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13 topics · Preschool to Grade 8

How space and the sky work

Why do we have day and night, and why does the Moon seem to change shape? These topics look up at the sky and out into space. Children see how Earth's spin makes day and night and how its tilt makes the seasons, follow the Moon through its phases and line up the Sun, Moon and Earth for an eclipse. They also find out what makes the Sun shine, why auroras glow near the poles and how satellites, space stations and spacesuits keep working far above the ground. The last topics follow a capsule back through the atmosphere and a rocket booster that lands to fly again. Each one has an animation, a look inside, a simulation and a challenge.

  1. 1Watch it
  2. 2Look inside
  3. 3Try it
  4. 4Solve a challenge
  5. 5Go deeper

13 topics in Space & astronomy

Space & astronomy

#78 Space & astronomy Why do we have day and night? Spin a globe beside the Sun and place characters around Earth. Watch sunrise, midday, sunset, and night from different locations. #79 Space & astronomy Why do the seasons change? Move a tilted Earth around the Sun. Compare sunlight angle and day length in both hemispheres and follow a location through the year. #80 Space & astronomy Why does the Moon seem to change shape? Move the Moon around Earth and compare its sunlit half with the portion visible from the ground. Match positions to lunar phases. #81 Space & astronomy How do satellites stay in orbit? Explore gravity and sideways motion in a simplified orbital simulation. Adjust a satellite's starting speed and height to compare its path. #82 Space & astronomy How do solar and lunar eclipses happen? Align the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Compare the shadows in solar and lunar eclipses and investigate why an eclipse does not happen every month. #83 Space & astronomy How does a space station support astronauts? Explore air, water, food, power, exercise, and waste systems. Manage a small station and discover how astronauts live and work in orbit. #471 Space & astronomy How does the Sun produce energy? Explore a simplified fusion model and follow energy from the Sun toward Earth. #472 Space & astronomy How do auroras appear in the sky? Follow charged particles, Earth's magnetic field, and light emitted high in the atmosphere. #473 Space & astronomy How do spacesuits support astronauts? Explore pressure, oxygen, cooling, communication, and protective layers inside a suit. #474 Space & astronomy How do weather satellites observe Earth? Compare visible and infrared views and track clouds across successive images. #475 Space & astronomy How do communication satellites relay signals? Route a message through ground stations and a satellite to a distant receiver. #477 Space & astronomy How do spacecraft return through the atmosphere? Follow heating, shielding, slowing, and landing during a simulated return. #478 Space & astronomy How do reusable rockets land upright? Adjust a model rocket's thrust and orientation to control its descent.

Keep exploring

Games to play

  • Seasons and SkiesFrom days of the week to Earth's tilt: dress for the weather, read the sky and discover why seasons happen.
  • Globe ExplorerSpin a real 3D globe, flip to the flat map, and find continents, oceans and countries.
  • Science QuizzesOlly's Science Quiz Show: plants, animals, the body, weather, space and more, for every grade.

Guide for grown-ups

Science games by grade

Science worksheets by grade