Vocabulary
Spinning in a circle around an object's axis or center
Rotation
What is the force that pulls objects to the Earth's center called?
Gravity
Why does the Sun look like a star in some images?
The sun is a star
Which month of the year can we see Orion all night long?
December
Which star was not bright enough for navigation?
Mebsuta
To move in a curved path around another object
Orbit
What causes day and night?
Earth's rotation on its axis
Which two planets were the photos taken from that we were analyzing?
Earth & Pluto
Why are constellations only visible for certain months of the year?
Which sky object did not have a predictable pattern of motion?
The moon
A group of stars that form a particular shape
Constellation
Which two constellations rotate around Polaris in the night sky?
Cepheus and Ursa Minor
Why did Sirius, Capella, and Rigel look similar from Earth and Pluto?
Those stars are super far away from both planets
Why can I see Orion in December?
Earth is in between the sun and Orion. When we rotate for nighttime, we face Orion all night long in December.
Which two things had to be true for the Ancient Polynesians to use the sky object for navigation?
It has to be bright enough and have a predictable pattern of motion
Data or observations that show why a claim is true
Evidence
How are sundials used to measure time?
The Sun shines on the gnomon, causing it to cast a shadow onto the sundial. The position of the shadow shows the time
What is a light-year?
The distance that light travels in one year
Why can't I see Orion in June?
How could the Ancient Polynesians use the sun for navigation in March or September?
They could use the sunrise to identify East, and sunset to identify West
A part of a design that needs to be improved
Failure Point
Why is the sun's daily pattern of motion able to be used to measure time?
The sun has a similar, or the same, shadow pattern each day
Why do objects appear smaller and dimmer from different perspectives?
The farther away you are from an object, the smaller and dimmer it will appear
What materials did we use to create our model that demonstrates this phenomenon?
Foam Ball, Pencil, Toothpick, Flashlight, Orion picture
What causes the stars daily pattern of motion?
Earth's rotation on its axis