6 Lesson 6 The Universe and the Solar System

6.1 Words and word combinations to the text

cosmos/ universe – вселенная, космос

aggregation – скопление

galaxy – галактика

spiral – спиральный

radius – радиус

light year – световой год

diameter –диаметр

satellite – спутник

planetary dust – планетарная (космическая пыль)

core – ядро

gaseous – газообразный

hydrogen – водород

trace – след

inner – внутренний

outer – внешний

to rotate – вращаться (more around a central point)

to revolve – вращаться (go round in a circle)

axis (pl. axes) – ось

path – траектория

gravitation – притяжение

asteroid – астероид

comet – комета

meteor – метеор

major planets – большие планеты

minor planets – малые планеты

solid – твердый

to tear away – отрывать(ся)

nebular theory – небулярная (космогоническая) теория

nebula – туманность

capture – поглощение

to agglomerate –собирать(ся)

6.2 Find Russian equivalents to the following word combinations

a medium-sized star	космическое вещество
the mean diameter	бинарная (двойная) система
gradually	по крайней мере
artificial satellite	звезда средней величины
binary system	постепенно
at least	средний диаметр
interstellar matter	явление приливов и отливов
the Solar System tidal phenomena	искусственный спутник Солнечная система

6.3 Pay attention to the names of the planets. Mind their pronunciation

Mercury [´m :kjuri]	Mars [ma:z]	Uranus [´ju r n s]
Venus [´vi:n s]	Jupiter [´d u:pit ]	Neptune [´neptju:n]
Earth [ :θ]	Saturn [´sæt n]	Pluto [´plu:t u]

6.4 Read and translate the text

The Universe and the Solar System

The cosmos or the universe as we view it today is made up of at least a billion aggregations of stars called galaxies. The galaxies vary in shape and texture and are divided into a number of general groups. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is classified as a spiral galaxy. The Milky Way in turn is a member of a supergalaxy that consists of seventeen galaxies of all types, concentrated within a radius of about one million light years.

The Solar System is a tiny family of the universe. There may well be millions of star systems like our own in the universe. It consists of the sun (a medium-sized star with a diameter of about 850,000 miles), its nine planets and a variety of smaller bodies ranging from satellites such as our moon to planetary dust. The sun’s mass is 33,000 times that of the earth and its temperature ranges from 6,000 degrees C at its surface to energy values equivalent to an estimated 25 million degrees C at its core. The sun is almost entirely gaseous, the most prevalent gas being hydrogen with traces of 65 other elements.

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Solar System:

1. Mercury	6. Saturn
2. Venus	7. Uranus
3. Earth	8. Neptune
4. Mars	9. Pluto
5. Jupiter

f all nine planets Mercury is closest to the sun, followed by Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in that order, the mean diameter of the solar system being about 7 billion miles. The inner planets are closer together and the outer ones are farther apart.