The Earth and Beyond Next

C. B. What shape is the Earth? Is it: A. A square.A circle.A sphere.

A.Sorry, that’s not correct. A long time ago people thought that the Earth was flat and square, but now we know that is not right. Try again. Back

C. Correct! The Earth is a sphere. Next

B. Sorry, but that’s not right. You’re thinking along the right lines, but remember that the Earth is a 3D shape. Why not have another go? Back

Here is a picture of the Earth. Click on the arrow which shows which way the Earths gravity is pulling us? A. B. C.

A.Well done! That is correct. The Earths gravity is pulling all of us towards the centre of the Earth. Next

B. This is not the right answer, sorry! This arrow is pointing down, but down is not always the same for all of us. Back

C. Incorrect. Have another go. Back

Here is a photograph of the sun. Do you know whether the sun is; A. A planet? B. A star? C. A comet?

A.Sorry, the sun is not a planet. Stars and planets are very different. An easy way to remember the difference is that planets do not shine with a light of their own, but stars do! Back

B. That’s right, the sun is a star. The sun is a star like all of the other stars that we see in the sky, it’s just that the sun is much closer to us than all of the others! Next

C. The sun is not a comet. Comets are big chunks of dust and frozen gases that are left over from when the sun and the planets were formed. Back

A. One hour? B. One Year? C. One Day? D. One Minute? The Earth rotates around an imaginary line called “The Earths axis”. How long does it take for the Earth to rotate once?

A.No, it’s not one hour! Have another go! Back

B. Sorry, it’s not one year. Try again! Back

C. Well done! That’s the right answer. It takes one day, or twenty four hours for the Earth to rotate once around its axis. Next

D. No, it takes more than one minute for the Earth to rotate once. Back

As well as rotating around its axis once every twenty four hours, the Earth is also moving around the sun in its orbit. How long does it take for the Earth to move once around the sun? A. Twenty four hours? B. One year? C. One month?

A.That is not the correct answer. It takes twenty four hours for the Earth to rotate once around its axis. Back

B. Congratulations, that’s the correct answer. It takes one year, or three hundred and sixty five and one quarter days, for the Earth to go around the sun once in its’ orbit. But we don’t count the quarter days every year, we save them up and every four years we add them together. This gives us one whole extra day and we put this extra day into the calendar on February 29 th. This year with an extra day in it is called a leap year. Next

C. Incorrect. It takes more than one month for the Earth to orbit the sun. Go back to the question and try again. Back

During the daytime the sun appears to move across the sky. This is because the Earth is rotating. In the morning the sun rises in the east, Where will we see the sun in the evening? East South West

That’s not the right answer! The sun rises in the east, that’s the direction we must look in to see the sun in the morning. Have another go! Back

Sorry, no. We see the sun in the south in the middle of the day. Go back and try again. Back

Well done! We have to look towards the west if we want to see the sun in the evening. The sun does seem to move across the sky during the day, but remember, this is only because the Earth is rotating. At night time the stars also seem to move across the sky, rising in the east and setting in the west. They seem to move for the same reason as the sun during the daytime, the Earth is rotating. Next

The Earth rotates around its’ axis, but the Earths’ axis does not point straight up and down like in the picture below. Click on the Earth to see how the axis is tilted. Next

So the Earths’ axis is tilted. The Earths’ axis also always points in the same direction, it always points to the same place in the sky, no matter where it is in its’ orbit around the sun. Click on the Earth to see this: Notice how the Earths’ axis always points the same way! Next

It is because the Earths’ axis is tilted, and because that axis always points the same way, that we get the four seasons, summer, winter, spring and autumn. In the picture below it is winter in the north because the northern end of the Earths’ axis is tilted away from the sun. Click on the Earth: N S What season is it now in the south? A.Winter? B Summer?

A.Well done! The southern end of the Earths axis, ( the south pole), is now tilted away from the sun. This means it is now winter in the south. Next

B. Sorry, no! The end of the Earths axis which is tilted towards the sun will be having summer. Go back and look again. Back

So, we get the four seasons because the Earths axis is tilted. Click once on the picture of the Earth below to see how we get all four seasons in the north. N Winter Spring Summer Autumn Next

As we saw earlier, the sun is a star just like all of the other stars that we see in the sky. What do you think the sun is made of? A. Lava B. Gas C. Rock

A.Sorry, no. The sun is not made of lava. Lava is molten rock that comes out of a volcano. Try again. Back

B. Well done. The sun is a sphere of very, very hot gas that is glowing very brightly. Next

C. That’s not correct. The Earth is made up largely of rock as are some of the other planets and the moon, but the sun isn’t. Have another go. Back

The earth is a very special place as it is the only planet where we can live, and we are able to live here thanks to three very special things. The first of these is that the Earth is just the right distance from the sun. The Earth is one of eight planets that move around the sun in their orbits. The Earth is the third planet from the sun. Next

How far is it from the Earth to the sun? A. 150 km B. 150,000 km C. 150,000,000 km

A.No. If the Earth was 150 km from the sun then it would become so hot that the Earth would be turned into gas! Try again. Back

B. That’s not the right distance. If the sun was only 150,000 km away from the Earth, then the Earth would be vaporised, turned into gas. Have another go. Back

C. That’s correct. 150,000,000 km is a very long way indeed, but if the Earth was much closer to the sun than this, then it would be too hot for anything to stay alive. And if the Earth was much further from the sun then it would be so cold that everything would freeze to death. Also, at this distance, the Earth gets just the right amount of sunlight, and this is very important, especially for making the plants grow. Next

So the Earth is just the right distance from the sun for things to stay alive, but there are two other things that we must have to live. So far, we haven’t found these things anywhere else in space. What do you think these things might be? A. Gravity and water. B. Food and water. C. Air and water

A.Both gravity and water are necessary for life, but the force of gravity can be felt anywhere in space, not just here on the Earth. Try again. Back

B. It is very important that we have food and water to keep our bodies healthy, but if there wasn’t any water then no plants or animals could live, so there wouldn’t be any food. Try again. Back

C. Both air and water are necessary for life. So far, neither of these things have been found anywhere else in space. Sometimes we hear that water has been found on the moon or mars, and this is true! But we have only found frozen water, ice, in these places and for their to be any life water must be a liquid. Next

Here is a photograph of the moon. When we look at the moon in the sky we sometimes see it shining very brightly. Why is this? A. Because when it gets dark the moon begins to shine. B. Because the moon reflects the light of the sun. C. Because the light of the sun shines through the moon.

A.No, that’s not it. The moon doesn’t have any light of its’ own, so unless something is lighting it up we wouldn’t see the moon at all. Try again. Back

B. That’s right. The light of the sun shines onto the moon and lights up one side of the moon, just like it lights up one side of the Earth. Some of this sunlight bounces off the moon, it is reflected, by the moons surface, and it is some of this reflected sunlight that comes to us here on the Earth. So when we look at the moon in the sky, it sometimes seems to shine very brightly! Click on the moon to see this more clearly!

C. No, the suns light does not shine through the moon. The moon is made of solid rock, so if the moon moves in front of the sun, the moon blocks out the sunlight. This does sometimes happen, and when it does we call it an “eclipse of the sun”. Back

Light from the sun shines onto the moon… …and is reflected onto the Earth! Click on the sun! Next

So we see the moon in the sky because the moon reflects the light of the sun. Sometimes when we look at the moon we also see it as different shapes, but the moon never really does change its’ shape of course. What shape is the moon? A. SphereB. Circle C. Crescent

A. That’s correct. Just like the Earth, sun and stars, the moon is a sphere. Next

B. No, sorry. The moon is not a circle. A circle is a 2D shape and the moon is a 3D shape. Try again. Back

C. Incorrect. The moon does sometimes appear to be a crescent shape, but this is not the shape that the moon really is. You will see why in a minute! Go back and have another go. Back

When we look at the moon in the sky it does not always appear to be the same shape. We might see a crescent shape or half of the moon, we might see all of the moon or perhaps none of it at all! But the moon never really does change its’ shape, it just looks like it changes. Why do you think this might be? A. Because we see different amounts of the side of the moon that is being lit up by the sun? B. Because the clouds cover part of the moon? C. Because the Earth is rotating?

A. Well done, that was not an easy question. The moon appears to change its’ shape because we cannot always see all of the side of the moon that is being lit up by the sun. These changes are called “the moons’ phases”. Click on the moon to see better how this works.

B. No, this is not right. Many people think that this is the correct answer, but the shape that we see the moon in the sky has nothing at all to do with the clouds. Try again! Back

C. No. The fact that the Earth is rotating has nothing at all to do with the shape that we see the moon in the sky. Go back to the question and try again. Back

New moonFirst quarter moon Full moon Last quarter moon Light from the sun Click on the sun Next

Congratulations! You have done very well to finish this quiz, and now you know lots about the Earth, the sun and the moon, but you can always have another go some other time if there are things that you’re still not sure about. You’re a star! Exit