6th Grade Science

Investigating forces, energy, and Earth's place in the universe.

Advanced Topics

The Solar System and Beyond

Exploring Our Solar System

Our solar system is made up of the Sun, eight planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Earth is just one small part of this amazing neighborhood!

Planets and Orbits

Each planet travels around the Sun in an orbit. Some, like Mercury, go fast and close to the Sun; others, like Neptune, take much longer.

Beyond the Solar System

There are billions of other stars, and many have their own planets. The universe is huge and full of mysteries waiting to be explored.

Real-World Connections

  • Space missions send robots to study Mars and other planets.
  • Satellites orbit Earth and help us predict weather.

Examples

  • Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.

  • The Hubble Space Telescope takes pictures of distant galaxies.

In a Nutshell

Earth is part of a vast solar system, which is just a tiny part of the universe.

Key Terms

Orbit
The path an object takes around another in space.
Asteroid
A small, rocky object that orbits the Sun.
Galaxy
A giant group of stars, gas, and dust in space.