OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaAn orbit is the path that one thing in space takes as it goes around another thing. Earth orbits around the Sun, and the Moon orbits around Earth. It is like a giant cosmic merry-go-round that never stops!
Gravity is the invisible force that makes orbits work. The Sun’s gravity pulls on Earth, and Earth’s gravity pulls on the Moon. But these objects are also moving forward, so instead of falling straight in, they keep circling around and around. That is what makes an orbit!
- It takes Earth about 365 days to orbit the Sun one time.
- That is why we have a year!
- The Moon takes about 27 days to orbit Earth.
- Some planets far from the Sun take hundreds of years to complete just one orbit!
