Star Patterns in the Sky
Why the Stars Appear to Move
Wanderers in the Sky
Telescopes
Comets and Meteors
100
What is a group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky
Constellation
100
What is an imaginary rod stretching through the planet between the North and South Poles.
What is an imaginary rod stretching through the planet between the North and South Poles.
100
What is a large object that circles a star and does not produce light of its own?
planet
100
What is an instrument for viewing distant objects that uses two lenses to gather light and produce an image?
Refracting telescope
100
A comet spends most of its life drifting where?
Through the cold outer reaches of the solar system
200
Who named the Southern Hemisphere's constellations?
Explorers
200
What is the tiny circle in the center of an exposed photograph of the northern night sky?
Polaris-the North Star
200
Planets is the Greek word for what?
Wandering Stars
200
What telescope is positioned beyond our earth's atmosphere, so it avoids distortions caused by looking through the air?
Hubble
200
What happens to the comet when the comet approaches the sun?
Its body begins to melt, releasing its frozen gases into space. The gases spread out to form a huge misty head around the comet's front end.
300
The big and little dipper can be found where?
In the same area ALWAYS in the northern sky
300
How many times does the Earth rotate on its axis, and how long does it take?
1 rotation: 24 hours
300
What star can be seen at certain times on the eastern horizon?
Morning Star
300
Use what you have learned about the apparent motion of the stars to explain how stars might be used as a navigational tool.
Because Polaris lies directly above the North Pole, it appears almost motionless. Navigators can locate Polaris to determine which direction is north.
300
What is the dirt particles left behind by the comet which then speed up into Earth's atmosphere and burn up there as "shooting stars?"
Meteors
400
What do astronomers use constellations for?
identify the address of a certain sky object
400
Turn to page B13 and look at the photo of the Earth in the sky, and explain why the star tracks in the photo are circles instead of straight lines.
The tracks are circles because of Earth's rotation, which is a circular movement around a fixed axis.
400
What 3 traits do the planets share with the morning star?
They shine steadily, appear in the telescope as disks, and move against the backdrop of the other stars.
400
If you are on the east coast, would you see the evening star before someone who lives on the west coast?
Yes, because in the East, the sunset occurs several hours before it occurs in the West.
400
The core of the comet is made of what?
Frozen water, ammonia, and methane
500
Name 3 Greek and Roman mythology constellations, and where are they found?
Pisces, Leo, and Taurus: Northern Hemisphere
500
compare the movement of the Earth around the Sun to the movement of a baseball thrown to home base. Use scientific terminology
A curveball spinning and moving toward home plate has the same rotation as the Earth rotating and revolving around the Sun. The ball is not just spinning, but moving from the mound to home plate. The fly is able to to view the girl from now the front of the ball because of the rotation of the ball moving to the plate (much like the earth's rotation and season changes as it revolves around the Sun)
500
What motion of the Earth causes the Sun to seem to rise and set each day?
The rotation of Earth causes the Sun to seem to rise and set each day
500
Sir Isaac Newton designed what type of telescope for what reason?
Reflecting telescope that would collect light in a mirror before passing it through a lens.
500
How does studying meteorites help scientist learn about comets?
Meteorites can sometimes come from comets. Therefore, studying meteorites can help scientist learn the composition of comets.
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