Seasonal Patterns
True or False
Every night we see the same stars in the sky all year.
False
True or False
All planets in our solar system have the same amount of gravity.
False
True or False
The Earth rotates on it's axis once every 24 hours.
True
True or False
The sun is a star.
True
In what season is the sun the highest in the sky? Does this cause daylight hours to be longer or shorter?
Summer and Longer
What is the name of the planet we have explored with rovers? What is one of the names of the rovers we have sent to this planet?
Mars
Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance
How many days are in a year? Don't forget leap year...
365.25
Why does the sun appear so bright in the sky, compared to other stars?
The sun is so bright to us on Earth because it is the closest star to Earth and the only star in our solar system.
In what season and what time of day (a.m., noon, or p.m.) will a tree have the shortest shadow?
Summer at noon (midday)
What are saturns rings made of?
Water, ice, rocky materials, and dust - ranging in all sizes
See Image
See image
Why do the stars rise and set in the night sky, like the sun during the day sky?
The Earth's rotation
Why do constellations change with the seasons in the night sky?
The star constellations change with the seasons because of our orbit around the sun.
What is an Astronomical Unit?
The distance from the sun to Earth, used to measure distance in space
about 93 million miles
Do people who live in Australia see the same night stars as us in Washington? Explain.
No, because space is all around the earth and there are different stars in different directions of space. Where we are on Earth tells us what stars we will see through the seasons.
What directions does the sun rise and set?
Bonus: What landmarks do we have here in Anacortes to help us know these directions?
Rises in the East and sets in the west.
The ocean to the west and the mountains to the east.
What season and what time of day (sunrise, noon, sunset) would a tree have the longest shadow?
Winter
Sunrise and sunset (half points for only one)
Which planet has the most moons?
100 Bonus: How many moons?
Saturn has the most moons.
(currently 274 confirmed moons in orbit)
Why do we have more daylight hours in the summer and less daylight hours in the winter?
Bonus: What is a solstice?
Solstice is the longest and shortest days of the year.
Explain how we can see a star that is burnt out still here on Earth.
Stars are so far away, that it can take tens to thousands of years for their light to reach us.