Loading...NASA Planetary Sciences
Special Collection
In these videos and interactives from NASA, catalogued and adapted by WGBH, explore the exciting discoveries that NASA missions have made about the planets, moons, and other objects in our solar system.
Funding for this project is provided by NASA.
| RESOURCE | GRADE LEVEL | MEDIA TYPE |
|---|---|---|
Allison Bolinger: Spacewalk Flight Controller and TrainerIn this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA spacewalk flight controller and trainer Allison Bolinger teaches astronauts how to work outside their spacecraft. |
4-8 |
Video |
Changing Views of PlutoSee images from the Hubble Space Telescope that show evidence of seasons on Pluto, in this video adapted from NASA. |
5-12 |
Video |
Down to the Core ChallengeIn this video from Design Squad Nation, kids design and build devices that can extract a core sample from a potato “asteroid.” They also learn how samples give NASA scientists insight into solar system objects. |
4-8 |
Video |
Erick Ordoñez: Materials EngineerIn this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA materials engineer Erick Ordoñez explains how he makes sure that the materials NASA sends into space are problem-free. |
4-8 |
Video |
Europa Jupiter System MissionThis video from NASA introduces a proposed mission to study potential habitable worlds around gas giants such as Jupiter. |
6-12 |
Video |
The Evolution of the Kuiper BeltThis video from NASA explores how the structure of the Kuiper belt can provide insight into the formation of the solar system and indicate the presence of planets. |
9-12 |
Video |
Evolution of the MoonThis video from NASA looks at how Earth's moon has changed since its formation about 4.5 billion years ago. |
9-12 |
Video |
Exploration of CometsIn this interactive activity from NASA, explore the anatomy and life cycle of a typical comet and learn about several comet missions. |
6-12 |
Interactive |
First Spacecraft at UranusLearn about some of the discoveries made by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its 1986 trip to Uranus in this video from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
9-12 |
Video |
Inspector Detector ChallengeIn this video from Design Squad Nation, kids design and build magnetic-field detectors and use them to find hidden magnets. They also learn how NASA uses magnetometers to learn what is going on inside a planet or moon. |
4-8 |
Video |
Invisible Force ChallengeIn this video from Design Squad Nation, kids design and build systems that use magnets to control the speed and direction of a rolling ball. They also learn how NASA uses gravity to direct a spacecraft. |
4-8 |
Video |
Is the Moon Geologically Active?Learn what lunar surface features tell us about the Moon's geological activity in this activity adapted from NASA. |
9-12 |
Interactive |
Jupiter: The Largest PlanetThis video from NASA explores our solar system's largest planet, Jupiter, including its role in the evolution of the solar system. |
6-12 |
Video |
Lunar Eclipse EssentialsIn this video from NASA, learn how the path of the Moon through Earth's shadow creates lunar eclipses. |
6-12 |
Video |
Mars StreambedLearn why rounded pebbles discovered by Curiosity rover are evidence that streams once flowed on Mars in this video from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
9-12 |
Video |
Mercury's MESSENGER Reveals MysteriesExplore what makes Mercury so mysterious and what scientists are learning from NASA’s first Mercury mission in 30 years in this video from NASA eClips. |
9-12 |
Video |
Methane on MarsThis video from NASA looks at recent discoveries on Mars, such as water ice and methane plumes, that could indicate it is geologically or biologically active. |
6-12 |
Video |
Missions to Comets: Stardust and Deep ImpactThese videos from NASA take a look at two missions to study comets—Stardust and Deep Impact—which collected valuable data about the nature of comets. |
9-12 |
Video |
The Origin of the MoonThis video segment adapted from NOVA follows the Apollo 15 astronauts as they collect samples of ancient rock from the Moon's crust, whose discovery helps lead to a radical new theory about the Moon's origin. |
6-12 |
Video |
Possible Ice Volcano on TitanIn this video from NASA, learn how features derived from Cassini radar data indicate a possible ice volcano on Saturn's moon Titan. |
6-12 |
Video |
Robo Arm ChallengeIn this video from Design Squad Nation, kids design and build controllable mechanical arms and use them to lift objects and play games. They also learn how NASA uses robotic arms on many of its missions. |
4-8 |
Video |
Sandeep Yayathi: Robotics EngineerIn this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA robotics engineer Sandeep Yayathi explains how he designs and builds humanoid robots that can work alongside astronauts. |
4-8 |
Video |
Saturn's Rings and MoonsExplore the rings and moons of Saturn through images from the Cassini spacecraft, in this video adapted from NASA. |
5-12 |
Video |
Saturn’s Stunning Double ShowThis video from NASA looks at the northern and southern aurorae of Saturn and explains how they are produced. |
9-12 |
Video |
Sea Level ViewerIn this interactive activity from NASA, investigate how satellite observations of sea level help scientists study climate and predict weather events. |
4-12 |
Interactive |
Soaring Over MarsTour three Martian landscapes and find out how erosion and water affected the surface of Mars, in this video adapted from NASA. |
6-12 |
Video |
Soft Landing ChallengeIn this video from Design Squad Nation, kids model NASA’s airbag landing system. They design and build protective covers made of balloons to protect an egg dropped from a height of three feet. |
4-8 |
Video |
The Solar System's BoundariesDiscover what happens at the outer edges of our solar system, where the solar wind interacts with interstellar space, in this video adapted from NASA. |
9-12 |
Video |
Solar System Dynamics: Orbits and Kepler's LawsIn this video from NASA, learn about Kepler's laws of planetary motion, and explore how human understanding of planetary orbits has changed throughout history. |
9-12 |
Video |
Space Rock CensusLearn about the ongoing tally of space rocks and comets amassed by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), including groupings of asteroids gravitationally anchored to Jupiter, in this video from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
9-12 |
Video |
Storms on JupiterView images and animation of storms on Jupiter and find out what scientists learned from them in this video adapted from NASA. |
6-12 |
Video |
Study Titan's TopographyView computer models of Titan, one of Saturn's moons and learn about its methane lakes in this interactive activity adapted from NASA featuring video and animation. |
6-12 |
Interactive |
Swift and Hubble Probe an Asteroid CrashIn this video from NASA, explore how the Swift satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope helped scientists investigate a collision of two asteroids. |
6-12 |
Video |
Teaching Planetary Science - EclipsesPlanetary Science teacher, Andrew Cloud, challenges students to place their classmates representing the Sun, Earth and Moon in sequential order to create the conditions required for a solar or lunar eclipse to occur. |
7-10 |
Video |
Teaching Planetary Science - Origin of the Moon In this video, Andrew Cloud, a Planetary Science teacher introduces the origins of the moon in a lesson using video and a supporting text. |
7-10 |
Video |
Teaching Planetary Science - Phases of the MoonThis video features Planetary Science teacher, Andrew Cloud illustrating the phases of the moon with an in-class activity followed by a hands-on lab where students use modeling moon kits to draw the placement of the moon in revolution and rotation. |
7-10 |
Video |
Tour of the MoonIn this video from NASA, take a tour of Earth's moon and explore lunar surface features such as craters, rocks, mountains, basins, and valleys. |
6-12 |
Video |
Tour the Solar SystemTour the solar system to learn about the planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets in this interactive activity adapted from NASA featuring video and images. |
6-12 |
Interactive |
Tracy Drain: Flight Systems EngineerIn this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA flight systems engineer Tracy Drain explains that her role on the Juno spacecraft team was to keep the mission problem-free by tracking all the details so that nothing could fall through the cracks or be forgotten. |
4-8 |
Video |
Victoria Garcia: Aerospace EngineerIn this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA aerospace engineer Victoria Garcia describes how she uses virtual-reality tools to design living and work spaces for astronauts. She also talks about not allowing deafness be a barrier in her life. |
4-8 |
Video |
A Visit to Asteroid VestaFind out what scientists have learned about the asteroid Vesta and how it has furthered their understanding of the planet-forming process in this interactive activity adapted from NASA featuring animation. |
6-12 |
Interactive |
What Hubble Taught Us about the PlanetsThis video from NASA describes some observations from the Hubble Space Telescope that have helped scientists learn about the solar system. |
6-12 |
Video |
What Is a Dwarf Planet?In this video from NASA, learn how planets and dwarf planets are defined, and explore how new discoveries challenge classifications. |
6-12 |
Video |
Why Study Comets?Learn what comets are and how they inform us about the early solar system, in this video adapted from NASA. |
3-8 |
Video |
