Compared to other planets in our solar system, Earth is not too hot and not too cold.
It's just the right distance from the Sun for animals, plants and humans to live.
Because it's not too hot, Earth has liquid water on its surface, which is important for all living things.
The band of green in the image is called the Goldilocks Zone. Do you know why?
Astronauts working on the International Space Station run experiments to find out if plants can grow in space, and how to take care of them in microgravity.
Inspired by the experiments astronauts do while living in space, three friends decide to create a science experiment on the Rocket Ship climber. They grow zinnias, lettuce, and kale just like experiments on the International Space Station.
Best for ages 5 and up, with help from a grown-up.
At the end of the video, educator Ann Caspari shows you how to do your own plant growing experiment! Watch the video or follow these instructions below:
Take your paper towel and get it wet. Squeeze out any extra water. You just want it to be damp but not dripping.
Place 5 to 6 seeds in your paper towel and fold the paper towel over so the seeds are sandwiched in between.
Make sure your paper towel stays damp by putting it into a resealable plastic bag. You can also spray water onto the paper towel to keep it damp.
Scientists always label their experiments! Write the name of the seed on the bag or on a piece of paper that you tape on the outside of the bag.
It might take a week to see your seeds sprout! Check on them often to make sure the paper towel is damp and to observe any sprouting.
Why do astronauts want to learn if plants can grow in space? Talk to your grown-up about your ideas.
By Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jessica Lanan
For ages 7 and up
Follow a girl as she explores her love of astronomy. The book is a combination of technical information about exoplanets and how scientists search for them, and descriptive illustrations.
by Patrick O'Brien
For ages 7 and up
Grounded in up-to-date science and theories about space travel, this book imagines what it would be like for a kid in the future to travel to Mars and stay on the surface of the planet.
by Peter Bently, illustrated by Chris Jevons
For ages 5 and up
This fun book reinvents a beloved fairy tale to teach young ones about what makes our planet "just right" for living.
Best for ages 9 and up
Watch this video to find out how tools like the Hubble Telescope, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, and James Webb Space Telescope are used to study exoplanets, and what clues they're looking for.
Best for ages 9 and up
NASA has artists and designers on staff at the Studio and one of their jobs is to help scientists imagine what other worlds outside our solar system can look like.
These artists have designed travel posters to advertise what it could be like to visit one of these other worlds. They used scientific data that researchers collected about exoplanets to imagine the new environments there and what it would be like to visit.
What would it be like to visit a planet beyond our solar system?
Some exoplanets are very hot or very cold. Some might be covered in oceans, and others may be very dry. Using one of the the real exoplanets below, design your own imagining of what it would be like to travel to that world!
Exoplanet Kepler-22b is the planet you'll be visiting in your travel poster! Here are a few things scientists think about Kepler-22b:
Imagine your trip to the exoplanet. What would it feel like there? Would you need to bring anything? What would do when you got there?
Using all of the information you found on the exoplanet you're visiting and your imagination, design a poster that shows what it would be like to visit!
You can include:
Share your poster with us! Snap a photo and email it to NASM-FamilyPrograms@si.edu.
Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.
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