"The smallest planet in our solar system is also the closest to the sun. That means on Mercury, one year is just 88 days long! Discover more facts about the small but mighty Mercury"--

In a mind-bogglingly vast universe, our solar system feels like a comparatively cozy home, perched out on one of the outer arms of the spiral Milky Way galaxy. Formed 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud, it is comprised of eight terrestrial and gaseous planets, several hundred dwarf planets, nearly five hundred moons, and other small bodies such as asteroid belts, comets, and dust clouds. Chock full of...

Neptune and Uranus are sometimes called "sister planets" because they are so similar. However, Neptune has stronger winds and more storms than Uranus, and it's not quite as cold. Readers will enjoy learning about what makes Neptune unique in this captivating volume. Detailed diagrams and impressive photographs help students visualize the fun facts they're taking in with each turn of the page, making this familiar part of science curricula feel exciting....

Luminous spheres of plasma held together by their own gravity, each star is born out of the collapse of gaseous nebula and develops a core that radiates astounding amounts of energy, the result of thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium, through its interior and across outer space. Ever-expanding, the star throws off mass, which helps form new stars, while the core begins to collapse, becoming a white dwarf, a neutron star, or even a black hole....

Venus is the planet closest to us on Earth; in fact, it's so close that it can be seen in the sky without a telescope! It looks just like a very bright star. This rocky planet is covered in clouds, but they're not like the clouds in Earth's atmosphere. They're full of poisonous gases! What else makes Venus interesting? Readers will find out as they discover fascinating facts about Venus through text that supports common science curriculum topics....

Without our moon, Earth would be a very different place. Readers discover fun facts about our closest neighbor, including the way it controls the ocean tides and how long it took astronauts to get there. People have always been captivated by the idea of exploring the moon, and readers will enjoy exploring these interesting facts and stunning pictures, which support important science curriculum topics.

Grab your parka, and let's visit Uranus! This planet is the coldest one in our solar system; its atmosphere is made up of clouds of ice. Through accessible text, clearly labeled diagrams, and full-color photographs, readers discover what makes Uranus unique-from its sideways rotation to its characteristic blue color. Readers are sure to enjoy this fresh and fun take on a familiar science curriculum topic.

Your readers will take a thrilling and mind-boggling voyage of discovery throughout the universe with this information-packed and gorgeously illustrated volume. And when we say "the universe," we mean all of space and time and all that is contained within them, including planets, moons, stars, galaxies, matter, and energy. So this is a grand tour indeed, encompassing the birth of the universe with the Big Bang, hypotheses on its eventual demise, and...