---
title: "Space Systems & Earth's History"
description: "18 topics in Science, in the order they build on each other."
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/areas/space-systems-and-earths-history
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/areas/space-systems-and-earths-history.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Space Systems & Earth's History

18 topics in Science, in the order they build on each other.

Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/areas/space-systems-and-earths-history

- [Naming the Planets](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/naming-the-planets-mt_EHuU1ZeUFA): Name the planets in our solar system in order from the Sun and use vocabulary for space — planet, star, sun, moon, satellite, orbit, solar system, galaxy, universe, asteroid, comet — applying these correctly when describing the structure of the solar system and objects we see in the sky
- [Sun, Moon, and stars](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/sun-moon-and-stars-mt_fk33IEGP-T): Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe predictable patterns such as the sun rising and setting, the moon changing shape, and stars appearing at night
- [Daylight in summer and winter](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/daylight-in-summer-and-winter-mt_K0mZxY2AM8): Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year, noticing longer days in summer and shorter days in winter
- [Earth & Space Vocabulary](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/earth-and-space-vocabulary-mt_LQt4vnKeB4): Use technical vocabulary for Earth's motion and the wider universe — rotation, revolution, axis, tilt, orbit, light year, gravitational force, atmosphere, lunar phases, waxing, waning, solstice, equinox, eclipse — and apply these when explaining day and night, the seasons, and the Moon's phases
- [The solar system](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-solar-system-mt_5l7iGkf1Tp): Describe the sun, Earth, and moon as approximately spherical bodies, and describe the movement of the Earth and other planets orbiting the sun in the solar system
- [Earth's rotation and day/night](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/earths-rotation-and-day-night-mt_q15w--Fb5H): Use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky
- [Star Brightness & Distance](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/star-brightness-and-distance-mt_ZhKuYCbXz1): Support an argument that the apparent brightness of the sun and stars is due to their relative distances from Earth, understanding the sun is a relatively close star
- [Phases of the Moon](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/phases-of-the-moon-mt_4V-vYhFUcm): Explain the phases of the Moon as the changing angle of sunlight on the lunar surface as seen from Earth, and describe how solar and lunar eclipses occur
- [The solar system (age 11+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-solar-system-age-11-mt_33RrpbceZE): Describe the detailed structure of the solar system, including moons, asteroids, and comets, compare orbital periods and distances of the planets, and distinguish between planets, dwarf planets, and other bodies
- [Why We Have Seasons](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/why-we-have-seasons-mt_lFiDFPkVmH): Explain that the seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis during its orbit around the Sun, distinguishing this from the common misconception that seasons are caused by changing distance from the Sun
- [Universal Gravitation](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/universal-gravitation-mt_oLjz18CxDg): Describe gravity as a universal attractive force between all masses, explain that orbital motion arises because gravity provides the centripetal force keeping objects in orbit, and compare gravitational field strengths on different planets
- [Galaxies and the universe](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/galaxies-and-the-universe-mt_v9uYnIY5-B): Describe the scale of the universe, including the structure of galaxies, the position of the Sun in the Milky Way, and the use of light years as a unit of distance, and appreciate why space exploration requires enormous timescales
- [Life Cycle of a Star](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/life-cycle-of-a-star-mt_lHasFmgvnT): Describe the life cycle of a star from nebula through main sequence to its end state (white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole depending on mass), and relate the life cycle to the origin of elements heavier than hydrogen
- [Red-Shift and the Expanding Universe](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/red-shift-and-the-expanding-universe-mt_JeAfpxw49W): Light from distant galaxies arrives with its lines shifted towards longer wavelengths, and the shift is bigger the further away the galaxy is. The straightforward reading is that space itself is expanding from a hot, dense start.
- [Shadows](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/shadows-mt_tMLsTPQHwF): Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in shadow length and direction, day and night cycles, and seasonal star patterns
- [Fast and slow Earth changes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/fast-and-slow-earth-changes-mt_ZJu8s-Q1xa): Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) or slowly (erosion, mountain building)
- [Rock layers as evidence of change](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/rock-layers-as-evidence-of-change-mt_GheLsWvrJ4): Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time
- [Orbits: Period, Speed and Kepler's Third Law](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/orbits-period-speed-and-keplers-third-law-mt_PLKLykGF8Z): Setting the gravitational force equal to the centripetal requirement gives orbital speed and period from the central mass and the radius alone. Squaring the period and cubing the radius turns the relationship into a straight line.