Explore

Table
of Contents

Lesson 1
Introduction
Lesson 2
What is astronomy?
Lesson 3
How big is the universe?
Lesson 4
The origin of the universe
Lesson 5
Watching the sky
Lesson 6
Why did God create the heavenly bodies?
Lesson 7
Space exploration
Lesson 8
A Tour of the Solar System
Lesson 9
A Tour of the Solar System—The Sun and the Moon
Lesson 10
Stars and galaxies
Lesson 11
Cosmic Catastrophes
Lesson 12
Catastrophes in the Solar System
Lesson 13
Are there other planets in the Solar System?
Author: Dr. Jonathan Henry

For thousands of years, people have gazed at the night sky and the bright

morning and wondered, ‘What’s out there?’. Our universe is so vast and

awe-inspiring that to learn about it is to learn about ourselves. The

Astronomy Book will show you: 



What long-ago astronomers thought about other worlds

Solar system facts

How constellations relate to astrology

The history of space exploration

Whether black holes exist

The origin and age of the moon

Why Mars doesn’t support life

The composition of stars

Supernova remnants

The myth of star birth

Asteroid legends and the extinction of the dinosaurs

Whether planets outside our solar system could be home to intelligent life

What UFOs are

The age of comets and meteor showers



Hardcover. (Junior High–Adult) 80 pages.

The Astronomy Book
by Dr Jonathan Henry

Lesson 8

A Tour of the Solar System

Textbook:

The Astronomy Book

Text:

pp. 36-37, 44-49

Scripture:

Isaiah 45:18
Genesis 1

Vocabulary Words

  • retrograde
  • prograde
  • nebular hypothesis
  • axis

Questions:

  1. Use the glossary (pp. 77-78) to define the vocabulary words.
  2. Memorize the names of the known planets in our solar system.
  3. What makes Earth different from all the other planets?
  4. On what day of Creation week were the planets (other than Earth) created?
  5. Name at least four things that make Earth unique among the planets (e.g. distance from the Sun, the ability to support life, water, time of creation). Why are these factors important?
  6. Write a paragraph about why God made other planets.
  7. Which two planets are closer to the Sun than Earth?
  8. Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?
  9. What color does Mars appear in the sky?
  10. What is the biggest planet?
  11. Saturn is know as the ‘______ ______’.
  12. Name at least two things that Jupiter and Saturn have in common.
  13. Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto are the last three planets discussed in the text. Be sure to add some characteristics to the activities chart (below) about these three planets.

Additional articles:

Activity:

Make a chart listing all the planets. For each planet list at least two significant details. Children may wish to draw the planets (as seen on page 36 and 37) as well. Examples of significant details could be how the planet appears in the sky, or how hot it is, what its ‘atmosphere’ is made up of, etc. Be creative!