Geography

Universe and Solar System

Numerous stars and celestial bodies came into existence by a massive explosion called
the Big Bang, Bang explosion that took place about 15 billion years ago. these
celestial bodies together are called the Universe. It is also referred to as the Cosmos.
FACTS:
1. The study of the Universe is called Cosmology. The term Cosmos is derived
from the Greek word ‘Kosmos’.
2. A light-year is the distance travelled by light in a year. Light travels at a velocity
of 300,000 km per second. Sound travels at a speed of 330 m per second.
A Light year is the unit used to measure the distance between the celestial bodies
Andromeda galaxy is the nearest to the Earth apart from the ‘Magellan Clouds’
galaxy.
The solar system is believed to have formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The solar
system is a gravitationally bound system which comprises of the Sun, the eight
planets, dwarf planets, satellites, comets, asteroids and meteoroids.
The Sun is so huge, that it accounts for 99.8 percent of the entire mass of the solar
system. Sun is made up of extremely hot gases like Hydrogen and Helium. The surface
temperature of the Sun is about 6,000° C.
Sunlight takes about 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth.
FACTS:
1.3 million Earths can fit inside the Sun. Imagine how big the Sun is.
example, in Tamil literature Sirupanatruppadai, the line ’வாள் நிற விசும்பின்
இளங்கதிர் ஞாயிறு’ mentions that the Sun is surrounded by planets.

All the planets rotate anti-clockwise except Venus and Uranus. Except Venus and
Uranus. The four planets nearer to the Sun are called Inner or Terrestrial Planets
The last four planets are called as Outer Planets or Jovian Planets. they are also
called Gaseous Giants.

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An asteroid belt is found between Mars and Jupiter. to remember the order of planets:
My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Neptune.
Mercury: It is an airless and waterless planet. It does not have an atmosphere and so
experiences extremes of temperature. It has no natural satellites. Mercury can be
viewed in the morning and evening with the naked eye.
Venus (The Hottest Planet): Earth’s twin, it has the longest rotation period (243 days)
among the planets in the Solar system. It rotates in the opposite direction to all other
planets, except Uranus. It has no natural satellites, like Mercury. called as the Morning
Star and the Evening Star.
Earth (The Living Planet: Fifth largest planet in the solar system. It is called the
‘blue planet’ or ‘watery planet’ because three-fourth of the Earth is covered by
water. The Earth is the only planet in the solar system which is not named after any
Greek or Roman deity. It is the only planet known to support life. Life is possible on
Earth because of the presence of land, air and water. The polar diameter of the Earth is
12,714 km and the equatorial diameter is 12,756 km. The Earth revolves around the
Sun at a speed of about 30 km per second. The only natural satellite of the Earth is the
Moon.
FACTS:
The distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 150 million kilometers. A flight
flying at a speed of 800 km per hour from the Earth would take 21 years to reach the
Sun.
On 24th September, 2014 Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission - MOM), launched by
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), reached the orbit of Mars to analyze
its atmosphere and topography. ISRO has now become the fourth space agency to
reach Mars after the Soviet Space programmed, NASA and the European Space
Agency.

Mars (The Red Planet): It appears red in color due to the presence of iron oxide on
its surface. So, it is often described as the Red Planet. It has a thin atmosphere. It also
has polar ice caps like the Earth. Mars has two natural satellites namely Phobos and
Deimos.
Jupiter (the Largest Planet): the largest planet in the solar system. It is the third
brightest object in the night sky, after moon and Venus. system. It is called a gas giant

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planet. Its atmosphere is mostly made up of Hydrogen and Helium like the Sun. It has
the largest number of natural satellites. Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are a few
large satellites of Jupiter.
Saturn (The Ringed Planet): second largest planet in the solar system, after Jupiter.
It is named after the Roman god of agriculture. Saturn has many rings around it. These
rings are huge and are mostly made up of ice, rocks and dust particles. Saturn has 62
natural satellites around it. Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is the only Jupiter satellite in
the solar system that has clouds and a dense atmosphere composed of nitrogen and
methane. The specific gravity of Saturn is less than that of water.
Uranus (The Somersaulting Planet): It was the first to be discovered with a
telescope by the astronomer William Herschel in 1781. It appears green due to the
presence of methane gas. It is named after the Greek god of the sky. It rotates on its
axis from east to west like Venus. Its axis is tilted so much that, it appears to orbit the
Sun on its sides like a rolling ball. Uranus has 27 natural satellites, of which Titania is
the largest.
Neptune (The Coldest Planet): There are strong winds in this planet. It is named
after the Roman god of sea. Neptune has 14 natural satellites, the largest being Triton.
Because of its distance from the Sun, Neptune is one of the coldest planets in the solar
system.

The Dwarf Planets: Dwarf planets are small celestial bodies found beyond the planet
Neptune. They are extremely cold and dark. They are almost spherical in shape, but
unlike planets they can share their orbit with other dwarf planets. The five dwarf
planets of the solar system are Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea.
The Moon - Earth’s Satellite: It revolves around the Earth once in every 27 days
and 8 hours. It takes about the same time for it to complete one rotation around its
axis. It has no atmosphere. The surface of the moon is characterized by craters created
by the impact of meteors. meteors. The distance between the moon and the Earth is
about 3, 84,400 km. The size of the moon is one-quarter of the Earth.
Asteroids: They are also known as Planetoids or Minor Planets.
FACT: ISRO launched India’s first ever Moon mission, Chandrayaan - 1 in 2008.

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Comets: A comet is a celestial object made up of a head and a tail. The head of a
comet consists of solid particles held together by ice and the tail is made up of gases.
Halley’s Comet is the most famous comet which comes close to the Earth every 76
years. It appeared in 1986 and will appear in 2061.
Earth’s Rotation: The Earth’s axis is always tilted or inclined from the vertical by an
angle of 231⁄2°. It makes an angle of 661⁄2° with the plane of the Earth’s orbit. Takes
23 hours 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds to complete one rotation. The line which
divides the surface of the Earth into a lighted half and a dark half is called the
Terminator Line.
Revolution: Earth takes 365 1⁄4 days to complete one revolution. It revolves around
the Sun at a speed of 30 km per second. For the sake of convenience, we take it as 365
days and call it a year. The remaining quarter day is added once in every four years in
the month of February. That is why February has 29 days once in four years. It is
called a Leap Year.
The inclination of the Earth on its axis and its revolution around the Sun cause
different seasons. The Northern Hemisphere is inclined towards the Sun for six
months from 21st March to 23rd September while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted
away from the Sun. From Sep 23rd to March 21st the southern hemisphere is inclined
towards the Sun and the northern hemisphere faces away from the Sun. The changing
position of the Earth in its orbit during revolution gives the impression that the Sun is
continuously moving north and south of the equator. The equator faces the Sun
directly on 21 March and 23 September. These two days are called Equinoxes, during
which the day and night are equal throughout the Earth.
On 21st June, the Tropic of Cancer faces the Sun. This is known as Summer Solstice.
It is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and longest night (shortest day) in the
Southern Hemisphere. On 22nd December, the Tropic of Capricorn faces the Sun. It is
called as Winter Solstice. It is the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere and longest
night (shortest day) in the Northern Hemisphere.
Spheres of the Earth: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere
Lithosphere: Land where we living. (rocks and soil)
Hydrosphere: Water (Ocean, river, sea and lake)
Atmosphere: Different types of gases make up the atmosphere. The major gases are
Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%). The other gases like Carbon dioxide, Hydrogen,
Helium, Argon and Ozone are present in meager amounts.

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FACTS:
1. The velocity of the Earth’s rotation varies from 1,670 km per hour at the equator
to 845 km per hour at 60° N and S latitudes and zero at the poles.
2. The Midnight Sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in
places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun
remains overhead 24 hours a day.
3. Perihelion is the Earth’s closest position to the Sun. Aphelion is the farthest
position of the Earth from the Sun.
4. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve in the Indian Ocean covers an area of
10,500 [Link] in the ocean.
Continents: They are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe
and Australia. Asia is the largest continent, whereas Australia is the smallest one.
Land classification - Sangam period
1. Kurinji - Mountain and its environs
2. Mullai - Forest and its surroundings
3. Marutham - Agricultural land and its adjoining areas.
4. Neithal - Sea and its environs 5. Paalai - Desert region.
Oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans.

Mountains: A landform that rises 600 meter above its surroundings and has steep
slopes is called a mountain. The Andes Mountain in South America is the longest
mountain range (7,000 km) in the world. The highest point of a mountain is known as
its peak. Mt. Everest is the highest peak (8,848 m) in the world.

Plateaus: Plateaus are the elevated portions of the Earth that have flat surfaces
bounded by steep slopes. Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world. So, it is
called as the ‘Roof of the world’. The flat-topped part of the plateau is called
Tableland. The plateaus are generally rich in minerals. The Chot Nagpur Plateau is
one of the mineral rich plateaus in India. Therefore, mining is one of the major
activities of the people living here. The Deccan Plateau in peninsular India is of
volcanic origin.

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Plains: Plains are flat and relatively low-lying lands. Plains are usually less than 200
meter above sea level. Sometimes they may be rolling or undulating. Most plains are
formed by rivers and their tributaries and distributaries. These plains are used
extensively for agriculture due to the availability of water and fertile soil.
The Pacific Ocean: Is the largest and deepest ocean on the Earth. It covers about one-
third of the Earth’s total area and spreads for about 168.72 million [Link]. It is
bounded by Asia and Australia in its west and North America and South America in its
east. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south.
This ocean’s shape is roughly triangular with its apex in the north at the Bering Strait
which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Sea, the China
Sea, the Sea of Japan, Tasman Sea and the Philippine Sea are some of the marginal
seas of the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand are
some of the islands located in this Ocean. The deepest point Mariana Trench is 10,994
m- and is located in the Pacific Ocean. A chain of volcanoes is located around the
Pacific Ocean called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The Atlantic Ocean: The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth. It
covers one sixth of the Earth’s total area and spreads for about 85.13 million [Link] It
is bounded by North America and South America in the west and Europe and Africa in
the east. Like the Pacific, it stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the
Southern Ocean in the south. The shape of the Atlantic Ocean resembles the letter ‘S’.
The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. The
Atlantic Ocean is the busiest shipping route between the Eastern and Western
hemispheres. The deepest point is the Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rica Trench. It
has a depth of about 8600m- The Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea,
the Gulf of Guinea and the Mediterranean Sea are important marginal Atlantic Ocean
and its Marginal Seas.

The Indian Ocean: Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on the Earth’s surface. It
covers an area of about 70.56 million [Link]. It is named after India. It is triangular in
shape and bounded by Africa in the west, Asia in the north and Australia in the east.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and
the Reunion Islands are some of the islands located in the Indian Ocean. Malacca strait
connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea,
the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea are some of the important marginal seas of the
Indian Ocean. The Java trench (7,725 m-) is the deepest point in the Indian Ocean.

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The Southern Ocean: Southern Ocean surrounds the continent of Antarctica and is
enclosed by the 60°S latitude. It covers an area of 21.96 million [Link]. It is bordered
by the southern parts of the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. The Ross Sea,
the Weddell Sea and the Davis Sea are the marginal seas of this Ocean. Farewell
Island, Bowman Island and Hearst Island are some of the islands located in this ocean.
The water in this ocean is very cold. Much of it is covered by sea ice. The deepest
point in this ocean is South Sandwich Trench with a depth of 7,235 m.
The Arctic Ocean: Is the smallest ocean. It covers an area of 15.56 million [Link]. It
lies within the Arctic Circle. It remains frozen for most of the year. The Norwegian
Sea, the Greenland Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Barents Sea are some of the
marginal seas of this ocean. Greenland, New Siberian Island and Novaya Zemlya
Island are some of the islands located in the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole is situated
in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. The Eurasian Basin is the deepest point in the Arctic
Ocean, which is about 5,449 m- in depth.
FACTS:
ISTHUMUS: A narrow strip of land which connects two large landmasses or separates
two large waterbodies.
December 11 – International Mountain Day Prepare slogans, posters and placards to
celebrate International Mountain Day.
Dharmapuri Plateau, Coimbatore Plateau and Madurai Plateau are found in Tamil
Nadu.
The plains have been the cradle of civilizations
from the earliest times. For example: the Indus in India, the Nile valley in Egypt is
some of the early civilizations which developed and flourished.
Erosion is the process of removal of surface material from the Earth's crust. The
eroded materials are transported and deposited on the low-lying areas. This process is
called as Deposition.
If Mount Everest, which is the highest peak (8,848 meter) was placed into the Mariana
Trench, still there would be 2,146 meters of water left. The depth in meters from the
Mean Sea Level is denoted as m−.
The Spanish navigator Ferdinand Magellan named the ocean Pacific, meaning calm or
tranquil.
Palk Strait connects the Bay of Bengal and Palk Bay.
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6° Channel separates Indira Point and Indonesia • 8° Channel separates Maldives and
Minicoy islands • 9° Channel separates Lakshadweep Islands and Minicoy islands •
10° Channel separates Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
II TERM: FACTS
Anything becomes a resource only when its use is discovered. The needs of human
beings are ever changing. According to the ever-changing needs, resources keep
changing. Time and Technology are two important factors that determine whether a
substance is a resource or not. for example: Sun’s energy to generate electricity was
made possible after the invention of solar panels (technology); and the receding of
coal and petrol was in need of an inexhaustible resource (time).
Marine yeast has greater potential than the terrestrial yeast. They can be used in
baking, brewing, wine, bio-ethanol and pharmaceutical protein production.
Ambergris is an extract from the sperm whale. A pound (0.454kg) of sweet – smelling
ambergris is worth US $63,000 and used in perfume industries.