Planet
/ˈplænɪt/
nounA2
Definition
A planet is a big, round body in space that travels in a path around a star. Planets do not make their own light but reflect the light from their star. Examples include Earth, Mars, and Jupiter.
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See It in Action
A large round object in space orbiting a star
- •Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
- •Mars is known as the red planet because of its color.
- •Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system.
Sometimes used metaphorically to mean a place or world
- •She felt like she was living on a different planet after moving to a new city.
- •The company wants to explore new planets in science fiction stories.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "planet" like "ball," but a very big ball that floats in space and moves around the Sun.
- ✓Picture the Earth as a big blue and green ball spinning slowly and traveling around a bright yellow Sun.
- ✓It's the feeling of looking up at the night sky and knowing there are many worlds like ours out there.
- ✓Sounds like "PLAN-it" → imagine planning a trip to a big ball far away in space.
- ✓Remember stories about astronauts traveling to different planets like Mars or the Moon in space movies.
- ✓NOT like "star" (which makes its own light), a planet only shines by reflecting light from a star.
- ✓NOT like "moon" (which orbits a planet), a planet orbits a star directly.
- ✓NOT like "asteroid" (small rock in space), a planet is much bigger and rounder.
Try Other Words
- •World: a place where people or animals live (Use when talking about life or culture on Earth or other places)
- •Globe: a round model of Earth (Use when showing a small, physical model of a planet)
- •Sphere: any round object (Use when focusing on the shape, not the space meaning)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "planet" comes from Greek "planētēs" meaning "wanderer"
- •Etymology: From Greek, because planets look like they wander in the sky compared to stars
- •Historical development: Used since ancient times to describe moving bright objects in the sky that are not stars
- •Modern usage: Means large round bodies orbiting stars, especially in our solar system or other solar systems
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think life on different planets might be different from life on Earth?
•Why do you think people have always been curious about planets and space?
Fill in the blanks
1.A planet moves in a path called an orbit ___ a star like the Sun.
2.Unlike stars, a planet does not make its own ___ but reflects light.
3.Earth is a planet that has ___ where people, animals, and plants live.
4.When astronauts travel to a planet, they must prepare for ___ conditions like no air or water.
5.The Moon is not a planet because it orbits a ___, not a star.
6.We can see some planets at night because they ___ the Sun’s light.
7.People say "living on another planet" to describe feeling very ___ or different from others.