Read about planets, stars, galaxies and the people and tools used to explore space. Choose an article below; its reading controls let you move between the available levels.
1,134 public articles · Page 8 of 24
Space has a very big empty spot. It is called the Great Nothing. It has very few stars. Most spots have many more. This spot is far away from us. It is a huge place. Can you find it in the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome scales measure the night sky. They show how dark it is. City lights can make the sky bright. This can hide the stars. Dark skies help us see more. Do you like looking at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA huge group of stars is in space. It is very, very big. It holds many bright dots. These dots are far away. It helps us learn about space. Do you like to look at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBrian Schmidt looks at the stars. He found out the world is growing. The stars are moving away fast. This is a big secret. It helps us learn about space. Do you like to look at the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome stars live in big groups. One star group has a very bright star. It is the biggest one of all. It is much bigger than our sun. It helps us see the deep sky. Can you find the bright light?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleTwo big groups of stars hit each other. They move very fast. The hot gas stays in the middle. The stars pass right through. This helps us see things we cannot touch. It is a big space crash! Can you imagine that?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBuzz Aldrin is a brave man. He flew fast planes in the sky. He was a person who walked on the Moon. He helped us learn about space. Do you like the Moon?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA man named Callippus looked at stars. He lived a long time ago. He studied how the planets move. He found how long a year is. This helps us know the time. He was very smart. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleRocks fell from the sky long ago. These rocks are made of metal. They made big holes in the ground. People found many pieces in Argentina. This place is called the Field of Heaven. It is a very cool place. Have you…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCancer is a group of stars. It looks like a crab. The stars are hard to see. They are very dim. You can look for them at night. Do you like looking at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBig stars make new things. They are very hot inside. They mix bits of carbon. This makes new stuff like oxygen. It helps the star stay bright. Do you like looking at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome planets might be very special. They have lots of carbon. They could have mountains of diamond. They might not have water. These worlds are far away. Do you like stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome stars look very red. They have lots of soot in them. This makes them glow like a ruby. This soot helps make new stars later. It is a pretty sight. Do you like red stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleThis galaxy looks like a wheel. It has a big ring. A small galaxy hit it long ago. This made a big wave. Now, new stars are growing. It is very pretty! Do you like stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA big tool went to Saturn. It looked at the rings. It even landed on a moon. This helped us learn so much. We can see far away now. Do you like space?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA big star once blew up. It left a giant cloud in space. This cloud is very bright. We can see it with tools. It helps us learn about space. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCastor is a very bright star. It is far away in the sky. It looks like one star. But it is actually six stars! They dance together in space. Can you find it at night?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleTwo stars live very close together. One star pulls stuff from the other. This makes the stars look very bright. Then they get dim again. It is a big space show! Can you see the bright stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleIt looks like a big eye. It is far away in space. It is made of bright gas. It helps us learn about stars. It is very pretty to see. Do you see the rings?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCecilia was a star scientist. She looked at the sky. She found out what stars are made of. This helps us learn about space. She was very brave. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articlePeople make maps of the stars. These maps show where things are. They help us find the sky. They show us the bright lights. It is fun to look up. Do you like to see stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleThe sky has a line. It is like our middle line on Earth. This line stays in the sky. It helps us find stars. It is a big circle in space. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleThe sky has two special spots. They stay in one place. The stars spin around them. This helps us find our way. You can look for the North Star. Can you find it in the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome small space rocks are called centaurs. They fly between big planets. They move in wild ways. They can look like rocks or icy comets. They are very far away. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleMany star groups live in space. They stay close to each other. Some groups have big stars. Some have tiny stars. This group is very large. It helps us learn about space. Can you look at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCepheus is a group of stars. It is high in the sky. Some stars look like a small house. These stars are very bright. They help us find our way. Can you look for them?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome stars are very small. They are called white dwarfs. A star can only be so heavy. If it gets too big, it falls in on itself. This makes a black hole. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA special tool flies in space. It looks at bright lights. It sees things we cannot see. This helps us learn about stars. It is a great helper. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCharles Duke is a man who went to space. He flew in a big rocket. He was the youngest person to walk on the Moon. This was a very big trip. He saw the Moon up close. Do you want to go to the Moon?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCharles was a man who looked at stars. He lived in France. He made a big list of things in the sky. This list helps us find bright spots. It is very useful for us today. Can you look at the stars tonight?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCharon is a large moon. It orbits the world Pluto. It is very big for a moon. This helps it stay close to Pluto. They move together in space. Can you find it in the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome stars are very strange. They have odd parts on their surface. These parts can float up or sink down. This makes the star look different. We can look at them in the sky. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleChina is sending robots to the Moon. They fly in big rockets. These robots take pictures and rocks back home. One day, people might go there too. It is a big job! Do you want to visit the Moon?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleChris Hadfield is an astronaut. He flew in space. He even led a big space station. He was a pilot too. He loves to play music. He helps us learn about space. Do you like the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleChrista was a kind teacher. She wanted to go to space. She was going to teach from a rocket ship. Sadly, the ship broke apart. Many people remember her today. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleThe Sun has a red layer. It sits above the bright part. It looks pink or red. You can see it during an eclipse. It is a beautiful sight. Do you like the color red?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome planets lose their air. They stay close to a bright star. The star's heat takes the air away. Now only a rocky core stays. This helps us learn about space. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCircinus is a group of stars. It is in the night sky. It looks like a tool for drawing circles. It helps us find things in space. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA star can have a ring. This ring is made of dust. It also has gas. The ring helps make new planets. It is like a big soup. Do you see the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSome stars change their light. They get bright and then dim. This happens in a rhythm. It can take days or weeks. These stars help us find space. They show us how far things are. Can you look for them?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBig planets are very strong. They pull on small rocks nearby. This clears their path in space. A big planet has a clean path. A small dwarf planet does not. Do you like looking at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleClyde was a man who loved stars. He built his own tools to see them. He found a far away world named Pluto. It was a big discovery. Do you like to look at the night sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleSpace has a very cold spot. It is in a part of the sky called Eridanus. This spot is much colder than the rest. It might be a huge, empty hole. We are still learning why it is there. Do you like to look at the stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleLook at the dark spot in the sky. It is a big dark cloud. It hides some stars from us. Some people see an emu in the sky. The dark cloud is the head. It is very pretty to see. Can you find it?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleColumba is a group of stars. Its name means dove. It is in the sky. You can look for it at night. It is a soft light in the dark. Can you find it?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleLook at the stars at night. One group looks like hair. It is named for a queen. She gave her hair to the gods. Now her hair is in the sky. Can you find it?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA big group of stars lives far away. It has many tiny worlds in it. These worlds stay close together. It is a very big sight. We can look at it in the sky. Do you like to look at stars?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleA big comet flew by Earth. It was very bright in the sky. People could see it with just their eyes. It stayed in the sky for a long time. It was a great sight to see. Can you look for stars at night?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the article