Show:
Seasonal Patterns
Solar System
Earth
Sun and Stars
100

True or False

Every night we see the same stars in the sky all year.


False

100

True or False

All planets in our solar system have the same amount of gravity.

False

100

True or False

The Earth rotates on it's axis once every 24 hours.

True

100

True or False

The sun is a star.

True

200

In what season is the sun the highest in the sky? Does this cause daylight hours to be longer or shorter?

Summer and Longer

200

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

200

How many days are in a year? Don't forget leap year...

365.25

200

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.

300

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)

300

What are saturns rings made of?


Water, ice, rocky materials, and dust - ranging in all sizes

300
Draw arrows showing which way each apple will drop. 

See Image

See image

300

Why do the stars rise and set in the night sky, like the sun during the day sky?

The Earth's rotation

400

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.

400

What is an Astronomical Unit?

The distance from the sun to Earth, used to measure distance in space

about 93 million miles

400

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.

400

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.

500

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)

500

Which planet has the most moons?

100 Bonus: How many moons?

Saturn has the most moons.

(currently 274 confirmed moons in orbit)

500

Why do we have more daylight hours in the summer and less daylight hours in the winter?

Bonus: What is a solstice?

The sun's path across the sky is higher in the summer, which gives it more distance to be visible to us. In the winter the sun is lower in the sky and has a smaller distance to be visible to us.


Solstice is the longest and shortest days of the year.

500

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.