Gotta Get Away from Gravity

Gotta Get Away from Gravity

CHARACTERS: SUN一closest star to Earth, and the center of our solar system MERCURY一smallest planet in our solar system, very hot VENUS一bright and beautiful, even hotter than Mercury EARTH一only planet with liquid water--or life MARS一has seasons, polar ice caps, and weather, just like Earth JUPITER一huge, stormy planet with a big red spot SATURN-has seven beautiful rings made of ice and rock URANUS-very cold and windy, rotates on its side NEPTUNE一large amounts of methane gas make it look blue

SETTING: Our solar system, inside the Milky Way galaxy. The scene opens with Venus standing in the dim light of outer space. [Enter Earth. ] EARTH: Venus! It's so good to see you. You're looking just as bright and beautiful as ever. VENUS: If by bright you mean hot, then yes, I am. How are you, darling? EARTH: Well, I just circled Sun again. Another year, another orbit. [sighs]

[Enter the other planets. They arrange themselves on either side of Venus and Earth as they do in space. Mercury floats left of Venus, Mars right of Earth, then Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. ]

SATURN: Easy for you to say, Earth. It takes me thirty times as long to rotate around Sun. JUPITER: Saturn, how many billion years have we been neighbors? When will you learn to keep rotate and revolve straight? Rotate describes our spin, while revolve describes the motion of our orbits. For example, Earth rotates once on her axis every 24 hours. She revolves once around Sun every 365 days. Correct, Earth? EARTH: Yes, Jupiter, you're quite correct. [sighs again] VENUS: Earth, what's wrong?

EARTH: Well, that's just it. Another year, and what do I have to show for it? I'm sick of just revolving around Sun. [All the other planets gasp. ] JUPITER: Don't let Sun hear you say that. SATURN: Sick of Sun! You'd be nothing without Sun! EARTH: I'm not sick of Sun. I'm grateful to Sun. I love Sun. She gives us all light, and heat一 VENUS: And life, in your case. MARS: Big deal. I've got double the moons Earth has.