How long is earth's rotation on its axis and revolution around the sun?
Earth's rotates on its axis once every 24 hours. Earth takes 365 days to revolve around the sun once.
100
What is the surface of the moon like?
The surface of the moon is very dusty and rocky, containing many craters from asteroids hitting the moon. The moon's atmosphere is also very thin, so temperatures are very very hot and also very very cold.
100
How many planets are their in our solar system? Name them from in order from the sun.
8- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
100
What are asteroids and meteors composed of?
Asteroids are composed of rock, metal or both. Meteors are composed of the same because meteors are pieces from an asteroid.
200
What is a star and why does it shine?
A star is a ball of hot gas held together by gravity. The center of a star is very hot and produces energy. This energy is released as the light we see.
200
How many layers does earth's atmosphere have? Name them...
5- Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere
200
Why does the moon seem to go through different phases? How many phases of the moon do we see?
The amount of the moon that we see changes according to the changing positions of the moon and sun in relation to the earth. These phases are created by changing positions of the earth, sun, and moon, as the moon orbits the earth. There are 8 apparent phases of the moon.
200
Why is the earth the only planet that can support life?
The earth's surface is 71% water which provides enough water for life. Earth's atmosphere contains enough oxygen for humans to breathe, and contains safe gases. The earth's atmosphere also protects life on earth from harmful things in our the universe (sun's harmful rays and meteors).
200
Where are most asteroids found in our solar system? What do we call this place?
Asteroid Belt- between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.
300
What is the difference between a solar system and a galaxy?
A solar system consists of a star and all objects orbiting it. A galaxy is a group of stars, each star having their own solar system.
300
What two gases is our sun composed of?
Helium and hydrogen (3/4 hydrogen and 1/4 helium)
300
What is a lunar eclipse? What does the moon look like during a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes into the shadow of the earth, in relation to the sun. The moon appears darker and a red color in the sky. This happens around twice a year.
300
What is the "Great Red Spot"? What planet is it found on?
The great red spot is a visible giant red spot on Jupiter's surface and is a huge spinning storm- similar to a hurricane but much bigger. This storm is twice the size of earth!
300
What is the "tail" of a comet? When does it occur?
A comet develops a "tail" like stream of light when it moves closer to the sun. This tail is gas and dust particles that have been melted away from the comet due to the sun's heat and energy.
400
Why is earth's atmosphere important?
Earth's atmosphere consists of a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases and has layers that protects the earth from harmful things in our solar system. The ozone layer filters the sun's harmful rays, and meteors are burned in the mesosphere.
400
What is a solar eclipse? What does it look like in the sky?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is in between the sun and the earth, and the moon partially blocks a portion of the sun from our view. This results in an apparent ring of light in the sky.
400
What were the names of the first men who landed on the moon?
Americans named Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins
400
Why wouldn't you want to live on the planet Venus?
Venus' surface is dusty, dry, and always hot. The surface of Venus is also covered with volcanoes, and its atmosphere is composed of gases that are very toxic for humans to breathe.
400
What is a shooting star?
A shooting star is really called a meteor. When a meteoroid enters earth's atmosphere, it burns up and leaves behind a flash of light. This flash of light due to a meteoroid burning in our atmosphere is what we commonly call a "shooting star".
500
Why is the existence of gravity in space important?
Gravity is what holds the universe together and holds every planet, moon, and object in space in their orbit. Each planet has their own gravitational pull that keeps their moons and satellites around them. Each planet and object in space exerts a gravitational pull on each other, which keeps everything in space in order.
500
What are sunspots and what are solar flares?
Sunspots are spots that sometimes appear on the sun's surface and are areas that are darker and cooler due to the interactions in the sun's magnetic field. Solar flares are large explosions of magnetic energy in the sun's atmosphere that causes a large burst of brightness.
500
How long did the first men on the moon stay and what did they do there?
The first men on the moon stayed for three hours. They walked around the moon and did experiments and collected rocks and dirt. They also planted an American flag on the moon and left a sign.
500
Give one fact about each of the 8 planets...
Answers may vary
500
Describe how a meteoroid gets to earth's surface. What are the three different phases this rock goes through and must survive through in order to reach earth's surface?
A meteoroid starts out in space, as a small particle or rock orbiting the sun. If this rock enters earth's atmosphere, it burns up and becomes a meteor or "shooting star". If the rock survives being burned in earth's atmosphere, it then becomes a meteoroid rock that lands on earth's surface.