Topic 1: Celestial Objects, phenomena, and interactions are important to people in many different ways. To complete this booklet you must do the following: Define each term within this booklet Answer Each Question (not associated with the Tasks) Complete 1 task Terms: - Astronomy - Astronomers - Astronomical Bodies - Celestial Bodies - Constellations - Asterisms - Solstices - Equinoxes - Altitude - Azimuth - Right ascension - Declination - Rotation - Ecliptic - Orbit - Revolution - Satellite - Solar eclipse - Lunar eclipses - Solar system - Nebula - Star - Planet - Astronomical unit (AU) - Light-year (ly) - Asteroids - Asteroid Belt - Dwarf planets - Comet - Meteor - Meteorite Questions 1. Why would it be important for different cultures to be able to predict the approach of a new season? 2. How can ancient civilizations use celestial bodies to predict the change of seasons? 3. Earth rotates and revolves. Explain what each of these actions means. How long does each action take? 4. The axis of Earth is tilted. What is it tilted in relation to?
5. What is an eclipse and how does it occur? 6. Describe the different types of eclipses that can be viewed from Earth. 7. Do you agree or disagree with the statement, A total eclipse of the Moon by Earth can happen only during a full Moon? Justify your answer using a diagram. 8. Is the Sun a large, medium, or small star? 9. What is the Sun composed of? 10. How was the Sun formed? 11. How old is the sun? and how long will it last for? 12. How do astronomers estimate the Sun s mass? 13. Define an astronomical unit and a light-year. How are they different? Tasks: TASK #1: In most cultures, when people looked up at the night sky, they saw pictures, patterns, and pathways into the starts. These pictures are what we refer to as constellations. Chose a constellation from a particular culture, and research the origins of its story. Type a paragraph to describe the story of the constellation and the origin of the story. TASK #2: The Moon s position in the sky changes from hour to hour and day to day. Recall that the azimuth is measurement of a celestial body on the horizon and the altitude is the vertical position. You do not need any fancy equipment to determine the azimuth and altitude. Your closed fist measures about 10 degrees, and each of your fingers is about 2 degrees. Procedure
1. Record information about the position of the Moon. 2. To measure the azimuth, determine North from your position. Pointing North, extend your arm with your palm down and make a fist. Measure eastward along the horizon by crossing your firsts side by side until you reach a point directly below the Moon. If there is a space that is too small to be measured by your fist, use the width of your fingers to measure the space. Record your measurements. 3. To measure the altitude, start at the horizon. Extend your arm with your palm facing sideways and make a fist. The bottom of your fist should be on the horizon. Measure upward by placing your fists one on top of the other until you reach the bottom edge of the Moon. Record your measurements. 4. Continue to observe and record the position of the Moon for two weeks, at approximately the same time each evening. Date Azimuth Altitude
Question 5. According to the data you collected, is the Moon s azimuth getting larger or smaller? How does the Moon s altitude change? TASK #3: Early people were aware that when the observed the position of the Sun and Constellations shifting in the sky, a seasonal change was coming. As the Earth moves, what happens to the celestial bodies as we view them and the seasons? TASK #4: Use a picture to explain how the positions of the Moon, Earth and Sun create the different phases of the Moon. TASK #5: Briefly explain in a paragraph each: the Nebular Theory and Alan Boss theory. TASK #6: Complete the following table.
Planet Average Radius Mass Average Period of Period of Distance (km) (Earth Surface Rotation Revolution from Sun mass) Temperature (Earth Day) (Earth (AU) (ᵒ C) Year) TASK #7: In 2000, the first space probe ever to orbit an asteroid reached 433 Eros in the asteroid belt. Eros measures 33km by 13km. Find out the purpose of the mission to Eros and whether it succeeded in its task. TASK #8: Calculating Astronomical Distances Our universe is ever expanding, and so the distances used to describe it are extremely large. Scientists use unites, such as light0years or astronomical units, to make these distances easier to work with.
The light-year is used for describing distances outside our solar system. It can sometimes take millions of years for light to reach Earth. If you consider that light travels 300 million meters per second, how far are these objects take a million or more light0years for the light to reach us? Procedure: 1. Complete the table. Planet Name Distance from the Sun AU Equivalent Time Needed for Light to Travel from the Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune 2. Determine the AU equivalent for each planet using equivalents or ratios. 1 AU = 150 150 000 000 km 000 000 km. Ex. = 1 AU Mercury from the Sun. x km 0.4 AU can be used to determine the distance of 3. Determine the time it takes light to travel from the Sun to each of the planets using the light equivalent. Because the distance between the Sun and the planets is relatively small compared to Universe distance, use the ratio 300 000 km = 1 s. Ex. 1 s = x s 300 000km Kilometers from the sun Analyzing and Interpreting
1. In your opinion, is it easier to use astronomical units (AU) or kilometers when discussing the distance between planets? Support your answer. 2. Examine the time it takes light to travel from the Sun to the outer planets. What can you assume about the temperature of those outer planets would be based on this information?