The earth, sun and the Moon

The earth, moon and sun all work together to make our world what it is today.

The moon controls the tides and is a crucial part in solar and lunar eclipses.

How was the moon created and who does it affect the earth’s tides?

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Our home. A standard earth year is 365 days. It has one natural satellite (moon).

Its atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen (78%) oxygen (21%) and other gases (1%).

Its the distance from the sun and the presence of an atmosphere which makes Earth a livable place.

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The sun is the largest thing in our solar system, measuring 1,448,409 km across (110 times the earth). However its actually considered a medium sized star compared to others seen in the universe.

Due to its massive size, the sun exerts a gravitational pull on all the planets. Making them circle or orbit it.

Its over 150 million km from earth, and yet its light only take 8 minutes to reach us!

The sun pumps out energy in the form of light and heat. This energy is called solar energy.

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Click here to see why the moon is visible during the day

The animation to the right shows how the moon, earth and sun interact with each other.

The earth takes 365 days to orbit the sun, while it only takes 24 hrs to make a complete rotation on its axis.

The moon takes 27 days to orbit the earth.