Vocabulary
What is an astronomer?
A scientist who studies stars, planets, and other objects in the universe.
Do we see different stars at different times of year?
Yes, we see different stars throughout the year. Every year on the same date, we see the same stars.
In our solar system, what orbits the sun?
Planets
How many seasons do we have?
4
Which way is down?
Towards the Earth.
What is gravity?
The pull between Earth and other objects, which acts even without touching.
Where are the stars in space?
Stars are very far away from Earth in every direction.
Why does it seem like the sun is moving?
Because the Earth is rotating but we are moving with it so it seems like the sun is the one moving.
Name the different seasons.
If the Earth is spinning (rotating), which way is up?
Up is away from the ground, towards the atmosphere.
What is a constellation?
Why don't we see a lot of stars in the daytime?
The sun is too bright.
Why does the sun look bigger and brighter than the other stars in the sky?
It is much closer to Earth than other stars.
At what time a shadow the shortest?
Noon
What would happen if there was no gravity?
You would fall /float off of the Earth.
What is an orbit?
To move in a regular path around something.
What causes the yearly pattern of stars that we see?
Earth orbits the sun as it spins.
Earth's position in its yearly orbit determine which stars we see in the night sky.
Does the earth orbit the sun or does the sun orbit the earth?
The earth orbits the sun.
One year.
If there were no oxygen nor air, would gravity still affect you?
Yes because the pull of gravity is NOT dependent on oxygen nor air.
What is the scientific explanation of a "year"?
The length of time it takes for Earth to orbit the sun once.
Why is it that every year on the same date, we see the same stars?
The earth rotates around the sun, so the earth's position in its yearly orbit determines which stars we see in the night sky.
What causes the daily pattern of when we see the sun and other stars?
Earth spins (rotates) once each day. We face the sun in the daytime, and we face away from the sun at nighttime.
No because during Winter the Earth is on one side of the Sun and during the Summer our Earth is on the opposite side of the sun.
What keeps us standing on the ground?
Gravity