Transcript Studying Space

Studying Space
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Astronomy
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study of the universe
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Modern Calendar
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years, months, days
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Year
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Time for Earth to orbit once around sun
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Month
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time for moon to orbit once around Earth
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Day
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time required for Earth to rotate once on
axis
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Astronomer
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Axis
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scientists who study the Universe and the
Earth’s place in it
imaginary line-runs from North to South
pole
Early Astronomers
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Earth Textbook
Pps 348-349
Groups of 3-4
Get a rectangular piece
of paper and create a
timeline indicating date,
astronomer/object and
significant contributions.
15 mins to complete for
a grade – NEAT and
ACCURATE
The Solar System
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The Moon
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¼ Earth’s diameter
less dense than Earth
no atmosphere (temp
varies greatly)
no liquid water;
evidence of small ice
patches near poles
no change in land’s
surface from
weathering/erosion
theory: planet-sized
object collided with
Earth to form moon
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Motions of the Moon
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Moves 2 ways:
 1. rotates on its axis
 2. revolves around
Earth
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one day = one year
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same side of moon
always faces Earth
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Phases of Moon
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different shapes of the
moon you see
caused by changes in
position of moon,
Earth, and sun
the phase you see
depends on how much
of the sunlit side of the
moon faces Earth
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Eclipses
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object in space comes
between the sun and a
third object and casts a
shadow
two types:
solar and lunar
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Solar Eclipse
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http://www.pbslearningmedia.org
/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.totalecli
pse/total-solar-eclipse-animation/
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when moon passes
directly between Earth
and sun, blocking sun
from Earth
occurs at new moon
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Lunar Eclipse
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Earth blocks sunlight
from reaching moon
occurs at full moon
The Sun
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Sun
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source of most energy
on Earth
a star; smaller and less
bright than many
others
most massive in our
solar system (99.8% of
solar system’s total
mass)
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Sun
1. Core
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made of 6 layers:
energy comes from nuclear
fusion (hydrogen atoms join to
form helium)
15 million degrees Celsius
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2. Radiation
Zone
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very tightly packed gas; very
dense
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3. Convection
Zone
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outermost layer of sun’s interior
hot gas rises from bottom and
cool as approach top
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4. Photosphere
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visible part of sun that
we can see
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5. Chromosphere
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thin region (only
30,000 km thick)
faint red light we only
see during eclipses
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6. Corona
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sun’s outer atmosphere
like a halo
thins into streams of
charged particles (solar
wind)
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Sunspots
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Solar Flares
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areas of gas on sun’s
surface that are cooler
than gases around
them
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regions of extremely
high temperature and
brightness that
develop on sun’s
surface
flares erupt and send
electrically charged
particles into solar
system
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The Planets
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Planets
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Inner Planets
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held in orbit by force of
gravity exerted by sun
two groups: inner and outer
Mercury, Venus, Earth,
Mars
small, dense, rocky surfaces
only Earth and Mars have
moons
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Outer Planets
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Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune
much larger, do not
have solid surfaces
gas giants; made of
mostly hydrogen and
helium (liquid due to
pressure)
all have many moons
Other Members of the Solar System
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Satellites
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objects that orbit
planets (moons)
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Asteroids
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fragments of rock that
orbit the sun with the
planets
travel in asteroid belt
between Mars and
Jupiter
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Meteoroids
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Meteor
Meteorite
chunks of rock or dust that in
space
sometimes enter Earth’s
atmosphere
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when enter Earth’s
atmosphere
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when it impacts surface of
Earth
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Comet
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loose collections of ice, dust,
and small rocky particles
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travel around sun in elliptical
path
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head (coma) is ice, dust
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as approaches sun, heat
causes outer layers to stream
outward (tail)