5. STARS & SOLAR SYSTEMS:-
THE OBJECTS WHICH EXIST IN THE SKY ARE
CALLED CELESTIAL OBJECTS.
SATELLITES LIKE MOON,PLANETS LIKE EARTH
ASTEROIDS,COMETS,METEOROIDS,STARS
(etc)ARE CALLED CELESTIAL OBJECTS.
IN THIS CHAPTER WE ARE GOING TO LEARN
ABOUT VARIOUS CELESTIAL OBJECTS.
6. NIGHT SKY:-
THE VARIOUS CELESTIAL OBJECTS WHICH WE CAN SEE
EASILY IN THE NIGHT SKY ARE STARS,PLANETS,MOON
& METEORS(or shooting stars)
AN IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF STARS IS THAT
THEY APPEAR TO TWINKLE IN THE SKY.
PLANETS DO NOT TWINKLE BECAUSE THEY ARE MUCH
MORE NEARER TO THE EARTH THAN THE STARS.
MOON IS THE MOST PROMINENT OBJECT WHICH WE
CAN SEE IN THE NIGHT SKY.
9. STARS:-
STARS ARE THE CELESTIAL OBJECTS THAT
ARE EXTREMELY HOT & HAVE LIGHT OF
THEIR OWN.
THE STARS APPEAR TO BE SMALL
BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY,VERY FAR AWAY
FROM US.
THE SUN IS THE STAR WHICH IS NEAREST
TO THE EARTH.THE SUN LOOKS MUCH
BIGGER & BRIGHTER BECAUSE IT IS MUCH
NEARER TO US THAN ANY OTHER STAR.
10. STARS:-(cont)
THOUGH THE STARS ARE PRESENT IN THE
SKY EVEN DURING THE DAYTIME,BUT WE
CANNOT SEE THEM DURING DAY TIME
BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF THE SUN
.
THE STARS APPEAR TO BE MOVE IN THE
SKY FROM EAST TO WEST DIRECTION .THIS
APPARENT MOTION OF THE STARS IN THE
SKY FROM EAST – WEST IS DUE TO THE
ROTATION OF EARTH FROM WEST – EAST ON
ITS AXIS
11. POLE STAR:-
THE STAR WHICH APPEARS STATIONARY
FROM THE EARTH IS CALLED POLE STAR.
THE POLE STAR APPEARS TO BE
STATIONARY & DOES NOT CHANGE ITS
POSITION ITS WITH TIME BECAUSE IT LIES
ON THE AXIS OF ROTATION(which is fixed in
space & does not change with time)
14. THE UNIT OF MEASURING
DISTANCES IN UNIVERSE: LIGHT
YEAR
THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS
CELESTIAL OBJECTS(like stars & planet)ARE
EXPRESSED IN THE UNIT OF “LIGHT
YEAR”. ONE LIGHT YEAR IS THE
DISTANCE TRAVELLED BYLIGHT IN ONE
YEAR.
1 LIGHT YEAR=9.46*10 to the power 12
LIGHT YEAR IS THE UNIT OF
DISTANCE.AFTER THE SUN THE NEAREST
STAR IS “PROXIMA CENTAURI”.THE
DISTANCE BETWEEN PROXIMA CENTAURI
&
IS 4.3LIGHT YEARS
17. CONSTELLATIONS:-
THE GROUP OF STARS WHICH APPEARS TO FORM SOME
RECOGNIZABLE SHAPE OR PATTERN IS KNOWN AS
CONSTELLATIONS.EACH CONSTELLATION HAS BEEN GIVEN A
NAME SIGNIFYING AN ANIMAL ,A HUMAN BEING OR SOME
OTHER OBJECTWHICH IT APPEARS TO RESEMBLE..
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT CONSTELLAIONS WHICH WE CAN
SEE DURING NIGHT SKY ARE:-
a) URSA MAJOR b)ORION c)CASSIOPEIA d)LEO MAJOR
19. URSA MAJOR
CONSTELLATIONS:-
THE URSA MAJOR CONSTELLATION
CONSISTS OF SEVEN BRIGHT STARS
WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN A PATTERN
RESEMBLING SOME WHAT A BIG BEAR.THE
URSA MAJOR CONSTELLATION IS VISIBLE
DURING THE SUMMER SEASON.
WE CAN LOCATE THE POSITION OF POLE
STAR IN THE NIGHT SKY WITH THE HELP
OF URSA MAJOR CONSTELLATION.THE
URSA MAJOR CONSTELLATION APPEARS
TO REVOLVE AROUND THE POLE STAR IN
THE NIGHT SKY.
21. ORION CONSTELLATION:-
THE ORION CONSTELLATION CONSISTS OF
SEVEN (or) EIGHT BRIGHT STARS.
THE ORION CONSTELLATION IS VISIBLE
TO US IN THE SKY DURING WINTER
SEASON.
THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY IS
CALLED “SIRIUS”.
25. LEO MAJOR CONSTELLATION:-
LEO MAJOR CONSTELLATION USUALLY
CONSISTS OF 9 MAIN STARS.
LEO MEANS “LION”.
LEO MAJOR CONSTELLATION IS
VISIBLE DURING SUMMER.
28. SOLAR SYSTEM:-
SOLAR SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THE
SUN,THE EIGHT PLANETS & THEIR
SATELLITES & MILLIONS OF SMALLER
CELESTIAL OBJECTS SUCH AS
ASTEROIDS,COMETS & METEOROIDS. THE
EIGHT PLANETS OF SOLAR SYSTEM
ACCORDING TO THEIR ORDER ARE:-
MERCURY,VENUS,EARTH,MARS,
JUPITER,SATURN,URANUS&NEPTUNE. THE
GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE SUN KEEPS
ALL THE PLANETS AND OTHER
OBJECTS REVOLVING AROUND
32. SUN
THE SUN IS A STAR.IT IS A STAR AROUND EARTH &
OTHER PLANETS WHICH REVOLVE. THE SUN IS A
STAR HAVING A SYSTEM OF PLANETS AROUND IT
WITH LIFE ON ONE OF ITS PLANETS CALLED
“EARTH”.THE SUN IS AN EXTREMELY HOT OBJECT
HAVING TEMPERATURE 6000 DEGREE CELCIUS.THE
SUN IS NOT A SOLID OBJECT.THE SUN CONSISTS
MOSTLY OF HYDROGEN GAS.THE SUN IS THE MAIN
SOURCE OF HEAT & LIGHT ENERGY FOR ALL THE
PLANETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM &
THEIR SATELLITES.
35. PLANETS:-
PLANETS ARE LARGE CELESTIAL OBJECTS
WHICH REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN IN
CLOSED ELLIPTICAL PATHS ARE CALLED
ORBITS.THE 8 PLANETS OF SOLAR SYSTEM
ARE:-
a)MERCURY b)VENUS c)EARTH d)MARS
e)JUPITER f)SATURN g)URANUS h)NEPTUNE
PLANETS HAVE NO LIFHT OF OWN.A PLANET
IS MADE UP OF ROCK& METAL,OR GAS.ALL
THE PLANETS REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN &
ALSO ROTATE ON ITS AXIS.
40. MERCURY:-
MERCURY IS THE PLANET WHICH IS
NEAREST TO THE SUN.MERCURY IS THE
SMALLEST PLANET OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM. MERCURY CAN BE SEEN EITHER
AS A MORNING STAR IN THE EASTERN SKY
JUST BEFORE THE SUN RISE (or) AS AN
EVENING STAR IN THE WESTERN SKY
JUST AFTER THE SUN SET.MERCURY
SHOWS PHASES LIKE MOON.NO LIFE EXIST
ON PLANET MERCURY.MERCURY HAS NO
SATELLITE.
41. VENUS:-
VENUS IS THE CLOSEST PLANET TO THE
EARTH.VENUS IS THE BRIGHTEST OBJECT IN
THE NIGHT SKY. THE HOTTEST PLANET IS
VENUS.THE PLANET VENUS CAN BE SEEN
EITHER AS A MORNING STAR IN THE
EASTERN SKY JUST BEFORE SUN-RISE (or)
AS AN EVENING STAR IN THE WESTERN SKY
JUST AFTER SUN SET.VENUS SHOW PHASES
LIKE MOON.VENUS HAS NO SATELLITE.
VENUS IS CALLED “SHUKRS GRAHA” IN
HINDI.
46. EARTH:-
EARTH IS THE ONLY PLANET IN THE SOLAR
SYSTEM ON WHICH LIFE IS KNOWN TO
EXIST.
EARTH HAS ONE NATURAL SATELLITE
CALLED MOON.AND IT HAS 1072 ARTIFICIAL
SATELLITES
THE EARTH TAKES 365 days&6hrs TO
COMPLETE ONE REVOLUTION &24 hrs TO
COMPLETE ONE ROTATION
47. HOW LIFE IS POSSIBLE ON EARTH:-
i. THE EARTH HAS AN ATMOSPHERE(which
contains many gases including oxygen &
carbon dioxide).
ii. THE EARTH HAS LARGE QUANTITIES OF
WATER.
iii. THE EARTH HAS A SUITABLE TEMPERATURE
RANGE.
iv. THE EARTH HAS A PROTECTIVE BLANKET
OF OZONE LAYER.
48. EARTH’S ROTATION &
REVOLUTION:-
THE EARTH ROTATES (or spins) ON AN IMAGINARY
AXIS WHICH PASSES THROUGH ITS NORTH & SOUTH
POLES.
THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF EARTH IS SLIGHTLY
TILTED WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF ITS ORBIT
AROUND THE SUN.
AN IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE OF THE ROTATION
OF THE EARTH ON ITS AXIS IS THAT IT CAUSES DAY &
NIGHT ON THE EARTH.
AN IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE OF THE MOTION OF
TILTED EARTH AROUND THE SUN IS THAT IT CAUSES
DIFFERENT SEASONS ON THE EARTH(such as summer,
winter etc.)
50. MARS
MARS IS ALSOCALLEDTHE RED PLANETBECAUSE ITS SURFACE APPEARS
TO BE RED.
OF ALL THE PLANETS,MARS IS MOST LIKE THE EARTH.
THE THINATMOSPHEREOF MARS CONTAINSMAINLY CARBON DIOXIDE
WITH SMALL AMONTS OF NITROGEN,OXYGEN,NOBLEGASES & WATER
VAPOUR.
MARS HAS TWONATURALSATELLITES
53. Jupiter
JUPITER IS THE BIGGEST PLANET OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM.IT CAN FIT 1300 EARTHS
INSIDE IT.
BUT WHEN COMPARED TO THE SUN
;JUPITER IS MUCH MUCH MORE SMALLER
THAN THE SUN.
JUPITER APPEARS TO BE A VERY BRIGHT
OBJECT IN THE NIGHT SKY.
JUPITER IS MADE MAINLY OF HYDROGEN &
HELIUM.
JUPITER HAS 28 SATELLITES.
55. SATURN
SATURNIS THE SECONDBIGGEST PLANET IN SOLAR SYSTEM.SATURN IS
ALSOMADEURN UP MAINLYOF HYDROGEN& HELIUM.
THE MOSTDISTINGUISHINGFEATURE OF SATURNIS THE SYSTEMOF
COLOURFULRINGSAROUNDIT.THE PRESENCEOF WELL-DEVELOPED
RINGSCIRCLINGSATURNMAKES THE PLANETUNIQUE IN THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
SATURNHAS 30 SATELLITES.ITIS CALLEDSHANI GRAHAIN HINDI.
59. URANUS
URANUS WAS THE PLANET TO HAVE BEEN
DISCOVERED WITH THE HELP OF A
TELESCOPE .
URANUS IS THE THIRD BIGGEST PLANET OF
THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
THE MOST REMARKABLE FEATURE OF URANUS
IS THAT IT GAS HIGHLY TILTED AXIS OF
ROTATION. URANUS APPEARS TO ROLL ON ITS
SIDE WHILE ORBITTING AROUND THE SUN.
URANUS IS MADE UP OF HYDROGEN &
HELIUM.THE PLANET HAS 21 SATELLITES.
62. NEPTUNE
THE PLANET NEPTUNE IS FARTHEST FROM
THE SUN & THE EARTH.NEPTUNE IS THE
SECOND PLANET WHICH WAS DISCOVERED
WITH THE HELP OF A TELESCOPE.
NEPTUNE IS EXTREMELY COLD PLANET.IT IS
THE 4th LARGEST PLANET OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
NEPTUNE HAS 8 SATELLITES.IT IS CALLED
“VARUN GRAHA” IN HINDI.
65. SATELLITE
A SATELLITE IS A CELESTIAL BODY THAT REVOLVES
AROUND THAT REVOLVES AROUND A PLANET.
MOON IS THE SATELLITE OF THE EARTH.MERCURY &
VENUS DOES NOT HAVE SATELLITES.
THE SATELLITES REVOLVE AROUND THE PLANETS
DUE TO THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE PLANETS.
THE SATELLITES HAVE NO LIGHT OF THEIR
OWN,THEY REFLECT SUNLIGHT.
67. MOON
THE MOON IS THE NATURAL
SATELLITE OF THE EARTH.MOON IS THE
CLOSEST CELESTIAL OBJECT TO THE
EARTH.IT TAKES 29.5 DAYS FOR MOON
TO ROTATE THE EARTH.
THE SURFACE OF THE MOON IS
COVERED WITH HARD & LOOSE
DIRT,CRATERS & MOUNTAINS.
SINCE THERE IS NO AIR & WATER,LIFE
IS IMPOSSIBLE ON MOON’S SURFACE.
70. MAN ON MOON
THE FIRST MAN TO LAND ON THE MOON WAS
NEIL ARMSTRONG,FOLLWED BY EDWIN
ALDRIN AND THE LAST ONE MICHEAL COLLINS
OF “U.S.A”.
THEY WERE A CREW OF APOLLO 11.
THEY LANDED ON JULY 1969.
73. PHASES OF MOON & MOON’S
LIGHT
WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THE MOON BECAUSE THE
SUNLIGHT FALLING ON THE MOON REFLECTED
TOWARDS THE EARTH.
THE DAY ON WHICH THE MOON IS NOT VISIBLE
IS CALLED THE “NEW MOON DAY”.THE DAY ON
WHICH THE WHOLE BRIGHT DISC OF MOON IS
VISIBLE TO US IS CALLED THE “FULL MOON
DAY”.WE HAVE ONE NEW MOON & ONE SUKK
MOON DAY DURING A MONTH.
AS MOON REVOLVES AROUND THE EARTH ONCE
EVERY MONTH & MOVES AROUND THE SUN
ALONGWITH EARTH,DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF ITS
SUN-LIT SURFACE ARE TURNED TOWARDS THE
EARTH LEADING TO CHANGE IN THE
APPEARANCE OF MOON & FORMATION OF
PHASES OF THE MOON.
77. SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF SOLAR
SYSTEM:-
IN ADDITION TO THE SUN ,PLANETS AND
SATELLITES ,THE SOLAR SYSTEM ALSO
INCLUDES ASTEROIDS,COMETS,METEOROIDS &
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE
78. ASTEROIDS
ASTEROIDS ARE THE SMALL CELESTIAL
OBJECTS WHICH REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN
BETWEEN THE ORBITS OF MARS & JUPITER.
ASTEROIDS ARE ALSO CALLED MINOR
PLANETS.
ASTEROIDS ARE THE MEMBERS OF OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM
ASTRONOMERS BELIEVE THAT ASTEROIDS
ARE THE PIECES OF MATTER THAT WERE
FORMED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE REST OF
THE PLANETS WHICH SOMEHOW COULD NOT
ASSEMBLE TO FORM A MAJOR PLANET.
82. COMETS
COMETS ARE VERY SMALL CELESTIAL OBJECTS
MADE OF GAS & DUST WHICH REVOLVE AROUND
THE SUN IN HIGHLY ELLIPTICAL ORBITS & BECOME
VISIBLE ONLY WHEN THEY COME CLOSE TO THE
SUN.
COMETS ARE SMALLER THAN ASTEROIDS.
THE PERIOD OF REVOLUTION OF A COMET
AROUND THE SUN IS VERY,VERY LARGE. HALLEY’S
COMET HAS A PERIOD OF REVOLUTION 76 YRS. IT IS
LAST SEEN IN 1986.
EACH COMET REVOLVE AROUND SUN IN ITS OWN
ORBIT.
87. METEOROIDS : METEORS &
METEORITES
METEOROIDS ARE CELESTIAL OBJECTS WHICH
RANGE IN SIZE FROM TINY SAND GRAINS TO BIG
BOULDERS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED TONNES &
REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN IN THEIR ORBITS.
METEOROIDS ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN
ASTEROIDS & COMETS.
METEORS ARE THE CELESTIAL BODIES FROM
THE SKY WHICH WE SEE AS A BRIGHT STREAK
OF LIGHT THAT FLASHES FOR A MOMENT
ACROSS THE SKY. THE METEORS ARE
COMMONLY CALLED “SHOOTING STARS”.
88. METEOROIDS : METEORS &
METEORITES (cont)
A METEOR IS CALLED A SHOOTING STAR
BECAUSE,VIEWED FROM THE EARTH ,IT LOOKS
LIKE A STREAK OF STARLIGHT SHOOTING
ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY.A STAR HAS ITS OWN
LIGHT BUT A SHOOTING STAR HAS NO LIGHT OF
ITS OWN.
A METEOR WHICH DOES NOT BURN UP
COMPLETELY ON ENTERING THE EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE & LANDS ON EARTH,IS KNOWN AS
A METEORITE.
METEOROIDS ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
93. ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
A MAN-MADE SPACE CRAFT PLACED IN
ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH IS CALLED AN
“ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE”.IT IS LOCATED ON
THE IONOSPHERE OF THE EARTH.
THE MOTION OF ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE
AROUND THE EARTH IS MAINTAINED BY THE
GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE
EARTH.THERE ARE 1072 ARTFICIAL
SATELLITES IN THE WORLD,IN WHICH 50%
ARE AMERICANS.
94. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ARTIFICIAL
SATELLITE & A MOON
SOME OF THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE & MOON IS AS
FOLLOWS:-
THE ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE MUCH
NEARER TO THE EARTH THAN THE MOON.
THE HEIGHT OF THE ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
FROM THE EARTH CAN BE ADJUSTED
ACCORDING TO OUR NEEDS.THIS IS HOWEVER
IMPOSSIBLE IN MOON.
96. ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES(cont):-
THE ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES CARRY A
LARGE VARIETY OF EQUIPMENT AND
INSTRUMENT INSIDE THEM.
THE ELECTRICITY REQUIRED FOR RUNNING
THE EQUIPMENT IN AN ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE
IS PROVIDED BY SOLAR CELLS.
THE TECHNIQUE OF COLLECTING
INFORMATION ABOUT AN OBJECT FROM A
DISTANCE (without making any physical
contact of an object) IS CALLED “REMOTE
SENSING”.
98. APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE:-
SOME OF THE MAJOR APPLICATIONS OF
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE:-
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE USED FOR
COMMUNICATION SUCH AS LONG DISTANCE
TRANSMISSION OF TELEVISION, RADIO,
INTERNET,etc.
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE USED FOR
WEATHER FORECASTINGGIVING ADVANCE
WARNING OF FLOODS,CYCLONES etc
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE USED FOR
SURVEYING THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE
EARTH.
99. APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES (cont):-
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE USED FOR
SPYING FOR MILITARY PURPOSES(like
observing the movement of enemy troops &
military equipment, taking pictures of enemy
fields etc).
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES ARE USED TO
COLLECT IN FORMATION ABOUT OTHER
PLANETS ,STARS & GALAXIES,etc.
101. “ARYABHATTA”
INDIA HAS BUILT & LAUNCHED MANY
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES.
THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE LAUNCHED
BY INDIA WAS “ARYABHATTA”.
SOME OTHER INDIAN SATELLITES ARE :
BHASKARA,INSAT,IRS,ROHINI,KALPANA-1,
EDUSAT.
THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE SCIENCE
PROGRAMMES IN OUR COUNTRY IS “INDIAN
SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION”(ISRO).