A detailed look at comets. Content outlines our observational history, as well as the origins of comets and an explanation of the appearance of comets.

In this online textbook, students explore the phases of the moon, the moon's orbit, the origin of the moon, and the tides. Includes numerous inquiry-based activities.

Students use satellite tracking software available on the Internet to monitor a very large satellite, the International Space Station. Using information from this online resource, students predict and graph the motion of the space...

This study guide on gravitation covers some key vocabulary, Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, and orbiting bodies or satellites. Includes important equations. It is available for download with free registration.

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.

Students will use a simulation to build their own solar system discovering the relationship between gravity and motion that keeps a planet in orbit.

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?

Review how angular momentum is conserved if there is no external torque applied to a system. Specific scenarios are highlighted: system changing it rotational inertia, orbiting bodies, and rotational collisions.

A collection of video lectures from a general chemistry course taught at the University of California, Berkeley. The course teaches periodic table, chemical bonds, molecular shape, phase changes, chemical reactions, stoichiometry,...

The physics associated with global positioning satellites is discussed. The mechanism by which they triangulate the location of an object is described.

An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...

In this interactive module students will explore what different ancient cultures believe was an explanation of the stars and planets. They will look at how the work of Nicolas Copernicus revolutionize the world of astronomy and learn how...

Good site explaining the laws of planetary motion and ellipses

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.

This slideshow explains how satellites are used to measure the movement of tectonic plates.

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.

Nutation is a small cyclical motion superimposed upon the steady 26,000-year precession of the Earth's axis of rotation. It is mainly caused by the gravitational effect of the 18.6-year rotation period of the Moon's orbit. The main...

This interactive activity from NOVA Online lets you spin a spiral galaxy, including our own Milky Way. It demonstrates that what you can learn from visible light observations of a galaxy is largely determined by the angle from which you...