The Earth in Space
 An Introduction

Earth - Sun - Moon
Fact Sheet

  • The Earth is our planet.

  • The Earth spins (rotates) on its axis.

  • It takes the Earth 24 hours to make one complete rotation. That causes day and night.

  • The Earth revolves around the Sun (our star).

  • It takes 365 days to make one complete revolution. That is one year. (It actually takes the Earth 365 days plus 6 hours to make one complete trip around the sun.)

  • The Earth's axis is tilted. That causes changing seasons and unequal day and night.

  • The Earth rotates from west to east.

  • The Earth is made up of over 70% water.

  • The Earth is the 3rd planet from the sun.

  • When the sun is above our heads, it is noon.

  • The sun seems to rise in the East and set in the West.

  • The moon is the Earth's satellite.

  • The moon rotates on its axis, too, while it orbits the Earth.

  • It takes the moon about 28 days to rotate once on its axis.

  • It takes the moon about 28 days to revolve around the Earth (one month). That is why we always see the same side of the moon.

Learn more about space at these great websites:

Windows to the Universe Kids' Space

National Geographic Virtual Solar System

Use the Fact Sheet above to answer these questions:

1. In what direction does the Earth rotate?
2. What time is it when the Sun is directly over our heads?
3. The Earth is our . The Sun is our .
4. How long does it take the Earth to make one trip (one revolution) around the Sun?
5. How long does it take the Earth to spin (rotate) on its axis?
6. How long does it take the moon to make one revolution around the Earth?
7. How many times does the moon orbit the Earth in one year?
8. Why do we have changing seasons and unequal day and night?
9. What marks one year in space?
10. What marks one day in space?
11. What marks one month in space?
12. Does the planet Earth have more land or more water?
13. What do we call the imaginary line that the Earth spins around?


More Questions to think about:
 1. When the sun is directly over your head, can it also be directly over someone's head in California? .
2. If it is noon here in New Jersey, is it morning or afternoon in California?
3. If is is noon in London, England, what time is it in New Jersey?
 Just about noon
A few hours after noon
A few hours before noon



Here are 2 views of the 9 planets in their correct order from the sun.Click the Sun to learn more about it.

Here are individual pictures of the planets. Their relative sizes are not necessarily correct.
Click a planet below or the Sun above or below to find out more about them.

ROCKY INNER PLANETS

MERCURY

VENUS

 EARTH

MARS

GASEOUS OUTER PLANETS

JUPITER SATURN URANUS

NEPTUNE

PLUTO

Click the Earth to enlarge it. Earthbig.jpg (155031 bytes)

Solar System

Copy and paste the diagram below into Paint.
Copy, paste, size, and label the inner planets on this diagram.