Our Universe : For Parents

A message for Pluto: The year is 2006, The International Astronomical Union has declared Pluto a dwarf planet. Max the space rock, Pluto's best friend, has been entrusted with the important task of letting Pluto know that he is not a planet anymore. To reach Pluto, Max has to cross eight other planets namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. He decides to seek advice and ideas from them for he is pretty nervous about breaking the news to Pluto. Can the other planets help him? How does Pluto react upon finding out his new status? What important lesson does Max learn on his journey to meet Pluto? Find out this and much more in this fabulous story about our solar system.

This is a great family activity. You can get each member of the house to play a role or multiple roles. Each member may represent a planet or a number of planets. The child may play the role of Fizzy, who may visit all the family members aka planets one by one. Watch this video to get ideas on how you can play the role of the planets, space rocks, sun and pluto.

This video tells you about why Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet.

Learn some fascinating facts on the Solar System and attempt a short quiz below. We will regularly update this section with more facts.

Note: The video was shot in 2018. Year based facts may have changed.

Here is an extended learning video. You may watch this video to make your child understand what is a dwarf planet and also tell them about the 5 dwarf planets present in our universe.

Meaning of Distracted: Unable to concentrate because one is preoccupied by something worrying or unpleasant.

Meaning of Demote: Move someone to a lower position or rank.

Meaning of Shivering: Shake slightly and uncontrollably as a result of being cold, frightened, or excited.

Meaning of Dwarf: Something seemingly small

About the Story:

A story about a quiet boy Vir who is fascinated by the moon. In an amazing and almost magical turn of events, the moon invited Vir for a journey with her. Vir couldn't have asked for anything better, a friend and a journey.

Lesson Take-Aways:

• Learn about love & friendship
• 8 Phases of the moon
• How tides are formed
• Planets and their moons
• Chandrayaan 2
• and much more

A story about a quiet boy Vir who is fascinated by the moon. In an amazing and almost magical turn of events, the moon invited Vir for a journey with her. Vir couldn't have asked for anything better, a friend and a journey. Tune in to this unique story and learn all about love, friendship, and the eight phases of the moon.

This is an interesting activity that helps children understand the eight phases of the moon by way of role-playing, drama, and active interaction.

This experiment will help you understand the different phases of the moon. Even though the moon disappears the new moon phase it is actually there but from the earth we cannot see it because we see the face of the moon that is not receiving light from the sun. Experience this and much more by the way of this experiment.

Here are some fascinating facts about the moon.

In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded an extensive tour of the orbital laboratory and downlinked the video on Nov. 18, just hours before she, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency departed in their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan. The tour includes scenes of each of the station's modules and research facilities with a running narrative by Williams of the work that has taken place and which is ongoing aboard the orbital outpost.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission was a highly complex mission, which represented a significant technological leap compared to the previous missions of ISRO, which brought together an Orbiter, Lander and Rover with the goal of exploring south pole of the Moon. This was a unique mission which aimed at studying not just one area of the Moon but all the areas combining the exosphere, the surface as well as the sub-surface of the moon in a single mission. Unfortunately, things did not go quite right, yet we cannot call the mission a complete failure. The orbiter will be operational for 7 years and will be performing orbital experiments.

How is the moon, really? It is a cool and dark place and it reflects the light of the sun. How did the moon come to be? Let's listen to this video and know more about the moon.

Before you proceed, we would like you find out the following:

1. How many moons do the planets of the Solar System have?

2. Find out various theories on how the moon got formed.

The moon is Earth's closest neighbour in space.

The same side of the moon always faces earth.

It takes about 27 days for the moon to orbit Earth.

The moon has no light of its own. It reflects the light of the sun.

The moon orbits the Earth like the Earth orbits the sun.

This is a great way to look at the story we just heard. A point of view that talks about friendship and acceptance. We can learn something from everyone around us. So what can we take back from the spirit of the moon? Listen to this section and get a new perspective on the story.

Meaning of Observe: Notice something.

Meaning of Crane: Stretch out one's body or neck in order to see something.

Meaning of Scrunch: Make a loud crunching noise or hold one's nose up in an awkward manner.

Meaning of Vain: With an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities or worth.

Meaning of Spectacular: Beautiful in a dramatic and eye-catching way.

An eclipse occurs when one object in space blocks an observer from seeing another object in space. From Earth there are two main types of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses. In this lesson we will explore deeply what a total solar eclipse is. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the Sun causing a shadow to fall on certain portions of the Earth. The eclipse is not seen from every place on Earth, but only from the locations where the shadow falls. From these locations, it appears as if the Sun has gone dark.

Pup was a curious baby bat who asked many questions and l his questions were usually answered by Grandpa Bat who knew everything about everything. One morning when the nocturnals were asleep, it suddenly became dark outside. That's when grandpa bat told Pup about the Solar eclipse and that it happens when the Moon moves between Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's rays and casting a shadow on Earth. Grandpa also tells Pup about how the moon once struck a clever deal with the sun. Listen to the story to discover all about the Solar eclipse

Learn more about how a solar eclipse occurs and how the sun, moon and earth come in one straight line during the eclipse.

How does the moon cast a shadow on the earth?

If you stand in front of a light source, your shadow will be cast right in front of you.

Try this experiment and also use a lamp, a tennis ball and a bigger ball to try and create a solar eclipse. Also, see that the shadow doesn't cover the entire earth. Only certain parts of the earth become dark.

Depending on what part of the shadow you are located in, there are three types of eclipses:

1. Total Eclipse: A total eclipse is where the Sun is covered completely by the Moon.
2. Annular Eclipse: An annular eclipse is when the Moon covers the Sun, but the Sun can be seen around the edges of the Moon.
3. Partial Eclipse: A partial eclipse is when only a portion of the Sun is blocked by the Moon.

Learn all about the three kinds of Solar Eclipses and later perform an experiment at home for a deeper and hands-on understanding.

Don't forget to experiment with the shadows!

• The dark part of the shadow is called the umbra.
• The light part of the shadow is called the penumbra.

Learn all the about the intricacies of a solar eclipse. The moon phase required for it to occur, the duration for which a solar eclipse usually lasts and how many times in a year it can occur. 

Have your children ever given up on something they started doing or haven't had a courage to do what they wanted to do? 

Talk to your children and the cite the example of the moon from the story. If need be reinforce the story by telling the jist of the story. 

Sometimes all it takes is a little courage.

Following the example of the 'light less' moon that set out for the impossible. The moon got what it wanted and it happened because the moon simply went for it.

Meaning of Patronize: Display offensively condescending manner or to talk down.

Meaning of Dictate: To be authoritative.

Eclipse: the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is in between the moon and the sun, casting a shadow onto the moon. A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon and occurs in three stages, which are called total, partial, and penumbral. During a total lunar eclipse, the sun, earth, and moon are perfectly aligned. Lunar eclipses can be seen by a much larger area of the Earth than solar eclipses. They also can be viewed without special equipment to protect the eyes. Lunar eclipses are not totally dark. The Moon will reflect some sunlight that is refracted by the Earth's atmosphere. The light that is refracted is reddish in color and can cause the Moon to appear a dark brownish-red: Blood Red Moon.

This is a story about two wolf cubs who are reluctant to go hunting on the night of the red moon. That’s when their chief takes them to meet grandpa bat who knows everything about the sky. Grandpa bat tells them the story of how the moon becomes blood red every once in a while. Listen to the story to know all about the lunar eclipse.

Here is an experiment to do to figure out the different parts of a shadow: Umbra, Penumbra and Antumbra. This will help you get a deeper understanding of the eclipse. 

Learn all about the two kinds of lunar eclipse: Total and Partial lunar eclipse. Also why does the moon turn Red during a total lunar eclipse? 

Learn all the about the intricacies of a lunar eclipse. The moon phase required for it to occur, the duration for which a lunar eclipse usually lasts and how many times in a year it can occur. 

It's normal for us to experience negative emotions like anger and jealousy. Just like in the story, the Earth became jealous of the moon. Whenever you experience negative emotions, try and take a few deep breaths and call positive thoughts.

Eclipse: the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another.

So, a young star is devastated when he receives the worst news ever. His guardian and friend, Pi, who was much older than him had passed on. This story is about So's journey of bereavement and finding out all about how stars are born and how they die. Pi may have died but he had left a piece of himself behind from which new stars will be born.

This is a story about a baby star called ‘So’. ‘So’ is heartbroken when his companion and guiding light ‘Pi’ (An old star) suddenly ceases to exist. The others stars in the milky way galaxy don’t know how to help the grieving baby star recover. That’s when ‘W’, another old star finds a solution. ‘So’ learns an important lesson about hope. This is also a wonderful story about coping with grief and the loss of a loved one.

What are stars?

1. A star is a bright object that gives off light by energy production in its core

2. All stars are giant balls of gas located millions of kilometres away from us

3. Sun is a star as well. It is the biggest star of the Milky Way Galaxy

4. The Sun is not the only star in the universe, there are lots of other stars too.

5. Astronomers believe that there are billions of stars out there. So does that mean that every bright object in the sky is a star? --

The answer to that is NO. There are all kinds of things in space that glow, or appear to glow. Just like stars do. But they are actually not stars.

So, the young star learns all about how stars are born and how they die from Pi, the old star. As you watch this video and learn all about the fascinating process, don't forget to dramatise it for a better and more visual understanding. This is a great activity and one can do so much to make it a fun session. One can even express the process by way of drawing and painting the process.

In this lesson we have learnt all about stars. However, do we do know that there are many things out there in the sky. How can you determine if that shining object in the sky is a star or a planet? Here's a fun exercise to sharpen your observation skills. Gaze at the sky at night and see if you can tell the difference between stars and planets.

Stars are born in clouds of dust and gas called nebulae.

1. Clumps of gas in this nebula start to shrink into the tight rounds balls that will become stars. 
2. The gas spirals round as it is pulled inwards. Any leftover gas and dust may form planets around the new star.  
3. Deep in its centre, the new star starts making energy, but it is still hidden by the cloud of dust and gas
4. The dust and gas are blown away and we can see the star shining. Maybe it has a family of planets like the sun.

Several billion years after its life starts, a star will die. How the star dies, however, depends on what type of star it is. 

Depending on its mass:

• Most small stars become a white dwarf.
• Most massive stars will explode leaving behind a black hole or a neutron star.
• Some dying stars may join back the lifecycle by becoming a star-forming nebula.

*This is an additional video for extended learning, in case children are curious to know more. It is ok if your child cannot understand all the concepts in this video as they may be slightly young to grasp the concept. We have added this video here for a better understanding on the part of the parent/educator. 

*This is an additional video for extended learning, in case children are curious to know more. It is ok if your child cannot understand all the concepts in this video as they may be slightly young to grasp the concept. We have added this video here for a better understanding on the part of the parent/educator. 

Observe a candle flame. Can you see different colours?

Losing a loved one is always very hard but death is an inescapable reality of life. Whoever is born has to die. The story A New Star is a story of hope and to help your child take away positivity from this reality, you may want to reinforce the idea that when a person dies they leave a piece of themselves behind. Just like Pi died but So knew that Pi will always live in his heart by way of warm memories and also may become a new star someday. 

Do this activity with your child: Plant something / bring home a potted plant and tend to it. 

• Take an old container/pot 
• Make holes in the base 
• Take some mud and fill it in 
• Sow some seeds/plant cutting / a sapling 
• Fill in some more mud
• Water the plant and keep it in a sunny, airy spot 
• Take care of your plant.

In this section, we talk more about how the older star died and how the young star grieved for the dead one. As we all know, whoever is born has to die one day and it's absolutely okay to grieve for them. It's normal to feel sad for them. However, it's amazing how the ones who die always leave behind a piece of themselves for their loved ones. This piece is mostly in the form of warm memories. Just like when stars die and in the explosion leave behind fragments behind from which new stars are born.

Meaning of Companion: A person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels.

Meaning of Halo: A circle of white or coloured light around the sun, moon, or other luminous body caused by refraction through ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Meaning of Meek: In a quiet, gentle, and submissive manner.

Meaning of Shy: Nervous or timid in the company of other people.

Meaning of Slumber: Sleep

The sun is the centre of our universe which is why it is called a heliocentric Solar System. The sun is also very important for life on Earth is dependent on it. Day and night are also impossible without the Sun. In the story, this, however, was unknown to the Sun and to top it all Venus tells the Sun that there are many other stars, much bigger than him. This makes the Sun most upset and he starts wailing. Can the planets help the Sun, find a ray of sunshine? Watch the story to know more.

A Not so Sunny Day takes us back to a long time ago when the Sun realized that he is just a star, one among billions. This revelation makes the Sun immensely upset and the planets have to come up with a scheme to cheer the Sun up. Additionally, the story talks about how stars are born and die just like us and the Sun is no exception. Our Sun was born 4.6 billion years ago and will continue to burn for another 5 billion years. This makes it a middle-aged star.

The story started with the Sun feeling sad and grumpy for he had found out that he wasn't the only star. Our role play activity for today too starts with all of us trying to project the emotions 'anger', 'sadness', and 'dejection'. This interesting activity is packed with some interesting information that will change the Sun's expressions from melancholy to joy. Before doing this, do try and watch it and make a few notes for the Sun's lines.

So how was the universe born? Most cosmologists believe in The Big Bang Theory. What is that? And do you have a theory of your own? Watch this video and share your thoughts and ideas with us.

This video has a few interesting facts for you. - How long does it take for sunlight to reach us? - Since the Sun is a star, it too will die one day. What will happen to the Earth and other planets when the Sun will die? Watch this video to know more.

The onus of feeling good lies on oneself. You will find happiness when you love and accept yourself and feel good about yourself. Let's take a few life lessons from the Sun and unlock happiness that lies within us.

Meaning of Groggy: Dazed, weak, or unsteady, especially from illness, intoxication, sleep, or a blow.

Meaning of Whine: Give or make a long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.

Meaning of Worthless: Having no real value or use.

Meaning of Ponder: Think about something carefully.

Meaning of Annoy: Cause irritation.