Mon Prof Augmenté
The Moon Circles Earth While Earth Circles the Sun
Age 11 Science
Earth travels in a huge loop around the Sun, and the Moon travels in a much smaller loop around Earth. So the Moon rides along with us the whole way, like a passenger on a very long journey.
Step by step
- The Sun, the giant star at the centre, whose gravity keeps Earth curving around it.
- Earth, sitting on the wide orbit ring and taking one whole year to go all the way round.
- The Moon, on its own small ring around Earth, carried along as Earth moves.
Examples
- Whirling a ball on a string beside you while you walk in a big circle around a tree.
- A moth looping around a bike lamp while the cyclist rides one lap of the park.
Key takeaways
- The Moon takes about 27 days to go once around Earth.
- Earth takes about 365 days, one year, to go once around the Sun.