Sky science

Introduction: What do you know?

The 10 planets?

Where the names come from?

What things in the solar system we have visited?

Common space shows?

The heart of a solar system

A solar system is a collection of planets that circle a sun

Our sun is called Sol and our solar system the Sol System. It is a one sun system where the one sun is the center of the system

Over 200 billion stars in our galaxy the Milky Way

Nearest Solar system is Centauri, 4 light years away (or 40 trillion km)

A light year is how far light can travel in a year (300 thousand KM a second)

Inside a solar system we use AU as a measurement. One astronomical unit is the distant from Earth to the sun

The center of our solar systemThe colour of a star show

how much heat it gives off. Sol is a medium star that

burns off Hydrogen turning it to helium

Temperature of 5000 degrees Celsius

It is the only source of light in the solar system.

A year is the time it takes to circle the sun

Telling time with the sun!

• SUNDIAL WORK DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SUN SEEMS TO MOVE EAST TO WEST IN OUR SKY.

• The gnomon is the sick in the middle. It blocks the sun’s light causing a shadow.

• The sun moves from east to west yet the shadow will move west to east. Numbers on the dial indicate the time when the shadow touches them.

• Shadows are the longest during early day and late day

• Shadows are the lowest at solar noon. Regular noon is 12 o’ clock yet solar noon is when the sun reaches it’s height in the sky.

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nachos (probably). Planet order: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune (Pluto) Distances are very large…. Distances???? Click here Planet types 1)Terrestrial- Earth like planet that are rock like 2) Jovian- Giant gas like giants 3) Dwarf planet Like a planet but much smaller and not a regular orbit. Hint about sizes _Click here

Rocky planet Gas giant Dwarf planet

1st Planet terrestrial• This is the closest planet to the

sun• It has no atmosphere• It has the shortest year in the

solar system

2nd planet terrestrial

• The hottest planet.• Runaway green house effect

where gas in the atmosphere keeps in heat

• Temperature so hot metal runs like liquid

Surface of Venus

3rd planetterrestrial

• The only planet there is evidence of liquid solid and gas like water right now

• Evidence of life • Has a lot of geological activity• Has an atmosphere• 1 moon

4th PlanetTerrestrial

• Thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide

• Red colour due to rust• Polar ice caps• 2 natural satellites (moons)• Frozen water

Earth compared to Mars. Earth is the larger one

5th PlanetJovian

• Largest planet- Named after Zeus• The red spot is a storm over 400

years old• Has over 4 larger moons, some

with water.• Made of the same fuel as the sun.

Satellites

Gas verses Terrestrial

6th PlanetJovian

• Has a massive ring system• Rings are 2 Km thick in areas• Has many moons

Moons

7th PlanetJovian• Methane atmosphere

therefore green• Believed to have been

given a tilted due to meteor strike

• Rolls on side

8th PlanetJovian

• Methane Atmosphere• Deep blue colour• Largest moon is Titan which is

bigger then Pluto.• Has the longest orbit of all planets

Other planets Pluto and the dwarfs

• Pluto was once believed to be the smallest planet yet in 2006 the definition changed and it became a dwarf planet.• Irregular orbit and has the longest orbit around the sun• Many circle in and around the Kuiper Belt

Earth and Pluto

UB313 another dwarf

Quick tour of the solar system

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Our nearestneighbour

• Moon light is just a reflection of sunlight

• The moon is our only natural satellite• Has an elliptical orbit• It rotates on it’s axis the same speed it goes

around the Earth therefore no one has seen the far face of the moon

• Circles the Earth every 28 days• Sometimes the moon blocks the Sun’s light.

This is called an eclipse

The Moon Dance • Waxing-

moon is gradually reflecting more light to us.

• Waning moon is gradually reflecting less light to us.

Click here

Name the phases in class

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Patterns in the Sky Click here

• We call maps of the stars in the sky, star-maps.

• Constellations- patterns in the stars that are in the sky.

• The constellations seem to move when it is actually us that are moving

• 88 known Constellations

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Some well knownconstellations

Why do they move?• Constellations do

not move! They seem to because we are moving.

• The stars do not really rise and set. Earth spins about its axis once a day giving the appearance that the stars are moving.

Why do some disappear during the year?

• The Earth is not pointed straight up on it’s axis. We are tilted 23.5 degrees.

• The north pole is pointed at the Northstar- Polaris

• Certain constellations are not seen because of that tip (zodiac constellations).

• Certain one remain in the sky all year but change how they look- (big dipper) These are called CIRCUMPOLAR.

The crooked Earth 1• We have season because the earth is

tilted at a 23.5 degree axis and pointed at a distant star. As we revolve around the sun the earth gets uneven heat at the atmospheres. In the summer we get more then the south and in our winter they get more then us.

The crooked Earth 2

The crooked Earth 3Click hereNotice how the top part of the earth is

leaning toward the sun, which means it receives more of the sun’s energy. Yet the atmosphere takes longer to heat up. Since the days are still long, once it receives heat it will keep it warmer as there is more sunlight during the day.

Here, the top part of the earth is leaning away from the sun, meaning it receives less energy from the sunlight. Yet the atmosphere takes longer to lose heat. Since the days are shorter, loses more heat each day then it receives. It will not heat up until the days become much longer. It will keep cooler as there is less sun hours during the day to warm it up.

Why is the warmest day in August yet thelongest day June 21st?

Summer

Winter

What else is “Out There”? Rocks and ice!

• Comets- balls of frozen gases and water that rush towards the sun , circle back and go to the Kuipter belt. Known as hairy stars.

• Asteroids- Rocks that float in space. • Meteor- An asteroid hat comes near the

Earth;s atmosphere (shooting stars).

• Meteorites - Asteroids that have hit Earth.• Asteroid belt- Large band of rocks that

orbit the sun between Jupiter and Mars