Page 181 - Science Class 08

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The Universe

• The Universe • Galaxies • Stars • Planets
• The Pole Star • Constella ons • The Solar System
• Earth’s Natural Satellite • Ar ficial Satellite

Man has always been very fascinated by the v An astronomer is a scien st who specialises
twinkling stars, the movement of the sun and in astronomy.
the phases of the moon. About 6000 years ago,
v A heavenly body or celes al body is any
people observed that the mo ons of the sun
thing present in the sky.
and moon followed a regular pa ern. Earlier
philosophers like Aristotle (300 BC) and v Telescope is an instrument which is used to

astronomers like Ptolemy (150 AD) thought see heavenly bodies.
that the earth to be the centre of the universe.
v Astrology is a science or art in which we
They thought that the universe was limited to
study about the influence of heavenly
the stars that we see at night. The sun, moon
bodies on man’s life.
and the earth revolve around the earth.
But, in the 16th century and onwards people Nowadays, man is exploring the universe using
came to know various facts. man-made satellites, telescopes and by sending

v In the 16th century, Nicolas Copernicus probes into space.
first realised that the sun is at the centre of THE UNIVERSE
the universe.
The universe is a vast imaginary area which
v The common heavenly bodies are the sun,
contains the stars, planets, moons and all the
moon, stars, planets, comets, meteors and
other heavenly bodies. The vastness of the
meteorites.
universe is s ll not known. However, the
v The study of heavenly bodies is called
scien sts have shown that the universe is
astronomy. This study includes the mo on,
ge ng bigger and bigger like a balloon being
composi ons and origins of heavenly
blown up.
bodies.

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