Interactive Infographic Sun, Moon, Earth

Sun, Moon, and Earth

The Sun

The Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star – a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium – at the center of our solar system. It's about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from Earth and it's our solar system's only star. Without the Sun's energy, life as we know it could not exist on our home planet.

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system.

Earth

Earth is our home planet. consists of land, air, water and life. The land contains mountains, valleys and flat areas. The air is made up of different gases, mainly nitrogen and oxygen. The water includes oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, rain, snow and ice.

Angel Emilio TorresArturo Maldonado Toledo

The Sun

Internal process

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In the Sun’s core, temperatures reaching at least 27 million degrees Fahrenheit, combined with the Sun’s powerful gravity, fuse together hydrogen molecules to create helium. Called thermonuclear fusion, this releases an enormous amount of energy in the form of radiation, electricity, solar wind, and, as we experience on Earth, life-giving heat and light.

What is it made of?

- 91% hydrogen - 8.9% helium - 0.1% heavier elements (such as carbon and nitrogen)

Influence on Earth, plants, animals, and humans. Why is it considered a source of energy?

It radiates light and heat, or solar energy, which makes it possible for life to exist on Earth. This is why the Sun is considered a source of energy. Plants need sunlight to grow. Animals, including humans, need plants for food and the oxygen they produce. Without heat from the sun, Earth would freeze.

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Moon

Moon phases

The Moon changes its apparent shape with four distinct phases depending on the Moon’s position as it orbits around the Earth, and the Earth’s position as it orbits around the Sun. There are four main Moon phases, also known as Lunar Phases: First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter and New Moon.

What is it made of?

43% oxygen, 20% silicon, 19% magnesium, 10% iron, 3% calcium, 3% aluminum, 0.42% chromium, 0.18% titanium and 0.12% manganese.

Influence on Earth, plants, animals, and humans. Why is it considered a source of energy?

The moon's gravity pulls at the Earth, causing predictable rises and falls in sea levels known as tides. For many animals, particularly birds, the Moon is essential to migration and navigation. Other will time their reproduction to coincide with the specific phases of the lunar cycle. The amount of moonlight at different times also influences the growth of plants. The Moon's energy has been a power source for several decades, wherein its gravitational pull has been harnessed to spin generators.

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Earth

Rotational Motion

It is the rotation that the Earth has on its own axis in the West or East direction. It is considered as anti-clockwise. The Earth goes around itself and it takes an average of 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. Because of this rotational movement there is day and night. Another consequence of this quite important rotational movement is the creation of an Earth's magnetic field.

Translational Motion

It is the movement that the Earth has that consists of making a turn in its orbit around the Sun. This orbit describes an elliptical movement and makes it closer to the Sun and sometimes further away. The translation movement causes the four seasons. It takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 ​​minutes and 45 seconds to make one complete revolution on its axis of translation. Therefore, every four years we have a leap year in which February has one more day. This is done to adjust the schedules and to keep it always stable.

Aurora Borealis & Australis

Coriolis Effect

Auroras are caused by high-energy particles from the Sun cascading down on Earth. As they near our planet, they interact with Earth's magnetic field, which channels them toward the north and south magnetic poles. Auroras seen in the Northern Hemisphere are called the aurora borealis, or northern lights, while displays around the Southern Hemisphere are called the aurora australis, or southern lights.

It is the result of Earth's rotation on weather patterns and ocean currents. The Coriolis effect makes storms swirl clockwise in the Southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. As the Earth spins in a counter-clockwise direction on its axis, anything flying or flowing over a long distance above its surface is deflected.

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