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Hi, friends. Did you know that the largest mountain in our whole solar system isn't on Earth?
It's on Mars. It's called Olympus Mons. and it's more than twice as tall as Mount Everest.
While we take a short break this week, we're bringing back one of our favorite Sleep Tight Science episodes.
All About the Solar System, featuring Papa Bear telling Bernice about planets and moons. while they have some super yummy cookies.
We've added new music and a few gentle updates, plus a fresh intro just for you.
And don't worry. We're working hard behind the scenes on Season 5, with lots of new science adventures to come.
Thank you to Penny Delbridge, age 8, and to Oren Levy, age 10, from Toronto, Ontario.
Your intros were super awesome. You're listening to Sleep Tight Science.
You're listening to Sleep Tight Science.
Thank you. Did you know that there are more stars in the universe? than sand on all of the Earth's beaches combined?
What? Scientists believe there might be approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the universe.
Wow! That's a lot of stars. Thank you. Hello, friends, and welcome back to Sleep Tight Science. a bedtime show that answers the questions you have about science.
In this episode, we are going to start to learn about our solar system.
We are going to do that by following along with Bernice as she asks Papa Bear the questions she has.
If you listen to Sleep Tight Stories, you might already be familiar with Bernice, her friend Bobby. and their many interests, including science.
In this story, Bernice has come home from school excited about a class she had talking about the universe, space, and the planets of our solar system.
So Papa Bear opens some books and they try to learn together.
Before we continue with our story, let's learn a little about our topic, our solar system.
Our solar system is made up of the sun and all of the smaller objects that move around it.
It's a little bit like a family with the sun, which is a star, at the very center holding it all together.
Apart from the Sun, the largest members of the solar system are the eight major planets.
These are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
The Sun is the biggest by far. and much bigger than Earth.
Much, much bigger. A million times bigger.
There are bigger stars than our sun, but they are very far away.
The sun is what makes life for us possible on Earth.
It is responsible for day and night, hot and cold, and the seasons, which all depend on where we are on Earth, and what part of the earth is facing the sun.
Nearest the Sun are four fairly small rocky planets, Mercury, Venus, our Earth, and Mars.
Farthest from the Sun are the four gas giants.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets are much bigger than Earth but very light for their size.
They are mostly made of gases called hydrogen and helium.
Until recently, the farthest known planet was an icy world called Pluto.
Pluto used to be called a planet, but scientists think it is too small to be called a true planet.
So now it is called a dwarf planet. Our solar system is just one of many solar systems that exist.
A galaxy is a group made up of a billion of solar systems.
Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. There are billions of galaxies out there, and together they make up the universe.
Do you think you could count to a billion?
Let's listen to Bernice and Papa Bear to learn more about this interesting topic.
Hi, Papa, I'm home, yelled Bernice as she walked in the front door, took off her sneakers. dumped her backpack, and ran into the kitchen, where she smelled her favorite after-school treat, cookies.
Hi, Little Bear. How was school today? Papa Bear said as he gave her a big hug.
It was good, Papa. I learned all kinds of things today, and we played a game outside in gym class.
Looking at the dirt all over Bernice's jeans, Papa Bear asked with a laugh, did you practice sliding in the mud too?
Well, Papa, my team and gym class are all good sports, but we play to win, and sometimes That means sliding in the dirt, Bernice said.
Okay, little bear. Why don't you wash your hands and sit and have some cookies and milk?
I baked them fresh today. Washing her hands, Bernice said, you bake them fresh every day.
I think you should open a cookie store. You make the best cookies in the world, Papa.
I'm glad you enjoy them, Little Bear, but I think we can keep our cookies as a treat that we share among us and our friends.
So tell me more about your day at school, Papa Bear said, as he brought a plate of cookies and a glass of milk to the table.
Well, Bobby learned to wait his turn to talk today in class.
In fact, This is the first time that I heard him so quiet since that time he had a sore throat.
Bernice said as she took a bite of a cookie.
Well, it's good that Bobby allows others to share what they think about things.
Yeah, except when we were outside on break, he couldn't stop talking.
It was like he had so much inside to say, and when he couldn't say it during class, it just burst out when we got outside.
That sounds like Bobby, Papa Bear said with a smile.
Did you play with Gertrude today? We did, Papa, and she brought extra snacks to share with us.
I guess she felt bad for forgetting it one other time when we shared ours and well, I guess she wanted to return the favor.
She wore her alligator hat today, too, which is super cool.
Bobby said he got a dinosaur hat. and was going to wear it to school one day.
Can I get an animal hat, Papa? What animal would you want on your hat, little bear?
I'm not sure yet. I like all animals, but...
Maybe a hat with a chimpanzee on top, because I really like Jane Goodall. and she is an expert on chimpanzees.
Yes, she is a great scientist. I'll talk to Mama Bear about the hat, okay?
Okay, Papa. These cookies sure are yummy. she said before she took a drink of milk.
So how about your classes today? What did you learn?
Well, math was fun again, but a little easy.
The teacher says it's just a review. and that I should be patient because more challenging problems will come soon.
But Papa? Science was cool today. We talked about outer space and our solar system.
I thought you were talking about plants and the natural world.
I think we are just going over what we are going to study.
But everyone got excited about outer space, so the teacher talked more about it, and we drew pictures and stuff.
That sounds like fun, Papa Bear said. It was, but Papa...
Do you have some time to answer some questions about the solar system and the universe and stuff like that?
Of course, Little Bear. Dinner is in the oven, so we have lots of time.
Maybe. we can learn together from the books I have here.
I'll be right back with some books from the shelf.
Why don't you grab some more cookies for us in case we get hungry, Papa Bear said with a smile.
Okay, Papa. Sitting down with his books, Papa Bear asked, can you tell me what a solar system is, Little Bear?
Well, Papa, I know that our solar system consists of eight planets which all orbit around the sun.
Our teacher today said that the planets move around the sun like a great big racetrack. a bit like our track outside the school that we run on.
She said that each planet has its own special path that it follows, and it's called an orbit.
I think some planets are faster than others, but each one stays in its own lane, just like when we race.
Very good, little bear. Do you know the names of the planets that are in our solar system?
I know there is Mars because Bobby says that's where flying saucers come from.
I kind of forgot the rest of their names.
That's okay. There are eight planets in our solar system which revolve around the sun.
They are Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune, Papa Bear said.
Bobby says that he wants to move to Mars and search for fossils there.
Well, little bear, he better dress warm. because this book says that Mars is very cold.
The average temperature is minus 62 degrees Celsius.
Yikes, that's too cold, Papa. He will also need a space suit because the atmosphere on Mars is about 100 times thinner than on Earth, and it has very little oxygen.
I have a question, Papa. What is in our solar system besides the sun and the planets?
Are there spaceships and aliens and stuff?
Reading from the book, Papa Bear says, Let's see.
There are dwarf planets, which are rocky bodies smaller than planets, asteroids, which are small rocky objects that move around between Mars and Jupiter in what is called the asteroid belt.
Papa Bear continued. Mercury, Venus, our Earth and Mars are the closest planets to the sun. and the asteroid belt separates those from Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
I think I saw a movie at Bobby's once about asteroids, but we didn't get to finish it because his mama said it wasn't appropriate.
Bernice said, somewhat disappointed. That Bobby.
Other than dwarf planets and asteroids, there are also meteors, which are streaks of light we sometimes see. when pieces of space rock or metal speed into our atmosphere.
Is that like a shooting star that you told me to make a wish on?
Um, a shooting star is actually a meteor, little bear, but it's fun to think of it as a star.
And there are also comets, which are icy rocks that shoot through space and leave a trail of gas and dust.
And I think that is all that is mentioned in the book I have, Papa Bear said.
I know something that you forgot to answer, Papa.
What's that, little bear? Aliens, Papa. Aren't there aliens and aliens in spaceships in outer space?
Hmm, I don't know. But I am sure we are looking for them, Papa Bear said with a smile.
And maybe they are looking for us, too. Bernice whispered.
Maybe. After a short pause, Bernice said, Papa?
Yes, little bear? Can I have another glass of milk?
I'm kind of thirsty. Are you ready to learn a little about the planets in our solar system, little bear? asked Papa Bear.
Sure, Papa. But can I ask you a question first?
Of course, asking questions is how we learn.
That song that you and mama used to sing to me when I was little, it was called Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I think.
Yes, you used to love that song. Well, I am curious.
Why do stars twinkle? Looking through one of the books, Papa Bear replied, Well, Little Bear, according to this book, Stars actually shine with a constant light.
They only appear to twinkle when we are looking at them from Earth, because of interference from our atmosphere.
Molecules and dust particles and other small things like that float around in the gas covering the Earth.
And when small things pass between a star and us observing it, a brief interruption in that stream of light occurs.
These brief interruptions are what we think is the twinkling of stars.
How many stars are there in the sky, Papa?
It looks like there are a bazillion of them.
I think there are so many stars that we can't even understand how many there are.
Our sun is just one of hundreds of billions of stars in the galaxy that we live in, the Milky Way.
There's at least 30 times more stars in the Milky Way than there are people on Earth.
The whole universe has at least 100 billion galaxies in it.
Whoa. But what is a galaxy, Papa? Let me see if I can find a good definition, little bear.
Papa Bear said as he looked through one of their books.
Here we go. A galaxy is a huge collection of stars, gas, dust and other materials that forms a connected gravitational unit in the universe.
Gravitational just means a strong movement towards a center.
They can range in size from small galaxies containing only 100,000 stars to large, massive galaxies containing billions of stars.
That's another super high number, Papa. It's a good thing I like numbers and math.
Smiling, Papa Bear said, it's almost time for me to finish preparing dinner.
So what planets should we learn about before we stop for today?
How about Mercury? Okay, let me see, Little Bear.
You can find things really fast, Papa. I don't think I can read through a book as fast as you.
I've been practicing a lot longer than you, Little Bear.
Practice makes perfect. Finding a section on mercury, Papa Bear continued.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and is only about as wide as our Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean is pretty big. I don't think I could swim across it, Bernice said.
Maybe not, little bear. Now, here are some more facts about Mercury.
18 Mercuries would fit into the Earth. The planet does not have an atmosphere.
There is no water present and the temperatures go from between minus 180 Celsius and 430 degrees Celsius.
I don't think I will travel to this planet if Bobby invites me, Bernice said laughing.
You will have to invent a special suit if you do.
Papa Bear continued. But Mercury is also the fastest planet.
It speeds through space at nearly 47 kilometers per second.
I think I will name our running team Mercury.
Here comes Mercury speeding by, Bernice said.
Any other planet you might be interested in knowing some facts about?
Asked Papa Bear. Mars, Papa. I want to know something about Mars that Bobby doesn't know.
I'll try, little bear. As you know, Mars is the most likely place for us to live for a while in the future.
Did you know that it is affected by huge dust storms? that occur every now and then and cover the entire planet?
I have to write these down Papa so I can surprise Bobby tomorrow.
Papa Bear continued. Mars is very cold and dry, but water exists in the form of ice. at the north and south poles.
The surface of Mars has many craters, deep valleys, and volcanoes.
The largest peak on the red planet is a volcano called Olympus Mons. which is three times higher than our Mount Everest.
Mars has two moons called Phobos and Deimos.
Both are probably asteroids which were caught by Mars' gravity.
Mars is also known as the Red Planet because it's red.
This color comes from the large amount of iron oxide in its rocks and soil.
You could jump around three times higher on Mars than you can on Earth because the planet's gravity is much weaker.
I could be the best at basketball on Mars, Papa, Bernice said excitedly.
So could I, Papa Bear said with a laugh.
Now, one more fact. Since Mars was formed at almost the same time as the other planets in our solar system, It is believed that Mars could be 4.6 billion years old.
Wow, Papa. Mars is older than even you.
Hey, Papa Bear said with a smile. Now I am going to teach you something that I learned in class today, Papa, Bernice said excitedly.
Okay. Then I will need your help in getting dinner ready, Papa Bear said.
Okay. The teacher said that the sun is 93 million miles from the earth. and that the light from the sun only takes eight minutes to travel to the earth and It would take the fastest runner on earth 450 years to run from the sun to the earth.
I think you would have to make that race a relay, little bear," Papa Bear said with a laugh.
The teacher said that Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system.
Jupiter is made of gas, and it is so big that you could fit 1,321 planets the size of Earth inside it.
There is even a storm on Jupiter that is bigger than Earth.
This storm has been blowing for hundreds of years and is called the Great Red Spot.
That's a big storm. I guess we shouldn't complain when we have a snowstorm and miss school for a day.
Papa Bear said with a smile. Actually, Papa, I kinda like snow days.
But hundreds of years of snow days might be a bit too much.
I would miss my teachers and classmates.
Okay, this is the last one. Our moon is a ball of rock that orbits around the earth in the same way the Earth orbits around the Sun.
It is much smaller than the Earth. and takes 28 days to complete one orbit or circle.
The moon is 239,000 miles away. and is the only place in the solar system that we have traveled to apart from Earth.
Other moons have planets, too. Jupiter has at least 66 of them, Papa Bear said.
I think I am going to be the first bear on the moon when I grow up, Bernice exclaimed.
You can do anything if you try hard enough, little bear.
How about we stop our little class right here? and we can finish preparing dinner before Mama Bear gets home.
Okay. Um, Papa? Yes, I love you. I love you too, little bear.
In this episode we learned what a solar system is.
Our solar system consists of eight planets that orbit around the sun.
We talked about what is in our solar system besides the sun and the planets.
There are also dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets.
We also looked at why stars twinkle. Stars actually shine with a constant light.
They only appear to twinkle when we are looking at them from Earth because of dust and things that float around and pass between us and the stars.
I'd like to say thank you to Jack and Mason from Australia, Amelia Ballentine, Veed Bagalu, and Manaspi.
We hope to have a chance to use your ideas in future episodes.
If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to hello at sleep tight science dot com.
Thank you.
