Design a Solar System
Drag these items into orbit and design your own solar system!
1/5
How long ago did the solar system form?
4.6 billion years ago
4.6 million years ago
46 years ago
What is the Ecliptic Plane?
The planets and Sun are on an ecliptic plane. This means the planets orbit the Sun in a circle that is mostly flat, kind of like a pancake!
Image Credit: NASA
Let's see how a solar day works.
Click on Earth
Image Credit: NASA
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun. The Moon blocks the Sun's light from reaching Earth, and it casts a shadow on Earth. On Earth, the sky darkens for a short period of time.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
Watch this video:
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and it appears red because of the iron in its rocks, soil, and dust.
Mars
Mars is about half the size of Earth.
Watch these videos:
Image Credit: NASA
The Great Red Spot
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a giant storm that's been swirling for over 100 years! It's so large that Earth could fit inside it!
The Great Red Spot
Image Credit: NASA
Scientists believe that some comets come from the Oort Cloud.
True
False
2/5
back
After you complete the puzzle, you will earn the WATER GEMSTONE.
Lunar Rover
PUZZLE
Start
Easy
Start
Medium
Start
Hard
Start
Extra Hard
Image Credit: NASA
Neptune's Moons
As of January 2025, NASA claims that Neptune has 16 moons.
Click the star to see more of Neptune's moons:
The largest moon is Triton. Triton has geysers that spew nitrogen gas:
Image Credit: NASA
Meet Eris
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Eris
Location: The Scattered Disk
NOTE: You will learn about the Scattered Disk in the next lesson.
Image Credit: NASA
Heliosphere
Label the Heliosphere:
Drag each word to the correct blank to label the heliosphere.
You did it!
Our Solar System
Termination Shock
Heliosheath
Heliopause
Heliosphere
Image Credit: NASA
back
CLOSE THE door!!!
Hint
Hint 1
Long-Period Comets
Long-period comets are comets that take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun. Sometimes they take thousands or millions of years! They appear rarely, and they come from the Oort Cloud. Comet Hale-Bopp is a long-period comet. It takes Hale-Bopp 2,534 years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Long-Period Comets?
Comet Hale-Bopp
Image Credit: NASA
Voyager 2 launched in August 1977 (before Voyager 1 launched!). It visited all four giant planets, and in 2018, it crossed into interstellar space.
Voyager 2
Image Credit: NASA
How many AU is each planet from the Sun? Drag each planet to the correct spot.
YOU DID IT!
0.39 AU
0.72 AU
1 AU
1.5 AU
5.2 AU
9.6 AU
19.2 AU
30 AU
Hint: Earth is 1 AU from the Sun
Image Credit: NASA
2/5
back
Where will light be after traveling away from Earth for one second?
Empty space, heading towards Mars
The Moon
Near Jupiter and Saturn
Image Credit: NASA, Rebecca Tait (Moon) | not to scale
Are you sure you want to go back to the beginning?
You will lose your progress!
Continuethe game
Back to start
Are you sure you want to go back to the beginning?
You will lose your progress!
Continuethe game
Back to start
Watch this video to learn about Mars.
Image Credit: NASA
Watch this video to learn about Mars.
Watch this video to learn more about solar eclipses.
Payhip_Course Sneak Peek
Rebecca
Created on September 12, 2025
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Transcript
Design a Solar System
Drag these items into orbit and design your own solar system!
1/5
How long ago did the solar system form?
4.6 billion years ago
4.6 million years ago
46 years ago
What is the Ecliptic Plane?
The planets and Sun are on an ecliptic plane. This means the planets orbit the Sun in a circle that is mostly flat, kind of like a pancake!
Image Credit: NASA
Let's see how a solar day works.
Click on Earth
Image Credit: NASA
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun. The Moon blocks the Sun's light from reaching Earth, and it casts a shadow on Earth. On Earth, the sky darkens for a short period of time.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
Watch this video:
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and it appears red because of the iron in its rocks, soil, and dust.
Mars
Mars is about half the size of Earth.
Watch these videos:
Image Credit: NASA
The Great Red Spot
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a giant storm that's been swirling for over 100 years! It's so large that Earth could fit inside it!
The Great Red Spot
Image Credit: NASA
Scientists believe that some comets come from the Oort Cloud.
True
False
2/5
back
After you complete the puzzle, you will earn the WATER GEMSTONE.
Lunar Rover
PUZZLE
Start
Easy
Start
Medium
Start
Hard
Start
Extra Hard
Image Credit: NASA
Neptune's Moons
As of January 2025, NASA claims that Neptune has 16 moons.
Click the star to see more of Neptune's moons:
The largest moon is Triton. Triton has geysers that spew nitrogen gas:
Image Credit: NASA
Meet Eris
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Eris
Location: The Scattered Disk
NOTE: You will learn about the Scattered Disk in the next lesson.
Image Credit: NASA
Heliosphere
Label the Heliosphere:
Drag each word to the correct blank to label the heliosphere.
You did it!
Our Solar System
Termination Shock
Heliosheath
Heliopause
Heliosphere
Image Credit: NASA
back
CLOSE THE door!!!
Hint
Hint 1
Long-Period Comets
Long-period comets are comets that take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun. Sometimes they take thousands or millions of years! They appear rarely, and they come from the Oort Cloud. Comet Hale-Bopp is a long-period comet. It takes Hale-Bopp 2,534 years to orbit the Sun one time.
What are Long-Period Comets?
Comet Hale-Bopp
Image Credit: NASA
Voyager 2 launched in August 1977 (before Voyager 1 launched!). It visited all four giant planets, and in 2018, it crossed into interstellar space.
Voyager 2
Image Credit: NASA
How many AU is each planet from the Sun? Drag each planet to the correct spot.
YOU DID IT!
0.39 AU
0.72 AU
1 AU
1.5 AU
5.2 AU
9.6 AU
19.2 AU
30 AU
Hint: Earth is 1 AU from the Sun
Image Credit: NASA
2/5
back
Where will light be after traveling away from Earth for one second?
Empty space, heading towards Mars
The Moon
Near Jupiter and Saturn
Image Credit: NASA, Rebecca Tait (Moon) | not to scale
Are you sure you want to go back to the beginning?
You will lose your progress!
Continuethe game
Back to start
Are you sure you want to go back to the beginning?
You will lose your progress!
Continuethe game
Back to start
Watch this video to learn about Mars.
Image Credit: NASA
Watch this video to learn about Mars.
Watch this video to learn more about solar eclipses.