Orbit

Dorothy Vaughan

Dorothy Vaughan
Credit: Unknown author

Occupation: Mathematician and Human Computer

Year born: 1910

Research Areas: Computer Programming

Sophia Brahe

Sophia Brahe (1556 – 1643)

Centre of Mass

Earth and Moon taken by
the Galileo Spacecraft
Credit: NASA

Mass is the amount of "stuff", or matter, and object has and this amount remains the same wherever the object is, even though it's weight will change depending upon gravity.

Orbital Demonstration

Start Animation

Elliptical Orbits

Elliptical Orbit
Credit: Horvath and Rubber Duck

Solar Eclipse Animation

This animation show what happens during a total and partial solar eclipse.

Can you see that the sky gets darker when the Moon passes through our view of the Sun? Did you notice it gets much darker during a total eclipse than during a partial one?

Lunar Eclipse

An eclipse is when an object passes through the shadow of another. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves through the shadow cast by the Earth.

Solar Eclipse

An eclipse is when an object passes through the shadow of another. A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves through the shadow cast by the Moon. The sky gets dark, like at night-time!

Phases of the Moon

Lunar cycle — Moon Phases Diagram
Credit: www.moonconnection.com with permission.

The Moon is the brightest object in the night sky when its whole face is showing. This only happens at full Moon. Why isn't it always full Moon?

Moon's Orbit

Earth from the Moon
Credit: Apollo 17; NASA

An orbit is the path an object takes in space around another. The Moon makes 1 complete orbit of the Earth every 27.3 days. It travels around the Earth at about 4,000 kilometres an hour.