NASA
Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Welcome to the World of X Ray Astronomy
Site recounts how X-rays were discovered as well as who discovered them. Offers graphics, links to facts on this topic, a quiz, and teacher resources.
A&E Television
History.com: Challenger Explosion: How Groupthink and Other Causes Led to the Tragedy
Seven lives were lost as communications failed in the face of public pressure to proceed with the launch despite dangerously cold conditions. January 28, 1986, The sun had been up for less than an hour and air temperatures were a few...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Earth and Sun
A slideshow exploring Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun. Learn that because of Earth's axis tilt we experience the seasons!
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Equinox Precession Model
Experience a science simulation illustrating the Copernican theory of Earth's orbit around the sun.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar System Scale Model
Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar System Fact Sheet
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,...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Astronomy
Eight hands-on lessons module in which students explore the characteristics of planet Earth, its moons, the sun, the solar system, planets, and the difference between science fact and science fiction.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: All Planet Sizes
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.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Solar Orbit
A table listing the average radius of orbit for the nine planets about the sun; expressed in astronomical units. Data can be used to calculate the orbital speed or the orbital period.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Astronomy for Kids: The Planet Earth
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.
MadSci Network
Mad Scientist: Why High Tide Away From the Moon or Sun?
An excellent and thorough answer to the often asked question about high tide "bulges" on the side of Earth facing away from the Moon or Sun.
Rice University
Galileo Project: The Copernican System
This site from The Galileo Project of Rice University contains information relating to Copernicus's sun-centered solar system theory. Pictures are provided throughout this article along with links to additional information.
Nine Planets
The Eight Planets: Just for Kids
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.
Other
Solar and Astrophysics Lab: Trace Analysis Guide
This site provides a detailed overview of the TRACE (Transition Region and Coronal Explorer) satellite mission, data received, details about the instrumentation, and how to interpret the data.
Curated OER
Earth Orbits the Sun
This site from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides a fun project on rockets. "Nothing in space stands still. Everything either orbits around something else, or moves toward or away from something else. So how do...
Curated OER
Nasa's the Space Place: Solar System: Pluto's Orbit
An illustration showing Pluto's and the other planet's orbits around the sun.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: A Roundabout Way to Mars
Students explore orbit transfers and, specifically, Hohmann transfers. They investigate the orbits of Earth and Mars by using cardboard and string. Students learn about the planets' orbits around the sun, and about a transfer orbit from...
NASA
Nasa: Solar System Dynamics
This resource provides information related to all known bodies in orbit around the sun. Content includes planetary orbits, JPL's Horizon System, natural satellite information, and more.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Our Solar System: A Day on Earth
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on how the Earth's tilt on its axis, its rotation, and its orbit around the Sun give us a 24-hour day, a 365-day year, and our seasons.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fifth Grade Science: Earth Science: Earth's Motion in Space
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses the motion of the Earth with its day and night cycle, the seasons, the Earth's orbit around the Sun, and its year-long cycle.
NOAA
Noaa: Paleoclimatology Program: Astronomical Theory of Climate Change
Use this site to learn how the Earth's not-so-circular orbit around the sun has affected our climate over thousands of years, and continues to affect our climate now.
NASA
Nasa Star Child: A Song for All Seasons
After listening to excerpts from four of the violin concertos from "The Four Seasons" by Italian composer and violinist, Antonio Vivaldi, decide which excerpt was meant to go with which season, and also decide where the earth would be in...
Other
Christopher Crockett: The Astronomy Word of the Week Is "Barycenter"
While astronomers and philosophers have long mused on the possibility of other solar systems, the first planets confirmed to orbit a star other than our Sun weren't found until 1992. The reason it took so long is that it's really hard!...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Revolutions of Earth
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How objects in the solar system orbit around each other.