The Sun and Stars

Stars, Sun, and Moon

Stars Review

Stars are hot balls of gases.

The closest star to Earth is the sun.

Stars differ in size, brightness, and patterns.

Stars that form pictures in the sky are called constellations.

Sun Review

The sun looks large to us because it is the closest star to Earth.

All living things need the sun to survive. Earth would be dark and cold without the sun.

Earth orbits around the sun. It takes about 365 days (year) for Earth to orbit the sun.

The sun can harm us if we are outside too long.

We can protect ourselves by wearing sunscreen and a hat!

Moon Review

The moon orbits the Earth.

It takes the moon about 28 days (or a month) to orbit Earth completely.

The moon is the largest object in the night sky.

The moon does NOT make it's own light. The moon is lit up by the sun.

When the moon appears to change shapes, it is going through different phases.

A full moon is when we are able to see the entire moon.

A new moon is when the moon is cast into a shadow and appears completely black in the sky.

Moon Phases

Remember the moon orbits Earth. The order/pattern of the phases never change. They repeat after about 28 days/a month. This visual also shows how the sun lights up the moon in different phases.