Earth

The Moon is the largest and brightest object we see in the night sky. 

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the largest of four rocky, or terrestrial, planets.

Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are objects in space on orbits which come near to the Earth. 

Since ancient times, people have known about some rocks that could attract iron. When these rocks were rubbed on other types of metal, they had the power to make them attractive too. These items could also push each other away, repelling each other.

There are four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Parts of the Earth experience each season once each year.

Planet Earth was formed around 4.5 billion years ago.  The first signs of life began about 3.6 billion years ago, in the ocean. The water in the ocean protected organisms living there from the dangerous rays of the sun. 

An eclipse is when objects in space line up. One object moves into the shadow of the other. 

We use coordinate systems to find the position of a point on a surface. 

For example, Latitude and Longitude are used to locate a position on the Earth's surface. They are both measured as angles.

Welcome to our stargazing glossary! 

Here, you'll find key terms that will help you better understand the wonders of the night sky.