A Wonderleaf question
What makes a planet different from a star?
a real page from the book
A star is huge enough for gravity to squeeze its center until atoms fuse, making heat and light. A planet is smaller and does not make its own shine; it only reflects light from a star. That is why Earth glows in sunlight but the Sun shines by itself.
A lovely clue is that planets can look bright without being lamps. Venus gleams because sunlight bounces from its cloudy covering toward us. The Sun, our nearest star, is so roomy that more than a million Earths could fit inside it.
Wonder words
- planet
- star
- fusion
- orbit
Try it out
In a dark room, shine a flashlight on a ball and notice how the ball only gleams when light hits it.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookOne more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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