The Sun, Moon, stars and planets. Read, drag through the Moon's phases, sort, then play.
What it is
Day and night happen because the Earth spins (rotates) on its axis. The side facing the Sun has day, the side turned away has night.
Why it works
As the Earth turns once about every 24 hours, each place moves into and out of sunlight, so day and night follow each other everywhere.
Why it matters
This explains the simplest rhythm of our lives, morning, day, evening and night.
A few examples
The side of Earth facing the Sun has day. The side turned away has night. One spin takes about 24 hours.
What it is
The sky holds different objects. A star like the Sun makes its own light. A planet like Earth goes around the Sun and shines by reflected light. A moon goes around a planet.
Why it works
We tell them apart by what they do: stars glow on their own, planets orbit the Sun, and moons orbit planets, a neat order in the sky.
Why it matters
Knowing these kinds helps us make sense of everything we see up there.
A few examples
The Sun is a star. Earth and Mars are planets. Our Moon is a satellite of Earth.
What it is
We can sort the objects we see into stars, planets and moons by how they behave.
Why it works
Because stars shine, planets orbit the Sun, and moons orbit planets, sorting them fixes these ideas firmly in mind.
Why it matters
This is the first step astronomers take in studying the sky.
A few examples
Sun and Sirius are stars. Earth and Mars are planets. The Moon and Titan are moons.
What it is
The Moon has no light of its own, it reflects the Sun's light. As it moves around Earth, the lit part we see changes, giving the phases, from new moon to full moon and back over about a month.
Why it works
Since we see only the sunlit part facing us, and that part changes through the month, the Moon appears to grow and shrink in a steady cycle.
Why it matters
The phases are one of the most beautiful patterns in the night sky.
A few examples
New moon shows no lit face. Full moon shows a full lit face. The cycle takes about a month.
What it is
Our solar system has the Sun at the centre with eight planets going around it in paths called orbits. Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Why it works
The Sun's pull keeps the planets in their orbits, and each planet, including Earth, shines by reflecting sunlight rather than making its own light.
Why it matters
This is our neighbourhood in space, the family of the Sun.
A few examples
The Sun is at the centre. Eight planets orbit it. Earth is the third planet.
What it is
Groups of stars make patterns called constellations. A telescope helps us see distant objects. The Pole star stays fixed in the north and helps find direction. Human-made satellites also orbit Earth.
Why it works
People have watched the sky for ages, using star patterns to navigate and tools like telescopes to see far, and today satellites help us too.
Why it matters
Skywatching connects us to explorers and scientists across history.
A few examples
Constellations are star patterns. A telescope shows far objects. The Pole star points north.
Slide to move through the month. The lit part you see changes from new to full and back. It demos on its own until you touch it.
Drag each object where it belongs. sorted 0/6
Have a go first, then tap to see the clear steps.
Q1. Why do we have day and night?
Q2. Is the Sun a star or a planet?
Q3. Why does the Moon shine?
Q4. What do we call the changing shapes of the Moon through a month?
Q5. How many planets go around the Sun?
Q6. What is a pattern made by a group of stars called?