What Is the Solar System?

🕐 4 min 3 sec 👦 Ages 4–5 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the wonders of the solar system, learning about stars and planets in a fun way!
Identify planets and stars in the solar system Understand the concept of stargazing Learn about the Sun as a star
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo! Owlo! I have the most exciting news. I saw something amazing last night!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Well, good morning, Koko! Come in, come in. Tell me everything.
                
                    Koko:
                    I was sitting outside with my mom, and we looked up at the sky. There were so many tiny lights everywhere!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh, you were stargazing! The night sky is one of the most wonderful things to look at.
                
                    Koko:
                    Mom pointed at one really bright one and said it was a planet. What is a planet, Owlo?
                
                    Owlo:
                    A planet is a big, round ball that travels through space. It goes around a giant star, like our Sun.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wait, the Sun is a star? I thought stars were the tiny twinkly ones!
                
                    Owlo:
                    The Sun is actually a star too, Koko. It just looks much bigger because it is the closest star to us.
                
                    Koko:
                    Whoa. So is there more than just the Sun and some planets up there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    There is so much more! In fact, the Sun and everything that travels around it has a special name. It is called the Solar System.
                
                    Koko:
                    The Solar System! That sounds really big.
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is enormous! I have a wonderful poster of it in the science lab. Shall we go take a look?
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, yes, yes! Let's go right now!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Here we are. Now, look at this poster on the wall. Right in the middle, you can see the big, bright Sun.
                
                    Koko:
                    It looks so warm and glowy. Everything else is going around it in circles!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Those circles are called orbits. Each planet follows its own path around the Sun, like a running track.
                
                    Koko:
                    How many planets are there going around the Sun?
                
                    Owlo:
                    There are eight planets in our Solar System. Let me point to them one by one.
                
                    Koko:
                    Eight! That is a lot. Do they all look the same?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Not at all! Some are small and rocky, like Earth, where we live. Others are huge and made mostly of gas.
                
                    Koko:
                    Gas? Like the kind that makes balloons float?
                
                    Owlo:
                    A little bit like that, yes! Jupiter and Saturn are the giant gas planets. Saturn even has beautiful rings around it.
                
                    Koko:
                    Rings? Like a ring you wear on your finger?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Imagine millions and millions of tiny pieces of ice and rock, all floating in a circle around the planet. That is what Saturn's rings look like.
                
                    Koko:
                    That is the coolest thing I have ever heard. I want to go to Saturn!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Maybe one day, Koko! Now, our Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is just the right distance to not be too hot or too cold.
                
                    Koko:
                    Like porridge that is just right! My mom always says that.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly like that. And because Earth is just right, it has water, air, and everything living things need to survive.
                
                    Koko:
                    So the Solar System is like Earth's giant neighborhood in space?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a beautiful way to think about it, Koko. The Solar System is our home neighborhood in the universe.
                
                    Koko:
                    I love that. Okay, Owlo, I think I can remember all of this. Can I try to say it back?
                
                    Koko:
                    The Solar System is the Sun and all eight planets that go around it in their own paths called orbits. Some planets are small and rocky like Earth, and some are huge and made of gas like Jupiter. Saturn has rings made of ice and rock, which is super cool. And Earth is just the right distance from the Sun so we can live here. Next time I want to find out the names of all eight planets in order!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That was a perfect summary, Koko. Your mom would be very proud of you tonight when you tell her all about it.
                
                    Koko:
                    I am going to show her the poster too! Can I draw a copy of it to take home?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Of course you can. The art room is just down the hall. Let's go make your very own Solar System picture.