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Welcome! Today we will explore how the Sun, Earth, and Moon move around each other in space.
In space, objects move around larger objects. An orbit is the curved path an object takes as it travels around another body.
The Earth travels around the Sun in a large circle called an orbit. It takes Earth one whole year to make one full trip around the Sun.
While Earth orbits the Sun, the Moon orbits the Earth. The Moon is much smaller and takes about one month to travel around the Earth.
✏️ Worked example
Construct a mental model to explain how the Moon, Earth, and Sun move in relation to each other.
- Step 1: Identify the central object with the strongest pull, which is the Sun at the center.
- Step 2: Place the Earth in a large orbit traveling all the way around the Sun.
- Step 3: Place the Moon in a smaller orbit traveling directly around the Earth.
- Step 4: Combine the movements: as Earth circles the Sun, the Moon tags along, continuously circling the moving Earth.
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