Astronomy For Children

Neil deGrasse Tyson's number-one New York Times best-selling guide to the cosmos, adapted for young listeners. From the basics of physics to big questions about the nature of space and time, celebrated astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down the mysteries of the cosmos into bite-sized pieces.

Listen and relive the exciting tales from Highlights, now on audio! Learn how the Horsehead Nebula got its name and shape and what astronauts have to wear in space, along with other stories about outer space.

Have you ever wondered why the days are so long in the summer and short in the winter? Or why we have hot weather and colder weather? Read on to learn about the Earth, how it spins around the Sun, and the seasons!

Our sun is great at shining down light and heat on earth, but was the sun always that bright? With the help of gravity, the sun is eventually able to produce enough energy to give off light. Our sun has kept this up for four billion years and will keep shining for another five billion years!

Have you ever wondered what living in space would be like? Meet the Kellys who are identical twins and both astronauts for NASA. With one brother in space and the other on Earth, they are an experiment to learn how human bodies that share the same DNA are affected by living in space for a long time. What do you think NASA can learn from this twin science study?

Beliefs about the shape of the earth have varied over the millennia, but the Ancient Greeks were able to observe that our planet is round and even Eratosthenes attempted to measure its size. It was not until explorers had fully charted the globe that most people were really able to comprehend its spherical shape.

This edition of Margot Lee Shetterly’s acclaimed book is perfect for young students. It's the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program. Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

John Farrell takes kids on a rhyming tour of the night sky, from A to Z, with facts about the wonders of space. From distant Andromeda, a galaxy made up of billions of stars, to the constellation of the zodiac, Farrell covers the high points of outer space. How do you find Jupiter or Venus? How does the Moon cause the tides of Earth's shores? How can you find the North Star, and why do all other stars seem to go around it? The answers to these and many other questions are contained in this beautiful volume of science that will delight a young listener's imagination.

Mars is famous for its coloring, but the fourth planet from the sun has more than that going for it. Discover more interesting facts and secrets about the famous "red planet."

What’s inside a black hole? What are the sounds we hear from the depths of space? How did the moon form? When it comes to the realm beyond our planet, there are a whole lot of questions we’re still trying to answer.

Saturn is famous for its rings. This very windy planet has another claim to fame—it has the most moons of all eight planets! Discover more amazing facts about the sixth planet in the solar system!

My beginner's book is your ticket to one of the coolest and most mysterious subjects out there. This isn't your average physics book. It's a portal to understanding the stuff that makes up... well, everything! Subatomic particles. Do not let their size fool you; they have a massive impact on the world around you—the fundamental part of how everything works and not as complex as you might fear.

Have you ever wondered why the sun is so bright? We know today that the sun is a giant star that is millions of years old, but this is a relatively recent discovery! Learn about the different theories that scholars throughout history developed about the sun and why it burns so brightly.

Could there be life forms on planetary moons such as Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon or Titian, one of Saturn’s largest moons? Although our moon is made of mostly rock, astronomers believe life may exist on other moons! Scientists know liquid water is needed to support life, and Europa has plenty of it. What other key ingredients are needed for life to exist in our solar system?

Tensions continue to rise between the Soviet Union and the United States as they engage in a Cold War. One of these battles was the space race. Learn how both countries began engineering and scientific effort to be the first to travel into space and back to Earth and the technology necessary to operate in it. See how scientists fight for peace as they begin their efforts to explore the unknown.

Have you ever heard of the Showdown at Separation Point? In 1878, astronomers, James Watson and Urbain J.J. Le Verrier, disagreed about the existence of a planet, being named Vulcan, between the sun and Mercury. During an eclipse over Wyoming with telescopes and sky maps, they were finally able to discover which astronomer was right. Who do you think won this science showdown?

Young Neil deGrasse Tyson was starstruck when he first visited the sky theater at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He couldn't believe the crowded, glittering night sky at the planetarium was real - until a visit to the country years later revealed the impossible. That discovery was like rocket fuel for Neil's passion about space. This story of how one boy's quest for knowledge about space led him to become a star scientist is perfect for young children who are fascinated by the universe, aspiring scientists, and the dreamer in all of us.

If a black hole is not a hole, then what is it? Find out what black holes are, what causes them, and how scientists first discovered them. Learn how astronomers find black holes, get to know our nearest black-hole neighbor, and take a journey that will literally s-t-r-e-t-c-h the mind.

Have you heard of the spidernauts? These two special jumping spiders were sent to space for a special mission—to see how they would adapt to microgravity. Would the spiders still be able to hunt for their food for their survival or would they starve? Learn how this experiment with insects was important to understanding microgravity and its effects on the human body!

Take a ride on a rover with NASA as they explore the planet Mars. Learn how NASA explores Mars for evidence of life especially the existence of water. Scientists believe that life depends on water. Is it possible that Mars had life and why is it so different from Earth? Discover the tools, equipment and methods scientists use to uncover rock, water, and fossils to test as evidence of life.