Space

The sun is a giant ball of hot, glowing gases and is the center of our solar system. The sun is so big it can hold more than a million Earths! The sun provides light and heat to all the planets in our solar system, including Earth.

The moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth. It is about one sixth the size of Earth and is the fifth largest moon in the solar system. Astronauts from Earth visited the moon during the Apollo missions, leaving footprints that will last for millions of years because there is no wind or rain to erase them. Gravity on the moon is weak, so the weight of a human body there is only one sixth of its weight on Earth.

Earth is the third planet closest to the Sun and is the only planet known to harbor life. It has a wide variety of landscapes, from mountains and oceans to deserts and forests. The Earth has a protective layer called the atmosphere that protects us by trapping just the right amount of heat and sunlight.

Stars are giant balls of hot, glowing gas, just like our sun. The night sky is filled with countless stars, each shining at different levels of brightness. Some stars are much larger and hotter than the Sun, while others are smaller and cooler.

The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy that contains our solar system along with billions of other stars. It looks like a streak of light in the night sky and is made up of stars, gases, dust and dark matter. Our solar system is only a tiny part of the vast Milky Way galaxy.

Spaceships are vehicles designed to travel in outer space. Humans use spaceships to explore various planets, moons and celestial bodies. Satellites, like those that help us with weather forecasts and communication, are also a type of spacecraft.

Gravity is the force that pulls objects down. This is what keeps us and everything else on Earth from floating. The amount of gravity depends on the mass of an object: the more massive an object, the stronger its gravitational pull.

Astronauts are specially trained people who travel and work in space. They wear space suits to protect themselves from the lack of air and the extreme temperatures in space. Astronauts conduct experiments, repair satellites and learn about space during their missions.

Satellites are like space assistants orbiting the Earth. They can be natural, like the moon, or man-made. Some help us communicate by carrying television signals, while others take pictures to study weather patterns or keep an eye on the environment. Asteroids are like space rocks that float in space. Sometimes they come close to Earth, and scientists watch them closely to make sure they don’t cause problems.