Fun Space Facts for Children: Earth, the Goldilocks Planet
Name: Earth is the only planet not named after a Greek or Roman God or Goddess. Instead the name simply means the soil beneath us. It is thought that the word came from both the English and German words, ‘eor(th)e/ertha’ and ‘erde’, which means ground. But who named our planet in the first place? No-one knows…it remains an earthly mystery!
Diameter: 7,926 miles or 12,756 kilometers
Temperature: 136°F /58°C to -126°F/-88°C
Fun Facts About Earth:
What’s the most amazing thing about our beautiful planet? The answer to that is easy…it’s the only planet with life on it And not just in our solar system. As far as we know it’s the only living planet in our vast universe. But what makes earth even more special is the huge diversity and variety of all the life upon it.
Why do we even have life on Earth? Well our planet has a number of unique features. The most important is thought to be Earth’s large amounts of water and in just the right amount. Not too much that it covers everything, but not too little that it becomes a desert, like Mars and Venus, (the closest planets to earth).
Our plate tectonics – the movements of the Earth’s crust- are also thought to be important. Scientists believe they created our mountain ranges and deep oceans. They also keep our oceans at an even temperature, helping life to flourish.
But why is Earth sometimes called the Goldilocks planet? Well if you remember the ‘just right’ part of the Goldilocks story, Earth is as choosy as that little blonde girl. She picked just the right distance from the Sun to have the perfect heat for life to begin and evolve. Another perfect thing about Earth is its size. If she was smaller, we wouldn’t be able to hold onto our atmosphere, any larger and she would be too hot for life.
Our moon is also thought to play a role in life on Earth. She pulls the ocean’s tides and life is thought to have evolved from the oceans.
So are we really alone in this enormous universe? Or might there might be other Earth-like planets harboring aliens like Uglesnoo, the cute friendly alien in my childrens’ books? Well as you can see from reading this blog, it takes a lot of special features to create a Goldilocks planet. However the universe is so huge that scientists believe there should be many planets out there, just like ours. And where there is another Earth-like planet, there might be life. Maybe one day…Goldilocks will find her twin.
Earth is also where my story begins in book one of Amelia’s Amazing Space Adventures, Amelia, the Moochins and the Sapphire Palace. Amelia receives a gift for her birthday. The present turns out not to be a present at all, but a fun friendly alien called Uglesnoo from Pluto. Uglesnoo desperately needs Amelia’s help. Should she venture into outer space?
Evonne Blanchard is the author of, Amelia, the Moochins and the Sapphire Palace, Amelia, the Venutons and the Golden Cage and Amelia, the Merballs and the Emerald Cannon. These are the first three books in, Amelia’s Amazing Space Adventures, an exciting series of ten books set in outer space (for children ages 6-10).
Now Available!
Book Three: Amelia, the Merballs and the Emerald Cannon
Amelia and Uglesnoo land on Mercury. They meet the Merballs, the friendly aliens that live there. All goes well until an asteroid hits their planet. Amelia and Uglesnoo find themselves in deep trouble. How will they convince the Merballs of their innocence? And how will they manage to collect the flying shoes, escape Mercury and continue their quest to save Uglesnoo’s sister?
To preview and/or buy the book, click below:
Book One: Amelia, the Moochins and the Sapphire Palace
When is a present not a present? When it’s a friendly purple alien called Uglesnoo, from the planet Pluto! Uglesnoo needs to leave right away for the Moon. Uglesnoo also desperately needs Amelia’s help. Should Amelia venture into outer Space?
Click below for a preview:
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“Appealing Illustrations combine with lots of text to make this a great read for children transitioning from picture books to chapter books.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The story is imaginative and fun…and a perfect book to stretch my oldest in his independent reading with something fun to keep his attention.” —Beautiful Books for Children
Book Two: Amelia, the Venutons and the Golden Cage
Uglesnoo needs Amelia’s help. His sister is very sick. The only cure is a repelling crystal from Neptune. With his Earthling friend, Amelia, they must continue their quest. More items are needed to buy the crystal. But Venus is full of danger and angry aliens. Are Uglesnoo and Amelia in over their heads?
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or
“A lively sequel offers a sure-handed blend of fantasy, humor, adventure, and an ingenious heroine.” Kirkus Reviews
5/5 star rating! “Amelia, the Venutons and the Golden Cage is a wonderful children’s book that will allow your kids to get started in the Sci-Fi genre… The story is intriguing and well thought out. All in all, the author did a great job of creating an engaging story that kept my kids interested. We are definitely looking forward to the next book!”- Examiner.com
A little space puzzle for you to solve with your child. Also, exciting news in that the third book in the Amelia’s Amazing Space Adventure Series is coming out very soon!
Sagittarius represents those born from November 22—December 21. Sagittarius is the ninth Zodiac sign of the year, right after Scorpio.
Myth and Legend: Sagittarius the Archer is the Centaur Chiron from Greek Mythology. Centaurs have the head and upper torso of a man and lower body of a horse. Of all the centaurs, Chiron was the most respected. He taught famous Greek heroes such as Jason, Hercules and Achilles and he was considered a superb musician, physician and of course archer!
Unfortunately one day Chiron was shot by a poisoned arrow (from the Learnean Hydra) by one of his former students; the mighty Hercules himself. The stray arrow was an accident, but as Chiron was immortal he could not die, but still suffered greatly from the poisoning. Chiron went to the Gods and offered to give up his immortality, so that he could die. He asked the Gods if he could replace Prometheus, who originally gave fire to man: The Gods punished Prometheus for his gift to man and ever since he had been chained to rocks. Zeus, ruler of the Greek Gods (Jupiter in Roman mythology) – touched by Chiron’s kindness in relieving Prometheus from his endless pain – put Chiron in the night sky as the Sagittarius constellation.
Constellation: This constellation looks more like a dancing spider, than a mythological half man/half beast. But that’s constellations for you! Probably the result of poor eyesight in the time before contacts!
The best viewing time for the Sagittarius constellation is in August at around 9pm, between latitudes + 55° and – 90° in the northern hemisphere. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you have the best view of this southerly constellation. Your time to stargaze is in the middle of the winter, when Sagittarius is directly overhead in the night sky. As always use a star map as a guide and if possible a knowledgeable star gazer to assist you.
Amelia's Amazing Space Adventures 
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