In this animated video segment adapted from NASA, astronomer Doris Daou explains how the forces of speed and gravity keep the moon in a constant orbit around Earth. [1:36]

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.

Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about geosynchronous orbits and their use in satellite communication.

The learning module helps students gain a deeper understanding of gravity. Some topics explored are orbits, the mission to the Moon, and the first space walk. Activities and videos are included.

In this unit, students learn the very basics of navigation, including the different kinds of navigation and their purpose. The concepts of relative and absolute location, latitude, longitude and cardinal directions are discussed, as well...

Students use the process of journaling to make discoveries about the moon. This activity involves having students write observations about the moon in a journal. Using their observations they go to an online resource and choose...

Explore the mythology, structure, observational history, gravitational force, and orbit of Earth's Moon.

The focus of this series of lessons is to engage students in an exploration of the world around them. The emphasis is on inquiry as students learn about the earth, sun, light, shapes and more.

See amazing radar images of Earth taken from the space shuttle orbiting high above the surface. Categories include archeology, geology, volcanoes, and more! Visit the NASA/JPL Imaging Radar Program link for more images and information.

This is the homepage of all of the archived information about and from the Galileo Mission. Included is data from the flybys of Venus, Earth, Moon, and Asteroids Gaspra and Ida, as well as the current data from Jupiter and its moons. See...

Site provides extensive information in the study of comets. Includes excellent graphics that depict what comets look like as they travel through the solar system. Also includes information on how comets may have effected the Earth's...

This video segment adapted from NASA uses animation to illustrate the properties of meteor showers and comets. Included is are visualizations of a comet's tail and of Earth passing through a debris stream left behind by meteoroids.

Did you know that International Space Station used to release its trash into space? There is a lot of junk orbiting around Earth! In this game, you are asked to capture eleven examples of the junk that is floating in space but be careful...

View images of the Earth taken by various satellites that are orbiting the Earth.

This site from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides a fun project on rockets. "Nothing in space stands still. Everything either orbits around something else, or moves toward or away from something else. So how do...

This is an extensive online review of the 17 Apollo missions. Resources are organized by mission number and include descriptions, mission details, photographs, and scientific data sets.

This site provides a short description of the space shuttle and what it is used for, with diagrams and one quiz question.

Students can see actual photos of a space shuttle launching from earth as well as the people who now could go because of technology. Learn about some of the equipment and vehicles used to make it happen.

When you picture a rocket, you might imagine a giant ship carrying lots of fuel, people and supplies. But what if the next wave of spacecraft were small enough to fit into our pockets? Dhonam Pemba details the future of microspacecraft,...

Prolonged space travel plays a severe toll on the human body: microgravity impairs muscle and bone growth, and high doses of radiation cause irreversible mutations. As we seriously consider the human species becoming space-faring, a big...

Students imagine that they are hovering next to the space shuttle in earth-orbit, and bump into another astronaut of equal mass. If the two astronauts holds onto each other, then how fast do they move after the collision?

Students explore orbit transfers and, specifically, Hohmann transfers. They investigate the orbits of Earth and Mars by using cardboard and string. Students learn about the planets' orbits around the sun, and about a transfer orbit from...

Students learn how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. In accompanying activities, they explore how ground-based tracking and onboard measurements are performed....