The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 CBSE Notes - 2025-26

Important Terms

• We can only see the full moon once in a month, also called Poornima.

• During the New Moon or Amavasya, about a fortnight later we cannot see the moon at all.

• All the planets, their natural satellites, stars and the other objects that we see shining in the night sky are called celestial bodies.

• Stars are the celestial bodies that are made out of gasses and have their own heat and light.

• A group of stars is called constellations. Example: Ursa Major or Big bear. Saptarishi is the most easily recognizable constellation.

• The North Star or the Pole Star indicates the north direction and it remains in the same position.

• Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus have rings of debris around them that can be seen from Earth.

The Solar System

The sun, eight planets, asteroids, meteorites form the solar system, with the Sun at the center.

1. The Sun

• It is made up of extremely hot gasses and is located at the center of the solar system.

• It is the ultimate source of light and heat and is located about 150 million kilometers away from us.

2. Planets

• The eight planets in the solar system are:

• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

• All the planets revolve around the sun in their fixed paths called orbits.

• Mercury, being nearest to the Sun, takes only 88 days to complete its revolution.

• Venus has size and shape similar to Earth and is referred to as Earth’s twin.

• Pluto was also a planet but recently in the meeting of the International Astronomical Union, it was declared as a dwarf planet.

3. The Earth

• It is the third nearest and the fifth largest planet in the solar system.

• It is flattened at the poles and this shape is known as Geoid.

• It’s the only planet that has conditions to support human life.

• It is also called a blue planet because its surface is covered with about two-thirds of water.

4. The Moon

• It is a natural satellite and revolves around Earth in about 27 days. 

• We have only one moon while Jupier, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have more than one moon.

• Moon has various depressions, depressions and mountains on its surface which cast shadows.

• Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon on 21 July 1969.

5. Asteroids

• Asteroids are parts of a planet which exploded when the solar system was being formed.

• These are tiny bodies which move between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

6. Meteorites

• These are small pieces of rocks that move around the Sun and sometimes get attracted to the surface of Earth because of gravitational pull.

• They cause a flash of fire because of the friction in the air.

• The Milky Way appears as a whitish patch in the night sky and has millions of stars in it.

• In ancient India, it was also called as Akash Ganga.

Galaxies are huge systems of stars, clouds, dust and glasses. There are millions of galaxies in the universe.

Important Questions and Answers

1. What is the basic difference between a star and a planet?

Ans: Stars are celestial bodies made out of gasses and have an incredibly high temperature. They dont require external sources for light on the other hand planets don't have light of their own and depend on the stars for heat and light. They are mostly made out of solid mass and rocks.

2. What are the inner and outer planets of the solar system?

Ans: Inner planets are made up of rocks and are close to the Sun. They don't have rings around them and have either no or few moons.

On the other hand, the outer planets are made up of gasses and have rings around them. They have small debris and have a considerable number of moons around them.

3. Why is earth a unique planet?

Ans: Earth is the only planet that supports human life in the solar system. Its surface is covered with about two thirds water and supports life form in a unique interdependent ecosystem. It has optimum temperature for beings existing on the Earth and is not as hot as Venus or Mercury nor as cold as Uranus or Neptune.

4. Why is only one side of the moon visible to us?

Ans: Moon takes around 27 days for both rotation and revolution and it's the same as the time taken for rotation on its axis and rate for orbiting around Earth. It is also called tidal locking and hence only one side is visible.

5. Why is the sun said to be the most important star in the solar system?

Ans: Sun forms the center of our solar system and provides the needed gravitational pull for revolution. It is the source that sustains life on Earth. It is required by the plants to conduct photosynthesis which provides food and energy to all the living beings on Earth. It provides heat to sustain life and provide an optimum temperature.

6. What is an asteroid? Where are they found?

Ans: Asteroids are parts of a planet which exploded when the solar system was being formed. These are tiny, irregular bodies which move between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. They are also called planetoids.

7. What is the Universe?

Ans: Universe is a cluster of millions of galaxies and is a whole cosmic cluster of matter and energy. The Milky Way galaxy or Akash Ganga is a part of the universe, just like any other galaxy.

Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 Notes

The Earth in the Solar System Class 6 PDF

Starting with the first fact, which many students might already know, the Earth is a giant planet of the first four planets that are nearest to the Sun. In addition to this, it is the only planet where you can find water in liquid form. This is because Earth is present in the habitable orbit of our solar system. These habitable orbits are present in each solar system. If a planet resides inside it, we can expect life on that planet and water in liquid form. 

Furthermore, the Earth is not the only planet with water in a solid-state. Even Mars has got water in the form of ice, and they used to be water back when the Sun was young and used to be quite hotter than it is today. Our Sun that we see in the night sky is also a star that emits its light and heat. The constellations are the various patterns that we see in the night sky. Different groups of stars form them. When we connect them, they form constellations. Some of the most well-known constellations are Ursa Major and Orion. 

Solar System for Class 6

In ancient times before the maps were made and there was no GPS, people used to navigate at night with stars and constellations. Even today, in army training, cadets are trained to find directions using the constellations and the shadow. 

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You might not know this, but you can see planets in the night too. You can look for mars in the night, which has a different color hue, more on the red side than others. The word planet came from the Greek word “Planeta,” which means wanderers. 

Fun Facts About Solar System

Our Earth gets all its heat from the Sun. The Moon that we see in the night sky is the natural satellite of the Earth. From outer space, the Earth appears to be blue as most of the Earth is covered in water, and only 1/3rd of the portion has land on which we have our countries, states, and cities. On the other hand, the Moon is our protective shield. It used to take all the hits from the asteroids, giving Earth the necessary time to form its atmosphere in millions of years.

In NCERT class 6 geography chapter 1 notes, you will also study the asteroids and how they evaporate when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. After that, you will be learning how the asteroid belt, which is present in between Mars and Jupiter, protects the Earth from bigger asteroids that move in our solar system.

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Earth, the planet we live on, is the only planet that sustains life, hence making it important to learn more about this amazing planet. This chapter encapsulates the concepts surrounding Earth and its components, its neighbouring planets, its satellite (which is the moon), and so on. To prepare this chapter for your exams, you can download the revision notes for Class 6 Geography Chapter 1 The Earth in the Solar System for free from Vedantu. You can also get other study materials for Class 6 Social Science on our website and mobile app for free.

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