Planets and the Solar System
Misconceptions and Educational Research
Common misconceptions include:
- There are stars in our Solar System other than our Sun
- The Earth is the center of the Solar System about which the other objects revolve
- The Solar System formed during the Big Bang, along with the rest of the Universe
- The Solar System is the same as our Galaxy.
- The Earth is the largest object in the Solar System
- The Solar System is very crowded
- The Sun is not a star
- The Solar System only includes the Sun, planets, and our Moon
- Pluto is farther than the stars
- Planets cannot be seen without a telescope
- Planets appear in the same place every night
- Gas giants are large balls of gas, which a spaceship could fly through
- Mars is hot
- Mars is larger than the Earth
- All planets have rocky surfaces