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Why diagrams lie ↗
Why school diagrams compress distance.
Sources · Question
Which NASA site should I actually open?
NASA, JPL, and ESA all publish space-science material for students, but they serve different jobs. This page is not a ranking — it's a guide to which source matches the question you actually have.
Quick picker
Start from what you need, not the site's name.
If you wantA short, simple explanation
Open NASA Space Place ↗ — built specifically for elementary and early-middle readers, with short articles, games, and basic vocabulary.
If you wantA hands-on project to build or test
Open JPL Education ↗ — grade-linked STEM activities that turn mission science into something you can do and measure.
If you wantTo explore in 3D yourself
Open NASA's Eyes ↗ — a richer browser-based 3D simulation with real mission data, moons, asteroids, and time controls.
If you wantPrecise facts and deeper science
Open NASA Science ↗ — planet facts, stars, galaxies, black holes, missions, and images for middle school through adult readers.
If you wantA second agency's perspective
Open ESA ↗ — European missions, science stories, and education material, useful for comparing how different agencies explain the same discovery.
Full comparison
All five, side by side.
These are not ranked as "best sites." They serve different learning jobs: first explanations, classroom activities, interactive 3D exploration, and deeper mission or science information.
| Reference | Best used for | Level | Why it belongs here | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASA Space Place Student first stop | Short explanations, activities, games, basic vocabulary | Elementary / early middle | Designed specifically around space and Earth science for children. | spaceplace.nasa.gov ↗ |
| JPL Education Do & test | Hands-on projects, lessons, grade-linked STEM activities | K–12 | Turns mission science into activities students can perform and measure. | jpl.nasa.gov/edu ↗ |
| NASA's Eyes Interactive 3D | Solar system, spacecraft, asteroids, exoplanets, mission context | Middle school + | Browser-based 3D applications built around NASA data and mission models. | science.nasa.gov/eyes ↗ |
| NASA Science Deeper reference | Planet facts, stars, galaxies, black holes, missions, images | Middle school → adult | Useful when a simplified explanation raises a more precise scientific question. | science.nasa.gov ↗ |
| ESA Second agency view | European missions, science stories, images, education material | Middle school + | Helps students compare explanations and missions across major space agencies. | esa.int ↗ |
These are the primary sources Space Atlas checks its own numbers against · checked 2026
Go deeper
Keep exploring.
Home
Solar system model
Start with the interactive 3D model and scale lab.
Moon
Moon phases
See why the Moon changes shape, with a Sun-Earth-Moon model.