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Earth, Sun and Moon Click on the rocket Index The Shape of the Earth, Sun and Moon The Size of the Earth, Sun and Moon The Sun – Facts Shadows Night and Day The Earth – Facts The Moon – Facts The Solar System (names of planets) Click on a link. To return to this page click Index Earth, Sun and Moon What shape is the earth? Do you know? Click on the telescope to find more information. Index In History When Christopher Columbus set sail on his journey in 1492, he encountered stiff opposition – it is thought many people feared he would fall off the edge of the Earth (which many people thought to be flat). Index Next The Bible Many early Christians believed the Earth was flat because of references found in the Bible. For example: “I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the Earth.” Daniel 4:10f However the Bible does not state that the Earth is flat. Index Next Gleason’s New Standard Map of the World. On the projection of J.S. Christopher, Modern College, Blackheath, England. Scientifically and Practically Correct. Longitude and Time Calculator. Patent Allowed November 15, 1892 Applications made in England, Canada, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Austria This map again reinforced the idea that the Earth was flat. Index Next During the last 40 years, we have photographic evidence from space to show the shape of the Earth: Satellite photographs, taken from: www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/satellite.html Index Next The Earth is a sphere. The Moon and Sun are also spheres. Index Next Earth, Sun and Moon Is the Sun bigger than the Moon? Click on the telescope to find more information. Index The Earth is 12,742 km in diameter Index Next The Sun is 1,391,000 km in diameter Index Next The Moon is 3,476 km in diameter Index Next The Sun is over 10 times the size of the Earth and 40 times the size of the Moon. Index Next Earth, Sun and Moon The Sun Click on the telescope to find more information. Index The Sun – Facts The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. It is our closest star and is believed to be over 4 billion years old. There are storms on the surface of the Sun. These storms are known as ‘sunspots’, because they look like spots on the sun. Index Next The Sun – Facts The centre (or core) of the Sun is very hot. A process called ‘nuclear fusion’ takes place there. Nuclear fusion produces lots of energy. Some of this energy travels out into space as heat and light. Some of it arrives at Earth. It is very dangerous to look directly at the Sun. Index Next Shadows Shadows are formed when light from a source is blocked. When the Sun shines on an object it forms a shadow on the ground. Index Next Shadows change during the day. Index Next From the position of the shadow you can see the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Index Next The Sun appears to move through the day but, in fact, the Sun does not move. It is the Earth rotating on its axis, which makes it seem that the Sun is moving. As the Sun appears to move and gets higher in the sky, the shadows get shorter. In the morning and evening the Sun is lower in the sky so the shadows are longer. Index Next Night and Day As the Earth spins on its axis the part that is facing the Sun will be in the light (day). The part of the Earth not facing the Sun will be in darkness (night). Index Next Earth, Sun and Moon The Earth Click on the telescope to find more information. Index The Earth – Facts The Earth is one of nine planets in the Solar System. It is over 149 million miles away from the Sun. The Earth spins around a line which goes through it from the North Pole to the South Pole. This is known as the Earth’s axis. Index Next The Earth – Facts The axis does not point straight upwards. It is tilted slightly. Index Next The Earth – Facts It takes the Earth 24 hours (one day) to spin round once on its axis. Index Next The Earth – Facts It takes the Earth 365 ¼ days (one year) to orbit the Sun. Index Next Earth, Sun and Moon The Moon Click on the telescope to find more information. Index The Moon – Facts The Moon orbits the Earth It takes 28.3 days for one complete orbit (lunar month) The Moon does not make its own light. You only see the Moon because it reflects light from the Sun. Index Next Phases of the Moon The amount of the Moon seen changes from day. These changing views are called the phases of the Moon. Index Next The Solar System Index Next There are nine planets in the solar system: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Index Pluto Next Each planet takes a different time to make one complete orbit of the Sun. You can find out more about the Solar System using books, CD-ROMs and the Internet. Index