There's No Place Like It
Have you ever wanted to own a magical belt that you could strap around your waist to protect you as though you were a superhero? There are special belts out in space called Van Allen belts that are created by the earth's magnetic field. These belts work like a shield to protect the earth and everyone on it.
The Van Allen belts are located above the atmosphere and trap dangerous electrified particles that are carried from the sun by the solar wind. Space travelers need special protection on their crafts as they pass through these belts. Some of the particles that escape from the belts near the North and South Poles can run into certain types of gases in the atmosphere.
When this happens, sudden, fluttering, colored curtains of light seem to fall to the ground. These displays or colors in the sky are called northern lights or the aurora borealis when they appear in the Northern Hemisphere. They are known as the aurora australis when they happen in the Southern Hemisphere.
The names for these lights come from the word aurora, meaning dawn. Different colors can appear when these collisions occur. If you hear of a lot of sun spot activity, you may want to watch the skies carefully, even if you don't live near the North or South Poles.
AURORA:
One of nature's most spectacular light shows is called an aurora. These light shows take place close to the Northern and Southern poles of the earth as solar particles collide with the Earth's magnetic fields.
It's Just Right!
Do you remember the story called “The Three Bears” and how Goldilocks kept looking until she found a place where everything was just right for her? You don't have to search very far to find the perfect place for you, because you and all your friends live on it.
From space, our planet looks like a big blue-and-white colored marble and any traveler in space can see how fortunate Earth's inhabitants are to have all those white, fluffy clouds and all that water! One of the biggest mysteries in space is why Earth is the only planet in our solar system and perhaps the whole universe that has survived the “big bang” and is able to support life. What does make a planet just right? How many answers can you think of?
Our sun is big enough to create enough gravity to hold all the planets in orbit.
Our sun is old enough to warm the earth, without burning it up. All the other planets weren't as lucky; their distance from the sun makes them too hot or too cold!
The earth turns every day, so that it doesn't cook one side while it freezes the other.
Some of the other planets' days last for many months on Earth.
The earth is tipped a little, so it has seasons. No freezing or cooking!
The earth is a magnet. This shields it from the deadly solar wind.
The earth has a layer of carbon dioxide that keeps us warm.
If the earth had not been able to make oxygen, there would be no oceans or air to breathe.
FUN FACT
Going Around in Circles
Although the earth makes an oval, not a perfect circle, in its orbit around the sun, the earth's distance from the sun doesn't make that much difference in how warm or cold it is on earth.
Astronomers have discovered there are other planets orbiting stars in distant galaxies, but they don't think you could live on any of them. Although many of the other planets in our solar system have mountains, sunrises, and sunsets, they don't have air or water. Do you think they ever did?
People use water every day for all kinds of things like taking a bath or watering their lawn. Water can also be used for fun. You can take a trip to the beach, canoe down a river, or ski down a mountain. Can you think of any other fun things to do with water?
