Earth, Sun, and Moon Direct Teach

Movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon

https://www.solarsystemscope.com/

Check out the Solar System!

https://www.solarsystemscope.com/

Question: What is a galaxy? What galaxy is our solar

system part of (describe the location and other details

about our galaxy). How is the galaxy different from the

solar system?

​A galaxy contains a large group of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity. The Milky Way is a large barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System in one of its four spiral arms. The Solar System goes around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years. Our Solar System is about 25,000 light-years away from the center of this galaxy. The stars that we see at night belong to Milky Way.Our solar system is a group of planets, satellites (moons), ice, and rock that are orbiting around our home star; The Sun! The Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun with one moon that orbits around the planet while they both orbit the Sun together.

Orbit

Orbit is a a path that celestial bodies

(objects in space) follow as the revolve

around another object with more mass

(like the planets orbit the sun and the

moons orbit the planets). The object in

orbit will always be significantly smaller

than what it is orbiting because the larger

object has more of a gravitational pull.

Multiple Choice

What is a synonym for orbit?

• Equator

• Rotation

• Axis

• Revolution

• The Sun makes up over 99% of the solar

systems mass.

• The Sun’s gravity holds the solar system

together and keeps the planets in orbit

(so they dont roam randomly in space.

• The Sun is made primarily of gas

(hydrogen and hellium)

• It does not have a surface

• The sun is made of layers and has a core.

• The outermost layer of the sun reaches

up to 900,000 degrees f.

​The Sun is the only source of light for all planets in the solar system. It is Earth's only source of thermal energy. Without the Sun, the Earth would be a frozen rock!

Open Ended

"How does the Sun affect the different planets in our solar system, and why is it important for life on Earth?"

Planet Earth

• Earth rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24

hours.

• Earth revolves or orbits the Sun once every 365

days.

• The Sun’s gravity is stronger than the Earth

because the Earth has less mass than the sun.

• Earth has one moon (some planets have none,

others have more than)

• Earth has an atmosphere made partly of oxygen

which provides us with breathable air.

Multiple Choice

The Earth and Sun consist of different layers. However, unlike Earth, the sun is primarily ____

• Melted Rock

• Solid

• Liquid

• Gas

The Sun versus The Earth

The Sun is significantly larger than

the Earth!

The Sun is 864,000 miles wide. The

Earth is only 3,958.8 miles wide.

This means that the Sun is

about 109 times larger than Earth!

Multiple Choice

Models that show the scale (size) of the celestial bodies are often used to compare different objects in space. Compared to Earth, the Sun is over one million times larger. Compared to Earth, the moon is four times smaller. 

Which combination of items could be used to make the closest scale model of the Sun and Earth?

• Beach ball and soccer ball

• Tennis ball and golf ball

• Basketball and a pea

• Basketball and soccer ball

The Moon

• The moon is another celestial body which orbits

another celestial body. Objects that are similar are

called “moons” as long as they do not orbit a star.

• Earth has its own moon which can be seen in

different phases every night. The light from the Sun

reflects off the moon, this is why we are able to see

it.

• The Moon’s surface is made of dust and rocks and

its full of craters.

• The moon has a very thin to almost no atmosphere

Earth is similar to the moon in many ways. One way the moon is different

from the Earth is ______

Part A: Which of the following are characteristics of both the Earth and the Moon? Select 2

correct answers.

Earth

Moon

• A breathable

atmosphere

• Solid Surface

• Dust, rocks, and

craters on the

surface

• Visible craters

from meteor

impacts

• Dust and rock

on the surface

A. Craters formed from meteor impacts

B. Very thin atmosphere

C. Surface changes by weathering and

erosion

D. Obtains light from the Sun.

E. Water covers about 97% of the surface.

Open Ended

Part B: Explain your reasoning to part A. Why did certain characteristics apply to both the moon and Earth?

During the night the Moon is visible and

seems to give off

light, by the source of light comes from

the reflection of the Sun. The moon is not

self-lit. Sometimes the Earth reflects light

onto the moon, this is called Earthshine.

Earthshine is how we see the moon

during the day.

Just like the Earth revolves or orbits around the

Sun, the Moon orbits around the Earth. The

moon completes one orbit around the Earth

every 27.3 days; we call this the Lunar Month.

The moon rotates once on its axis every 27 Earth

days.

• The moon does NOT orbit the Sun, it orbits

the Earth.

• The moon has less gravity than the Earth

• The moon is 1/4 the size of the earth

The Moon Orbits the Earth

Multiple Choice

Select your answer below:

• A

• B

• C

• D

Fall

Spring

Winter

Summer

Spring

Fall

Summer

Winter

​The Earth’s orbit around the Sun is the 

REASON FOR THE SEASONS

The seasons on Earth change because the Earth is tilted on its AXIS

At different times of the year the Sun‘s light and heat directly shines and radiates on different parts of the Earth which makes those parts warmer. THis is why there are ice caps on the North and South poles -- the Sun‘s light barely reaches those parts of the planet.

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between

changing seasons and shadows?

• Seasons change throughout the

  day and shadows change

  throughout the night.

• Seasons change throughout the

  year and shadows change

  throughout the day.

• Seasons change throughout the

  day and shadows change

  throughout the year.

Summer in the Southern

Hemisphere is caused by more

direct sunlight shining on to it.

Northern

Hemisphere

Souther

Hemisohere

This diagram shows us that

the Southern Hemisphere is

receiving more direct

sunlight which means this

part of the planet is in

Summer. The Northern

Hemisphere is receiving less

direct sunlight so this part of

the planet is in winter

Multiple Choice

Chose your answer below:

• A

• B

• C

• D