Work through each section, watch the videos, and test yourself with quizzes and activities. Tasks are colour-coded by difficulty.
Our solar system is made up of the Sun and everything that orbits around it. This includes 8 planets, their moons, dwarf planets (like Pluto), asteroids, and comets.
The Sun sits at the centre. It is a star — a massive ball of hot gas that gives off light and heat through nuclear fusion. The Sun's gravity keeps everything orbiting around it.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
The 4 planets closest to the Sun are called the rocky (terrestrial) planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They are small and made of rock and metal.
The 4 outer planets are called the gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are much larger and made mostly of gas and ice.
Asteroids are chunks of rock and metal that orbit the Sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Comets are balls of ice, rock and dust. When they get close to the Sun, they heat up and form a bright tail.
Dwarf planets like Pluto are too small to be called full planets but still orbit the Sun.
These short videos explain the Solar System visually — great for revision.
1. How many planets are in our solar system?
2. What keeps the planets orbiting the Sun?
3. Which are the 4 rocky planets?
Use the word bank to complete the sentences.
The Sun produces energy through .
The Sun's keeps the planets in orbit.
Most asteroids are found in the between Mars and Jupiter.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are known as .
Balls of ice, rock and dust that develop tails near the Sun are called .
1. What process powers the Sun?
2. Why is Pluto no longer classified as a full planet?
3. Explain why the inner planets are rocky while the outer planets are gaseous.
The Earth rotates (spins) on its axis once every 24 hours. The side facing the Sun gets daylight. The side facing away is in darkness (night).
The Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the Sun (which takes 365.25 days — one year), different parts of the Earth are tilted towards or away from the Sun. This causes the seasons.
When the UK is tilted towards the Sun, we get summer (longer days, Sun higher in the sky). When tilted away, we get winter (shorter days, Sun lower in the sky).
The Moon orbits the Earth roughly every 28 days. It does not produce its own light — it reflects sunlight.
As the Moon orbits, we see different amounts of its lit side. These are called phases: new moon, crescent, half moon (quarter), gibbous, and full moon.
1. How long does it take Earth to rotate once?
2. What causes the seasons?
3. The Moon produces its own light. True or false?
Click the phases in the correct order, starting from New Moon.
1. Why do we have leap years?
2. A lunar eclipse occurs when...
3. Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?
Why do we have summer and winter? It's NOT because we're closer to the Sun! It's all about Earth's tilt. This section explores exactly how the 23.5° tilt causes our seasons.
Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees. This tilt never changes direction — it always points the same way in space.
As Earth orbits the Sun over one year, different parts of Earth are tilted towards or away from the Sun.
These short videos explain exactly how Earth's tilt causes seasons.
It's easy to think summer happens because Earth is closer to the Sun — but that's a common misconception! Earth's orbit is nearly circular, so distance barely changes.
What really matters is the angle of sunlight:
1. What causes the seasons on Earth?
2. When the UK is tilted towards the Sun, what season is it?
3. At what angle is Earth's axis tilted?
Use the word bank to complete the sentences.
Earth's axis is tilted at degrees.
It takes one year for Earth to the Sun.
When your hemisphere is tilted the Sun, you experience .
When your hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, it is and the days are .
Click the seasons in the correct order, starting from the beginning of the year.
1. Why is the common explanation "Earth is closer to the Sun in summer" incorrect?
2. Why are days longer in summer?
3. What would happen to the seasons if Earth's axis had no tilt (0°)?
10 questions covering the Solar System, Earth's tilt, seasons, and the Moon. You get instant feedback on each one.