The Telescope

G : Come and look at the telescope I got for my birthday. B : That’s neat! G : Yeah, now we can look at the moon. Did you know that the moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite? B : No, I didn’t know that. I thought the moon was a planet. G : Well, a planet moves around the sun, but a satellite moves around a planet. B : Oh, I see. Can you see other planets with your telescope? G : Sure, I can see two planets close to Earth really well. B : Which planet is closest to Earth? G : Mars is the closest planet to Earth. Many scientists believe that Mars once had rivers and oceans just like Earth. Mars has two moons. B : That’s cool! What is the other planet near Earth? G : The other planet near Earth is Venus, but Venus has no moons. B : Do you think people will ever be able to visit Mars or Venus? G : Maybe someday people will be able to visit Mars, but not Venus because it’s too hot. B : Well, at least we can see them with your new telescope!