Hi there! I am Studyfin, your science guide. Today, we will explore how the Earth, Moon, and Sun move, and find where the planets live!
Our solar system is a busy place where things move in paths called orbits. An orbit is a curved path that a smaller object takes around a larger object in space.
The Sun sits at the center of our solar system. The Earth orbits around the massive Sun, and the tiny Moon orbits around the Earth.
There are eight planets that orbit the Sun. They always stay in the same order, from the closest planet to the farthest planet.
✏️ Worked example
Let us model how the Moon, Earth, and Sun move. Explain what orbits what, and list the first four planets in order from the Sun.
First, find the center. The Sun is at the center of the model because it is the biggest.
Next, place the Earth. We draw the Earth orbiting, or traveling around, the Sun.
Then, add the Moon. We draw the tiny Moon orbiting around the moving Earth.
Now, look at the planet order starting from the Sun. The closest planet is Mercury.
The second planet from the Sun is warm Venus.
The third planet is our home, Earth. The fourth planet is red Mars.
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