Use the following lithographs to envision the scale of our solar system. View different models of planets at different scales, an infographic about the relative sizes of the planets and distance from the sun, and images of the largest...

Part of the National Air and Space Museum's online exhibition about Exploring Planets, this describes and gives visuals of telescopes, probes and fly-by aircrafts, orbiters, and landers as current methods for earth and airborne...

In this lesson plan investigation students learn about the shapes of the planetary orbits by experimenting with ellipses of different proportions.

This illustration from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory shows the approximate sizes of the planets relative to each other. Note that the planets are not shown at appropriate distances from the Sun.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Looks at the size and shape of planet orbits.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Examines the eight planets of our solar system and their orbits and rotation.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Examines the eight planets of our solar system, their orbits, and rotation.

Find out how astronomers locate new planets by observing the traits of the stars they orbit. Get some tips at locating stars with the help of star maps.

Students must determine mass of a planet based on the orbital motion of a satellite around the planet.

Use this handy chart to help acquaint yourself with major facts about the solar system. This chart is broken down by planet and displays data such as the size of the planet, distance from the sun, rotation period, orbital period,...

Explore the mythology, structure, observational history, gravitational force, and orbit of Earth's Moon.

Students explore orbits of planets and satellites. Some topics examined in the activities are planetary motion, angular momentum of orbits, and Kepler's laws. The resource consists of video clips, lecture notes, practice problems, and...

Observe the sun and the rotation of the planets in this moving image from NASA. Observe the axial tilts and directional rotation of planets and how they differ for each planet. Be sure to read the background information on how planets...

Here is a clear, simple picture of the solar system. Click on the names of the planets to learn more about each. Clicking on underlined terms takes you to more and more detailed scientific information.

An outdoor activity where students simulate how planets orbit around the sun using different sizes of balloons.

This resource provides a nice overview of Pluto. Get information on Pluto's size, tilt, orbit and surface features. There is also a brief explanation of the "New Horizons" space probe.

The mathematics associated with the motion of satellites is described. Equations (for period, velocity, acceleration and force) are stated, symbols described, and sample problems solved. Includes five practice problems with solutions and...

An information page all about Pluto! Learn about Pluto's size, path around the sun, temperature, location, and traveling partner Charon.

Kepler's second law of planetary motion is stated and explained. An animation of the orbit of a planet and an accompanying graphic assists in explaining the meaning of the law of equal areas.

This site is astronomy for kids and teachers! Here students can learn about the planet Earth of the Solar System including fun facts, mass, day, year, and distance from the Sun.

These hands-on activities are a great way for students to gain perspective on the relative sizes and distances of each planet, the relationship between the sun and Earth, and much more.

Students use water balloons and a length of string to understand how gravity and the velocity of a spacecraft balance to form an orbit. They see that when the velocity becomes too great for gravity to hold onto an object, the object...

In this interactive module students will explore what different ancient cultures believe was an explanation of the stars and planets. They will look at how the work of Nicolas Copernicus revolutionize the world of astronomy and learn how...

Launch into space with Orbital Order! Amplify your knowledge of the Sun and the planets of our Solar System in this astronomical activity. Do you have what it takes to put the planets back in order?