Learn about how Earth orbits the sun and how satellites orbit the Earth. Discover the different types of satellites such as GOES and POES and what they are used to monitor.

This project shows you how to use images from an orbiting observatory to measure how fast the Sun rotates.

For the first time, NASA scientists have generated a full image of the sun, front and back, using twin orbiting satellites. The new view of Earth's star will allow for the study of solar weather events like coronal mass ejections that...

Omar helps his parents sell things at the market. Join him while he learns about the relationship of the Sun, Moon, and Earth.

Observe the sun and the rotation of the planets in this moving image from NASA. Observe the axial tilts and directional rotation of planets and how they differ for each planet. Be sure to read the background information on how planets...

NASA provides a detailed overview of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), currently orbiting the sun and gathering information on the sun's structure, composition and dynamics. Site includes images, movies, data, solar lessons,...

Move the sun, earth, moon, and space station to see how it affects their gravitational forces and orbital paths. Visualize the sizes and distances between different heavenly bodies, and turn off gravity to see what would happen without it.

An interactive simulation that teaches about gravitational force, circular motion, and astronomy by manipulating the sun, earth, moon, and a space station to observe the effects of gravity and orbital paths. This simulation can either be...

The Sun is the ultimate source of the energy that powers weather systems on Earth. Geomagnetic storms are sun-powered storms in the upper atmosphere, arising from energized particles that are periodically ejected by the Sun. Among other...

Why do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the...

Use the following lithographs to envision the scale of our solar system. View different models of planets at different scales, an infographic about the relative sizes of the planets and distance from the sun, and images of the largest...

In this interactive module, describe and explain the motion of objects that either move in circles or can be approximated to be moving in circles. Kinematic concepts and motion principles will be applied to the motion of objects in...

Students model the interaction of the earth and the sun. The activity is designed for the playground. You will need chalk, but all the other worksheets are provided.

An outdoor activity where students simulate how planets orbit around the sun using different sizes of balloons.

These hands-on activities are a great way for students to gain perspective on the relative sizes and distances of each planet, the relationship between the sun and Earth, and much more.

Nicolaus Copernicus developed the theory of Earth's orbit around the sun demonstrated in this science simulation.

Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how gravity and the velocity of a spacecraft balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold onto an object, the object...

Help Sarah Jane and her team put the solar system's planets back in order. Following the activity, read more about the sun, the Earth, and its moon, and then take a quick quiz to check for understanding.

This site from Cornell University provides great information on the different phases of the moon. As the Moon moves in its orbit around the Sun, our view of the side illuminated by the Sun changes. Furthermore, the rising and setting...

An information page all about Pluto! Learn about Pluto's size, path around the sun, temperature, location, and traveling partner Charon.

This site from NASA helps in explaining a barycenter. "In the case of the Earth and the Sun, both bodies actually revolve, or spin, around the center of the mass between them. This point is called the barycenter."

This lesson will analyze the role of the sun and moon relative to the earth's orbit. It is 3 of 4 in the series titled "The Sun and Moon."

This lesson will analyze the role of the sun and moon relative to the earth's orbit. It is 4 of 4 in the series titled "The Sun and Moon."

"Learning about the Solar System" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about scientists and learning about our solar system and how it works. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...