|
 In measuring distances in the solar system, people often confuse planets and moons. A planet is spherical and orbits around the Sun or some other star. A moon is also spherical, but orbits around a planet which in turn orbits around the Sun.
|
For example, Titan is a large moon because it orbits around Saturn. Mars and Saturn are planets because they orbit around the Sun. Similarly, Earth's Moon is a moon because it orbits around the Earth which orbits around the Sun.
|
Planets and moons have some basic characteristics including a mass, density, and a temperature. Some of these bodies have an atmosphere and seasonal changes that may be very different from what we expect on Earth. For example, Titan has such a dense cloud cover that man must send a probe to see the surface.
|
|
| FORWARD |