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# Beyond Our Earth **Introduction** Planet Earth is a beautiful place with diverse landscapes, but it's just a small part of a vast solar system, galaxy, and universe. Humans have studied the night sky for years, using star patterns and lunar cycles to understand the cosmos. **How We Learn About...

# Beyond Our Earth **Introduction** Planet Earth is a beautiful place with diverse landscapes, but it's just a small part of a vast solar system, galaxy, and universe. Humans have studied the night sky for years, using star patterns and lunar cycles to understand the cosmos. **How We Learn About The Universe** * Understanding the universe is possible through light. * Sunlight reflecting off planets and moons reveals their characteristics. * Light from distant stars reveals their atmospheric composition and temperature. * Telescopes magnify and capture light, revealing planets, moons, and even distant galaxies. * Various types of light, including radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays, unveil hidden structures like black holes. * Spacecrafts further our understanding by sending images back to Earth, further revealing secrets about the cosmos. **Discoveries and Surprises** * Copernicus revolutionized understanding by placing the sun at the center of the solar system. * Telescopes revealed new planets and moons. * Distant light sources turned out to be galaxies. * Light from stars revealed that many stars have planets circling them. **Ongoing Exploration** * Continual discoveries are being made. * Evidence suggests that Mars may have once had flowing rivers. * Some moons appear to have hidden oceans below their surfaces. * Pluto has icy mountains. **Conclusion** Further investigations will reveal more surprises about the universe and humanity's place within it, suggesting that the universe is more complex and fascinating than we had previously anticipated.