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Definitions
Stars
More Stars!
Telescopes
Star Scientists
100
What is a star?
A star is a ball of burning gases that gives off light and heat.
100
What is the name of the star closest to Earth?
The Sun.
100
What is the Milky Way?
A galaxy composed of billions of stars, including the Sun.
100
What does a telescope do?
It magnifies things that are far away, making them look larger and closer.
100
What did Stephen Hawking research?
Black holes.
200
What is a constellation?
A group of stars that form a pattern that has a name.
200
When do you see stars and constellations?
At night; when it is dark.
200
What happens to large stars at the end of their lives?
Large stars end with a huge explosion called a supernova.
200
Why are telescopes put on top of mountains or in space?
To get away from light on Earth and to get above much of the atmosphere.
200
What question did Edna DeVore ask?
Is there life on other planets?
300
What is a telescope?
A telescope is a tool used to view distant objects in space.
300
How many stars are there?
Billions of stars.
300
What is Ursa Major?
Ursa Major is the constellation of the "great bear".
300
Why is a telescope an important tool for astronomers?
It allows astronomers to see objects in space that are very far away. It lets them see more than they could with just their eyes.
300
What did Neil deGrasse Tyson want to do when he grew up?
He wanted to run a planetarium.
400
What is an astronomer?
A scientist who studies the stars and other objects in space.
400
In what direction do the constellations appear to rise and set?
Stars and constellations rise in the east and set in the west.
400
What happens to small stars at the end of their lives?
Small stars burn out and stop making heat and light.
400
What is the name of the most famous modern telescope?
The Hubble Space Telescope.
400
When did Edna deVore decide to become an astronomer?
When she was in college.
500
What is a planetarium?
A theater with a dome-shaped ceiling where you can see planets, stars, and galaxies.
500
Why do stars move across the night sky?
Stars don't move. Earth rotates, creating the appearance of stars moving across the night sky.
500
Why are constellations seen in the summer sky different than those seen in the winter sky?
Because Earth orbits the Sun. Earth's dark side faces different directions at different seasons.
500
Who was Galileo and what did he do?
Galileo was an Italian scientist who was the first person to use a telescope to look at objects in the night sky.
500
What does Neil deGrasse Tyson work hard to do?
Make science interesting for everyone.