Scotland Third/Fourth level

Did you know the Earth is travelling around the Sun at nearly 107,000 kilometres per hour?

There are 8 planets in our Solar System. And there are many thousands of planets orbiting around other stars. We call these planets exoplanets. 

Astronomy is driven forward by always asking new questions. When we get to a question that we can’t answer, it usually means that we don’t have the technology, or the knowledge, to get to the bottom of the problem. This drives technology forward.

An Orrery is a moving, mechanical model of the Solar System. It shows how all of the planets orbit around the Sun.

Impact craters are made when a space rock (called a meteorite or asteroid) hits a rocky planet or moon. The impact makes a round hole in the surface, called a crater.

A satellite is an object which orbits another. An orbit is the curved path that an object in space takes around another object.

Should humans colonise Mars? Is there life in the Universe? Science continually seeks to answer big questions - but it takes a lot of research and communication to come to a consensus. 

Why not host a debate and try it yourself?

The Sun is a constant presence in our life on Earth. It gives us the heat and light we need to survive. But it is not a stable place. The Sun is a ball of hot plasma which is constantly changing.

You have probably seen the Moon in the sky, but have you ever studied it in detail?