The Sun, the Moon and the Stars

A light in the daytime

Look up in the daytime. The sky is bright. What makes it bright? The Sun!

The Sun is a big, hot ball in the sky. It is very, very far away. The Sun gives us light so we can see. It gives us warmth so we feel cozy. Plants need the Sun to grow. We need the Sun too.

The Sun is so bright that we must never stare at it. Just feel it warm your face. That is enough!

A light in the night

Now think about the night. The sky goes dark. But it is not all dark. We see the Moon.

The Moon is round and pale. It shines softly in the night. The Moon does not make its own light. The Sun shines on the Moon, and the Moon glows for us.

Watch the Moon for a few nights. Something fun happens. The Moon changes shape! Sometimes it is a big round circle. Sometimes it is a thin curve, like a banana or a smile. Slowly, night by night, it changes. This is the same Moon all the time. It just looks different.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

When the sky is very dark, look up high. Can you see tiny dots of light? Those are the stars!

Stars look small. But they are not small at all. Each star is really a big sun, far, far away. They look tiny because they are so far from us. The stars seem to twinkle. They shine and sparkle in the dark.

On a clear night, away from bright lights, you can see lots and lots of stars. So many to count!

Why do we have day and night?

Here is a secret. The Sun does not go to sleep. So why does it get dark?

The Earth we live on is like a big ball. It spins around, slowly, all day and all night. When our side faces the Sun, we have day. When our side turns away from the Sun, we have night. Then it spins back, and a new day begins!

So the Sun is always shining. We just take turns being in the light and in the dark.

Go and look at the sky!

Tonight, ask a grown-up if you can look at the sky.

1. Wait until it is dark.
2. Look up and find the Moon. What shape is it? Is it round, or curved, or in between?
3. Now look for stars. How many can you count?
4. Try again a few nights later. Did the Moon change shape? Can you spot the same stars?

You can even draw what you see in a little book. A round Moon one night, a thin Moon another night. You are a real sky-watcher now!

In the daytime, notice the Sun instead. Is it low in the sky in the morning, and higher at lunchtime? The Sun seems to move because the Earth is spinning.

Want more nature to explore? See Animals and Their Homes to find where animals sleep at night, and The Four Seasons to learn how the Sun makes the year warm and cold.