Stars & the Sun
What is the reason the sun appears larger and brighter than any other star in the sky?
The sun is the nearest star to Earth.
What causes the daily pattern of day and night?
The rotation of Earth on its axis.
How long does it take for Earth to make one complete revolution around the sun?
A year, or about 365 days.
What determines the size and direction of a shadow?
The position of the sun in the sky.
What is our solar system composed of?
The sun, the moon, and other bodies that revolve around the sun.
What is the cause of the difference in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars?
The vast differences in their distances from Earth.
How long does it take for Earth to make one full rotation?
About 24 hours.
What is the primary reason Earth experiences different seasons?
The tilt of Earth's axis.
At what time of day would your shadow be the shortest?
At noon, when the sun is at its highest point.
Why does the moon shine at night?
It reflects light from the sun.
If a star was slowly moving toward us, how would it's appearance change in the night sky.
It would appear to grow larger and brighter.
Earth spins on an invisible line called an axis that runs through which two points?
The North Pole and the South Pole.
What season is it in the hemisphere that is tilted toward the sun?
Summer.
In the late afternoon, what direction and how long would your shadow be?
Longer and pointed west.
What is the reason the sun appears to move across the sky?
It is caused by Earth's rotation on its axis.
What are the very large and hot objects made of gas that produce their own light and appear as tiny points in the night sky?
Stars.
What would be the effect on Earth if it did not rotate?
How does Earth's revolution around the sun affect which stars we see in the night sky?
The stars that are visible change throughout the year.
During different seasons, the sun's path across the sky changes. What seasonal pattern does this affect?
The length of the day.
What is the reason you can only see certain constellations during specific seasons?
The constellation changes because of Earth's revolution around the sun.
Why do the stars that are similar in size to the sun look so small and dim in our night sky?
Because they are much, much farther away from Earth.
What is happening on the side of Earth facing the sun?
It is daytime.
What star, which is located directly above Earth's axis of rotation, appears to stay in the same place in the night sky?
The North Star, or Polaris.
Why are shadows longest in the morning and evening?
The sun's angle is low in the sky.
Why would a person in the Northern Hemisphere in December find the sun lower in the sky at noon than a person in the same spot in July?
The apparent path of the sun across the sky is different in different seasons.