Planets

Pull the red ball down to read the entire article. Click on each planet to learn more about it and see a bigger image. Watch for the blinking black dots - click on them to get more information.

The DK kids' encyclopedia has a definition of a planet. The blinking red arrows around the planets will link to more information.

This site from the Air and Space Museum (US) provides detailed information about our solar system, from early discovery to modern exploration tools. Find information about each planet and some ways to compare them.

This site is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Students can "explore the cosmos" from their computer. "Hop on an asteroid. Fly with NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft. See the entire solar system moving in real time." (NASA description)

This NASA resource starts with an overview or definition of a planet. The In Depth section includes information about how this definition continues to evolve and how new discoveries inform the discussion.

This media-rich site provides information on each of planets of our solar system. Explore the videos and scroll down to find learn about the surface of each planet, as well as, statistics, size comparison and moons of each planet.

This study jam is about our solar system, specifically the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Check out the slide show and then take the quiz to test yourself.

Check out this slide show about the outer planets: Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and the plaetoid Pluto. Take the quiz to test yourself.

How big is the universe? What do scientists really know about what is out there in deep space? Here's a video and quiz to help you learn more about the universe, galaxies and solar systems.

Free online model of the solar system and night sky

Neil deGrasse Tyson takes us on a quick (3 minute) tour of our solar system. Could we live on the other planets in our solar system?

It takes light a zippy 8 minutes to reach Earth from the surface of the Sun. But how long does it take that same light to travel from the Sun’s core to its surface? It's a surprisingly long time!

Investigate the theories surrounding cosmic dust bunnies and discover how the tiny particles could hold the key to the formation of life on Earth.