CBSE Class 6 Social Science Geography Revision Notes Chapter 1

Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes

CBSE Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes – The Earth In The Solar System

All of us like to see the night sky filled with stars. But have you ever wondered where these glittering stars come from? When the sun sets, the bright dots start emerging one by one in the sky. Soon, they will fill the entire sky. Some of them flicker, whereas some of them emit dim light. All of them are members of our solar family. Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes introduce students to the Solar System, the key terms related to it, and the Earth as a part of that system.

Subject matter experts have prepared these notes to inculcate interest in the celestial bodies in young minds. In addition to that, these notes follow the CBSE Syllabus and guidelines. All the important terminologies and facts related to the solar system have been covered in these notes. With these notes, students will understand the topics easily and be able to  write better answers to fetch more marks.

The notes are easily accessible from the website. Give an edge to your exam preparation with Extramarks.

The Earth In The Solar System Class 6 Notes Geography Chapter 1

Access Class 6 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 – The Earth In The Solar System – Notes

Important Terms

  • Once a month, the whole of the moon becomes visible. This is known as the  Full Moon or Poornima.
  • About a fortnight later, the moon was not visible. This phenomenon is known as the New Moon or Amavasya.
  • All of the stars, planets, satellites, asteroids, and meteoroids are called celestial bodies.
  • Stars are those celestial bodies that emit light and heat on their own.
  • A group of stars forming a pattern is called a constellation.
  • The Ursa Major or Big Bear, and the Saptarishi  are the two most easily recognised constellations.The Pole Star remains fixed in the northern direction. So, it is called the North Star and indicates the north direction.
  • Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus have rings of debris around them that can be seen from the Earth with a powerful telescope.

The Solar System

The Solar System is the family of stars, planets, asteroids, and other heavenly bodies with the Sun at their centre..

1.The Sun

  • The Sun is a star made up of extremely hot gases.
  • It is the ultimate source of light and heat on Earth.
  • It is located 150 million kilometres away from the Earth and is at the centre of the Solar System.

2.The Planets

  • There are eight planets in the Solar System.
  • They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
  • Pluto was declared a Dwarf Planet by the International Astronomical Union.
  • All the planets, including the Dwarf Planet Pluto, revolve around the Sun on fixed paths known as orbits.
  • Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun and it takes only eighty-eight days to complete a revolution.
  • Venus and Earth are similar in shape and size. Hence, Venus is called Earth’s Twin.

3.The Earth

  • It is the third-planet in the Solar system.
  • It is also the fifth largest planet in the Solar System.
  • It is called a Geoid because of its flattened polar regions.
  • The Earth looks blue from space because water bodies cover most of its surface. Therefore, it is also known as the Blue Planet.

4.The Moon

  • It is the Earth’s only natural satellite.
  • A revolution around the Earth takes twenty-seven days to complete.
  • The Earth has only one satellite, whereas Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have more than one satellite.
  • The moon’s surface has various depressions and several mountains, which cast shadows.
  • On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon.

5.The Asteroids

  • Asteroids are parts of planets that exploded many years ago.
  • They revolve around the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

6.The Meteoroids

  • They are small pieces of rock that revolve around the Sun.
  • Sometimes they are pulled by the gravitational force of the Earth.
  • They heat up and burn due to friction when they enter Earth’s atmosphere and look like flashing lights in the sky.
  • The half-burnt meteoroids create hollows on the Earth’s surface.

7.The Galaxies

  • A galaxy is a huge system of celestial bodies, dust particles, gases, and clouds.
  • The Solar System is a part of the Milky Way Galaxy.
  • The ancient people of India considered it a river of light flowing in the sky. So, our galaxy is also known as Akash Ganga.

Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes
The Earth In The Solar System

The Earth is the fifth largest planet in the Solar System and the third-nearest planet to the Sun. The Earth has developed conditions suitable for life because of its existence in the habitable zone. It is the only planet where water is available in liquid form. It is said that, if a planet resides in this zone, the possibility of finding water in liquid form is higher. The habitable zone is also known as Goldilocks’ Zone.

Traces of water have also been found on Mars, but in solid form. Mars had water in liquid form when the Solar System had just come into existence. The Sun, which we see daily, is a star made up of hot gases. The bright dots in the night sky are also stars lying far away from the Earth. Together, they make a constellation. Several such constellations are there in the galaxy, and several such galaxies are there in the universe.

Solar System For Class 6

The Solar System is a huge family of stars and planets with the Sun at its centre. In ancient times, people used to find directions by calculating the position of stars in the sky. The Pole Star still acts as a guide for the navigators in the vast ocean to find direction.

Planets are also visible at night. Mars can be seen from the Earth at night as a red planet. The word “planet” owes its origin to the Greek word “planeta” which means “wanderer”.

Fun Facts about The Solar System

  • Aryabhatta was an ancient Indian astronomer who claimed that the planets and moon shone because of reflected sunlight.
  • Seas and oceans cover two-thirds of the Earth’s surface.
  • All the lands, countries, and continents together constitute only one-third of the Earth. The Earth looks blue from space. Hence, it is called the Blue Planet.
  • The moon protects the Earth from all the attacks of asteroids, giving Earth time to form the atmosphere over millions of years.

In NCERT Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes, students will also learn how meteoroids get destroyed by the Earth’s atmosphere. They will learn that the asteroids that revolve between Mars and Jupiter protect the Earth from the larger asteroids moving through our Solar System.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What are the differences between stars and planets?

Stars are celestial bodies made up of extremely hot gases with extremely high temperatures. They are the very sources of light and heat in their galaxies. The planets, on the other hand, are made up of solid masses and rocks. They depend on stars for light and energy.

2. What do you mean by inner and outer planets in the Solar System?

The inner planets are those that are located near the Sun. They are made of rocks and usually do not have any or only a few moons. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are known as the inner planets.

The outer planets are located far away from the Sun. They are made up of hot gases. They have rings of debris and several moons around them. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are known as the outer planets.

3. What makes the Earth a unique planet?

There are many planets and other celestial bodies in the Solar System, but it is only Earth that has a favourable atmosphere where life can flourish. Earth’s atmosphere has life-supporting  gases like oxygen, its two-thirds surface is covered with water, and it has a distinct ecosystem. For these reasons, the existence of life has become possible only on Earth. Hence, Earth is considered a unique planet.

4. Why is the Sun considered the most important star in the Solar System?

The Sun lies at the centre of the Solar System and pulls every planet towards it due to gravitation. It is the source of life and energy on Earth. Green plants produce food by absorbing  light energy from the Sun which gets transferred to all living beings through the food chain and sustains life on Earth. Hence, the Sun is considered the most important star in the Solar System.

5. What are asteroids?

Asteroids are tiny parts of planets that were destroyed during the formation of the Solar System. They revolve around the Sun like other planets between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. They are also known as Planetoids.

6. What is the Universe?

The Universe is the whole cosmic system that includes all the celestial bodies, galaxies, matter, and energy. Our Solar System is a part of the Akash Ganga Galaxy or the Milky Way Galaxy which is a part of the Universe.

7. What is an orbit?

The orbit refers to a specific path of elliptical shape on which planets and satellites keep moving. A planet spins on its axis and revolves around a single star, receiving all the light and heat from it. The Earth is a good example of a planet. Satellites revolve around the planets just as the moon rotates around the Earth.

8. What is the significance of the Sun in the Solar System?

The Sun is the ultimate source of light and heat for all the planets in the Solar System. Without the heat of the Sun, the Earth would have turned into an icy place where no life could ever exist. The Sun binds all the planets and asteroids with its gravitational pull and makes them revolve around it. Without the Sun, the Solar System could not have existed.

9. Is Earth the only planet where water can be found?

The Earth is the only planet where water can be found in liquid form in abundant quantities. There is evidence that proves that water is also present on MarsThe Mars mission launched by NASA provides substantial evidence of water flowing intermittently. Its traces were found on the relatively warm slopes of the mountains and steppes in 2011.

Furthermore, hydrated salt particles are also found on Mars’ surface, which indicates that several years ago, water might have flowed in the form of a river. Scientists also predict that a huge chunk of frozen water can be found beneath the surface of the moon, which could be as big as California or Texas.