissect Saturn’s 10,000 rings. And don’t forget the outer planets; for kids interested in the furthest reaches of our solar system, details on watery, distant Uranus and methane-clouded Neptune, as well as the dwarf planets Pluto and Ceres, are sure to be compelling. Wandering comets and the asteroids of the Kuiper Belt get a close look too. This unit will help kids retain all the neat details they’ve learned about our nearest neighbors in the sky.