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
What constellation do we see in December?
Is it Orion or Leo?
Orion
The seasons are caused by Earth's _________ around the sun and the ____________ of Earth's axis.
orbit
tilt
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.
The sun is the only star in our solar system. True or False?
True
Why is a hot summer known as The Dog Days of Summer?
Because of the Dog Star.
Why do we not see the stars during the day?
The sun is too close/bright
What is a constellation?
An arrangement of stars as seen from Earth.
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.
On the simulation, how many months apart are the constellations?
3, 6, or 4 months apart?
3 months apart
In ancient Greek and Roman stories (myths), what venomous creature killed Orion?
A scorpion.
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.
What constellation will we see six months after we see Orion?
Ophiuchus or Virgo?
Virgo
Which constellation represents a flying horse?
Pegasus
What is 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 once each day. We face the sun in the daytime, and we face away fro the sun at nighttime.
What are the three constellations pictured on the artifact?
Orion, Scorpio, and Pegasus
What is wrong with this sentence?
The sun is a star in our solar system.
Sun should be upper case, because it is a proper noun.