Astronomy Chapter II: 

Solar System & Beyond 

Name:  Hour:  

Astronomy II: Solar System & Beyond! STANDARD

MS-ESS 1: Space Systems Performance Expectations

● MS.ESS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.

● MS.ESS1-3. Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system Dimension Name

Science and Engineering

Practices

Developing and using models: Develop and use a model to describe phenomena. Analyzing and interpreting data: Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. Engaging in argument from evidence:

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models. Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe. ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System - unit specifics The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity. PS2.B: Types of Interactions Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have a large mass (ex: Earth and sun)

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small.

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Astronomy Vocabulary Stick II Region of space having a gravitational field so intense no matter or radiation

can escape

Medium-sized, irregular-shaped, rocky body orbiting the sun

System of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held

together by gravitational attraction Small, irregular-shaped body made or rock or metal orbiting the sun that would

produce a bright light (meteor) if it entered the earth's atmosphere Model of the universe in which there is insufficient matter, and thus insufficient gravitational force, to

halt the expansion initiated by the big bang – as opposed to a closed universe where expansion can be halted by the existing mass in the universe. Determining factor for these models involves dark matter.

Theory the universe originated sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from the

explosion of a small volume of matter at extremely high density and temperature

Resembling a small planet but has not cleared its orbital region of other objects

The streak of light that is produced when a small, irregular-shaped body of rock or

metal enters the earth's atmosphere and becomes incandescent as a result of friction.

Cloud of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky either as an indistinct

bright patch or as a dark silhouette against other luminous matter; the beginning stage of star and planet formation

Celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust, usually traveling in a large elliptical

orbit around the sun, which produces a “tail” of gas and dust particles (pointing away from the sun) as the sun’s heat vaporizes its frozen matter

Small, irregular-shaped body made of rock or metal that has entered Earth’s

atmosphere but does not completely burn up, thereby colliding with Earth’s surface.

Collection of planets and dwarf planets (and their moons) in orbit around a

star, together with smaller bodies, including asteroids, meteoroids, and comets  

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Creation Myths from Around the World By Angie Shumov Where did we come from and how did we get here? The answer to life’s most fundamental question may remain unknown, but that doesn’t stop narratives from telling of the world’s beginning and how man came to be. Neither proven right or wrong, creation myths have been passed down person to person, across generations and cultures since the beginning of time. Some speak of birth and a Supreme Being while others say the elements formed life. Even stories from the same cultural origins have different versions and interpretations.  

He the Creator Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths share a common creation story. In the Book of Genesis, God says “let there be light” and in six days he creates the sun, moon, land and sky and all living creatures. He tells all to “be fruitful and multiply.” Another adaptation goes on to speak of God creating Adam, the first man, out of the earth’s dust. He then created a female companion out of Adam’s rib who was given the name Eve, meaning mother of all living. 

Adam and Eve lived happily in God’s Garden of Eden until one day, a serpent who lived in the tree of forbidden fruit, persuaded the humans to eat an apple. As God had forbidden them to touch this fruit, their disobedience brought the awareness of good and evil in the world.  

A Balanced Beginning In one Chinese creation story, first there was a cosmic egg made up of two balanced opposites: yin and yang. The egg held P’an Ku, the divine embryo. P’an Ku grew until the egg could not hold him, causing the shell to burst, so P’an Ku went to work right away making the world, with a hammer in hand. He dug out valleys, made way for rivers, and piled up mountains. But the earth was not complete until  he passed away. It wasn’t until death that his flesh became soil and his bones the rocks. His eyes became the sun and moon and his head the sky. From what was once his sweat and tears was now rain and the fleas that covered his body became mankind. 

 The Sacrifice  The earliest Vedic text in the Hindu religion, the Rig Veda, tells the tale of Purusha. He who had a thousand heads, eyes, and feet could envelop the earth with his fingers. The gods sacrificed Purusha and his body turned to butter, transforming into animals, elements, the three gods Agni, Vayu, and Indra, and even the four castes of Hindu society. Later on, a different interpretation developed that spoke of the trinity of creation. Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer make a universal cycle of the world’s beginning & end. 

  

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Water of Life The ancient Egyptians had numerous creation myths that all begin with the chaotic waters of Nun. Atum, while considered genderless, appeared as the first god or goddess. It is said he created himself from his thoughts and will. From the dark waters of Nun, emerged a hill for Atum to stand upon. This is where he made Shu, the god of air and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture. Shu 

and Tefnut created Ged, the earth, and Nut, the sky. And from Ged and Nut came even more gods and goddesses. While the world's order formed over time, Shu and Tefnut got lost in darkness. Atum sent his all-seeing eye to search for them and upon their return, he wept tears of joy. The tears struck the earth and turned into the first men.  

Three Tries 

A Mayan creation story tells the tale of Tepeu, the maker and Gucumatz, the feathered spirit. After the two built the world with their thoughts, they decided they needed beings to look after their earth and to praise them for their creation. First, they made animals from birds and snakes to deer and panthers, but realized these creatures could not communicate their admiration. They had to produce another kind of being that was capable of worshiping them. 

They first created man from wet clay but when he tried to speak, he crumbled apart. In a second attempt, they made men out of wood and while they could talk, they were empty headed and empty hearted, producing words with no meaning behind them. The third time around, they made four men out of the white and yellow corn. To their satisfaction, these men could think and feel and speak words out of love and respect. To ensure the human race continued, the gods created women as their mates and so mankind lived on. 

All around the world, creation myths help us make sense of man’s origin. While many variations exist, these stories have built the foundation of the world’s largest religions and cultures. There may not be a universal understanding but these legends, true or false, are the real roots of society today. 

 "Creation Myths From Around the World." National Geographic Channel. 09 Feb. 2016. Web. 24 Dec. 2016.  

   

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Open, Closed or Flat: Universe Theories Almost all astronomers accept that the universe is expanding. What happens next is the real mystery. Luckily, there are only three real possibilities: The universe can be open, flat or closed.  Open Universe In this scenario, the universe will expand forever, and as it does, the matter it contains will spread thinner and thinner. Eventually, galaxies will run out of the raw materials they need to make new stars. Stars that already exist will slowly extinguish, like dying embers. Instead of fiery cradles, galaxies will become coffins filled with dust and dead stars. At that point, the universe will become dark, cold and, unfortunately for us, lifeless.  Flat Universe Imagine a marble rolling on an infinitely long wooden surface. There's just enough friction to slow the marble down, but not enough to do it quickly. The marble will roll for a long time, eventually coasting to a slow and gentle stop. This is what will happen to a flat universe. It will consume all of the energy from the big bang and, reaching equilibrium, coast to a halt far into the future. In many ways, this is just a variation of the open universe because it will take, literally, forever for the universe to reach the equilibrium point.  Closed Universe Tie one end of a bungee cord to your leg, the other end to the rail of a bridge and then jump off. You'll accelerate downward rapidly until you begin to stretch the cord. As tension increases, the cord gradually slows your descent. Eventually, you'll come to a complete stop, but just for a second as the cord, stretched to its limit, yanks you back toward the bridge. Astronomers think a closed universe will behave in much the same way. Its expansion will slow down until it reaches a maximum size. Then it will recoil, collapsing back on itself. As it does, the universe will become denser and hotter until it ends in an infinitely hot, infinitely dense singularity. A closed universe will lead to a big crunch -- the opposite of the big bang. But what are the odds a closed universe is more probable than an open or flat universe?  William Harris "How the Big Crunch Theory Works" 2 March 2009. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/astronomy-terms/big-crunch.htm> 28 December 2016 

  

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Nebula vs Galaxy Nebulae and galaxies are two different things present inside the universe. Often 

the understanding of a nebula is confused with other features of space, particularly 

of a galaxy. This article highlights the differences between the two. 

The word ‘nebula’ is a Latin word meaning ‘cloud.’ However the role of the 

nebula is more complex. A nebula is a cloud of interstellar dust and other gasses - 

particularly helium and hydrogen. A galaxy on the other hand is a huge collection 

of stars held together by gravitational attraction. A galaxy contains stars, star 

clusters and solar systems along with interstellar dust. 

One of the basic differences between the two is their size. The size of a galaxy is generally many magnitudes higher 

than the size of a nebula. Nebulae are present inside a galaxy. A galaxy however cannot be contained within a 

nebula. 

 Andromeda galaxy 

When a lot of mass accumulates within a nebula, the gravitational attraction increases, and the nebula collapses to 

form a star. This does not happen with a galaxy meaning that the galaxy as a whole does not collapse to give birth to 

a star. 

Galaxies exist in different shapes and sizes and also with varying brightness. They are classified based on these 

factors. Generally they are classified into three broad categories: (a) spiral (b) elliptical (c) irregular. Nebulae are also 

generally classified on basis of their structure. Their classifications are however different than those of galaxies. 

Mainly nebulae are categorized into four types: (a) emission nebulae (b) HII regions (c) supernova remnants (d) dark 

nebulae. 

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It may seem ironic, but in addition to nebulae being formed at star birth, they can also be formed when a star 

implodes. A galaxy however is not formed during such an implosion. 

Another difference to note is that galaxies generally have a longer lifespan than nebulae. This is because a nebula is 

just one thing in a vast galaxy that can constitute millions of stars. The life of a galaxy is connected with the lives of 

all the stars within it. This also means that if a galaxy implodes, millions or billions of stars will die with it, but a 

nebula only results in one star death. 

Galaxies are also found in clusters or groups. No such pattern has yet been observed for nebulae. 

Galaxies and nebulae are different features of the vast universe we live in. The main thing to note is they differ 

greatly by size and while, galaxies possess many stars, nebulae are just the beginning or end of one star. 

Summary: ● A nebula is a cloud of interstellar dust, while a galaxy is a huge collection of stars 

● Galaxies are much larger than nebulae 

● Nebulae cause star formation. 

● Nebulae are present within a galaxy. A galaxy cannot be present within a nebula 

● Nebulae are classified into emission, HII region, supernova remnant and dark 

● Galaxies are classified into spiral, elliptical and irregular. 

● Galaxies live longer than nebulae 

● Life of several stars is connected to life of a galaxy while life of only one star is associated with a nebula 

● Galaxies can be found in clusters in space 

 "Difference between Nebula and Galaxy." Difference Between. 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Dec. 2016  

      

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Two Trillion….Galaxies?! The universe suddenly looks a lot more crowded, thanks to a deep-sky view assembled from surveys taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories. Astronomers came to the surprising conclusion that there are at least 10 times more galaxies in the observable universe than previously thought. This places the universe's estimated population at, AT LEAST, 2 trillion galaxies. The results have clear implications for galaxy formation, and also helps shed light on an ancient astronomical paradox -- why is the sky dark at night? In analyzing the data, a team found 10 times as many galaxies were packed into a given volume of space in the early universe than found today. Most of these galaxies were relatively small and faint, with masses similar to those of the satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way. As they merged to form larger galaxies, the population density of galaxies in space dwindled. This means that galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe's history. "These results are powerful evidence that a significant galaxy evolution has taken place throughout the universe's history, which dramatically reduced the number of galaxies through mergers between them -- thus reducing their total number. This gives us a verification of the so-called top-down formation of structure in the universe," explained Conselice. One of the most fundamental questions in astronomy is that of just how many galaxies the universe contains. The landmark Hubble Deep Field, taken in the mid-1990s, gave the first real insight into the universe's galaxy population. Subsequent sensitive observations such as Hubble's Ultra Deep Field revealed a myriad of faint galaxies. This led to an estimate that the observable universe contained about 100 billion galaxies. The new research shows that this estimate is at least 10 times too low. This conclusion was reached using deep-space images from Hubble and the already published data from other teams. They painstakingly converted the images into 3-D, in order to make accurate measurements of the number of galaxies at different epochs in the universe's history. In addition, they used new mathematical models, which allowed them to infer the existence of galaxies that the current generation of telescopes cannot observe. This led to the surprising conclusion that in order for the numbers of galaxies we now see and their masses to add up, there must be a further 90 percent of galaxies in the observable universe that are too faint and too far away to be seen with present-day telescopes. These myriad small faint galaxies from the early universe merged over time into the larger galaxies we can now observe. "It boggles the mind that over 90 percent of the galaxies in the universe have yet to be studied. Who knows what interesting properties we will find when we discover these galaxies with future generations of telescopes? In the near future, the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study these ultra-faint galaxies," said researcher Christopher Conselice. The decreasing number of galaxies as time progresses also contributes to the solution for Olbers' paradox (first formulated in the early 1800s by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers): Why is the sky dark at night if the universe contains an infinity of stars? The team came to the conclusion that indeed there actually is such an abundance of galaxies that, in principle, every patch in the sky contains part of a galaxy. However, starlight from the galaxies is invisible to the human eye and most modern telescopes due to other known factors that reduce visible and ultraviolet light in the universe. Those factors are the reddening of light due to the expansion of space, the universe's dynamic nature, and the absorption of light by intergalactic dust and gas. All combined, this keeps the night sky dark to our vision.  Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). "Observable universe contains two trillion galaxies, 10 times more than previously thought." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 October 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161013111709.htm>. 

 

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The Solar System is Born!  

MS-ESS1-2  Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system 

  

Defined: The solar system is made up of all the planets that orbit our sun. In addition to planets, the solar system also consists of moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets, dust and gas.  Everything in the solar system orbits or revolves around the sun. The sun contains around 98% of all the material in the solar system. The larger an object is, the more gravity it has. Because the sun is so 

large, its powerful gravity attracts all the other objects in the solar system towards it. At the same time, these objects, which are moving very rapidly, try to fly away from the sun, outward into the emptiness of outer space. The result of the planets trying to fly away, at the same time the sun is trying to pull them inward is they become trapped half way in between. Balanced between flying towards the sun, and escaping into space, they spend eternity orbiting around their parent star. 

 

Formation: This is an important and difficult one for scientists to understand. After all, the creation of our solar system took place billions of years before there were any people around to witness it.  Scientists believe the solar system evolved from a giant cloud of dust and gas, called a nebula. This dust and gas began to collapse under the weight of its own gravity. As it did so, the matter contained within this could begin moving in a giant circle, much like the water in a drain moves in a circle around the center of the drain.  At the center of this spinning cloud, a small star began to form. This star grew larger and larger as it collected more and more of the dust and gas that collapsed into it. Further away from the center of this mass where the star was forming, there were smaller clumps of dust and gas also collapsing.   

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The center of the nebula was so dense and hot that a process called nuclear fusion began, and the sun was born. Meanwhile, the smaller clumps became the planets, minor and dwarf planets, moons, comets, and asteroids.  

A Great Storm   Once ignited, the sun's powerful solar winds began to blow. These winds, which are made up of atomic particles being blown outward from the sun, slowly pushed the remaining gas and dust out of the solar system. With no more gas or dust, the planets, minor planets, moons, comets, and asteroids stopped growing.   

Because the inner planets are much closer to the sun, they are located where the solar winds are stronger. As a result, the dust and gas from the inner Solar system was blown away much more quickly than it was from the outer solar system. This gave the planets of the inner solar system less time to grow, resulting in smaller planets.   

Another important difference is the outer planets are largely made of gas and water (Jovian), while the inner planets are made up almost entirely of rock and dust (terrestrial). This is also a result of the solar winds. As the outer planets grew larger, their gravity had time to accumulate massive amounts of gas, water, as well as dust.   Adapted From: kidsastronomy.com             

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Think it Over:  

1. What is a solar system?  

 

 

 

2 Why do objects orbit a star?  

 

 

 

3 Why will objects continue to orbit a star, instead of moving outward or inward?  

 

 

 

4 Describe the process by which the different parts of a solar system form. Be sure to include new vocabulary 

words and explanations.  

 

 

 

 

5 Why are the inner planets smaller?  

 

 

 

6 Why are the inner planets terrestrial and the outer planets Jovian?  

 

 

 

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Solar Winds: Explained The Sun is so powerful and energetic that it actually creates a type of wind that travels throughout the Solar System and beyond. This wind is called the solar wind. The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles – electrons (negative) and protons (positive) that flows out from the Sun in all directions at all times.   

Do not confuse this with wind on Earth which is a movement of air molecules driven by uneven heating of the atmosphere. Wind on Earth actually has far more ‘pushing’ power than solar wind. The amount of radiation (these protons and electrons – along with all other forms of energy in the visible and invisible spectra) varies in cycles but is always very high and strong. Most of the solar wind particles that reach Earth are deflected by our magnetic field. Think of the poles of a magnet: like poles repel and opposites attract. The positive and negative charges of the particles in the solar wind are repelled by the like charges in our magnetic field when they interact. A few of these particles can reach closer to the surface of Earth at the poles leading to the awesome spectacles of lights we know as the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis).   

Does Solar Wind Push Things? The question remains… can solar winds ‘push’ things? Absolutely. Look no further than the way parts of solar radiation that reach Earth’s surface can spin the blades of a radiometer. There is a lot of energy there. The effects on small pieces of matter in outer space – specks of gas and dust in a nebula for example - are much greater.    

Role in the Formation of our Solar System Connecting this all together helps people understand the formation of our solar system. As the nebula began to collapse into a number of gravity centers, our sun and the planets began to form. The largest, most concentrated mass became our sun, while the other eight centers formed later and make-up the planets we know today. To begin, rocks and metals collected together forming the terrestrial planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The substances in these planets come from less than 1% of all of the material types we suspect are in the universe. In other words, there wasn’t much to work with! Most of the extra gases in the areas of these planets were pushed away by heat and active solar winds.  

The outer four planets, known as ‘Jovian’ planets after Jupiter, are known as gas giants. These giants are so far out, that they were and are less affected by the warmth from the sun and solar winds. Great quantities of gas remain there leaving Jupiter and Saturn as primarily gas with perhaps only some sort of liquid core. Scientists aren’t sure if there is much of a solid surface on either of these planets! Uranus and Neptune are also gas giants, but due to their distance from the sun, they consist primarily of frozen gases and are thus actually ‘ice giants.’  

 Mr. Farnsworth 2015 

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GotchoGalaxy I – Astronomy II vocabulary    

A. _____ An asteroid is a medium-sized, irregular- 

B. _____ Meteoroids are small, irregular-shaped bodies made of rock or metal orbiting the  

C. _____ The streak of light produced when a small, irregular-shaped body  

D. _____ The big bang theory states the universe originated sometime between 10 and  

E. _____ Galaxies are systems of millions or billions of  

F. _____ The open model of the universe states there is insufficient matter, and thus  

G. _____ Black holes are regions of space having a gravitational  

H. _____ Comets are space objects consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust  

I. _____ Meteorites are small, irregularly-shaped bodies made of rock or metal that have entered Earth’s atmosphere 

 A  B  C 

D  E  F 

G  H  I 

 1. but not completely burned 

up, thereby colliding with Earth’s surface. 

2. 20 billion years ago from the explosion of a small volume of matter at extremely high density and temperature.  

3. sun that would produce a bright light (meteor) if they entered the earth's atmosphere.  

4. stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction. 

5. of rock or metal enters the earth's atmosphere and glows as a result of friction is called a meteor. 

6. field so intense no matter or radiation can escape. 

7. shaped, rocky body orbiting the sun. 

8. which produces a “tail” of gas and dust particles. 

9. insufficient gravitational force, to halt the expansion initiated by the big bang 

  

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GotchoGalaxy II  Think about class activities, readings and discussions. Specific galaxy questions come from the ‘Universe’ website used in class. A. _____ A black hole is a region of space having  

B. _____ Medium-sized, irregular shaped, rocky 

C. _____ The Milky Way galaxy is a spiral 

D. _____ A galaxy is a system of millions or even billions of 

E. _____ Elliptical galaxies have an oval shape and  

F. _____ A comet is a space object consisting of a nucleus of ice 

and dust, usually traveling in a large elliptical orbit around  

G. _____ Lenticular galaxies are something in between, having a  

H. _____ Meteorites are small, irregular-shaped objects made of 

rock or metal that  

I. _____ Dwarf planets resemble small planets but have not cleared  

J. _____ Meteors are the streak of light produced when a small, 

irregular-shaped body of rock or metal  

K. _____ The Open Universe is a model in which there is 

insufficient matter, and thus insufficient  

L. _____ Clouds of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the 

night sky either as an indistinct bright patch  

M. _____ The stars in irregular galaxies seem to be scattered 

about randomly,  

N. _____ The Milky Way is only one of the 30 galaxies forming 

the Local  

O. _____ A solar system is a collection of planets and dwarf 

planets (and their moons) 

P. _____ Spiral galaxies appear almost as flat disks, with 

multiple  

       

1. gravitational force, to halt the expansion initiated by the 

big bang.  

2. bodies orbiting the sun are called asteroids. 

3. stars, together with gas and dust, held together by 

gravitational attraction. 

4. their orbital region of other objects. 

5. do not contain much dust or many gas clouds. 

6. spiral arms and plenty of interstellar matter. 

7. Group of galaxies that measures about 5 million light years 

across. 

8. globular central part and a disk without spirals. 

9. rather than being arranged in an organized manner.  

10. have entered Earth’s atmosphere but do not completely 

burn up, thereby colliding with Earth’s surface. 

11. the sun, which produces a “tail” of gas and dust.  

12. in orbit around a star, together with smaller bodies, 

including asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. 

13. galaxy and is our home. 

14. enters the earth's atmosphere and glows as a result of 

friction.  

15. or as dark silhouettes against other luminous matter are 

called nebulae. 

16. a gravitational field so intense no matter or radiation can 

escape. 

      

  

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How Big is Our Solar System? MS-ESS1-3  Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system. 

 Materials:  tape, calculator, ruler (use metric) 

 Objective: _ Determine an appropriate scale to use for creating a model of our solar system.  Hypothesis: Answer the following questions:  

● How long would it take a spacecraft to get to Mercury? ____________________________________ 

● How long would it take a spacecraft to get to Pluto? ______________________________________ 

Experiment: Calculate the distance of each planet from the sun using the distances given in the chart below. In your model, the distance from the Earth to the Sun (93 million miles) is equal to 10 cm. This means that 1 cm = 9.3 million miles. Using this information, determine the appropriate placement of the other planets that will be taped down on the floor.  

Object Distance  

(from sun in miles) Calculations & Distance  

of relativity in your model (show your work) 

Mercury  36 million x 1 cm36 million miles

9.3 million miles  36 / 9.3 = 3.87 cm 

Venus  67.2 million   

Earth  93 million   

Mars  141.6 million   

Jupiter  483.6 million   

Saturn  886.7 million   

Uranus  1784.0 million   

Neptune  2794.4 million   

Pluto (not a planet)  3674.5 million   

Eris  8993.1 million   

Voyager I spacecraft  (as of January 2019)  13493.0 milion   

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Directions: 1. Cut out each planet from the attached sheet. 2. Tape sun to the ground. This is going to be the center of your solar system model. 3. Measure the distance for Mercury and tape down Mercury.  4. Continue with remaining planets/dwarf planets.  5. When your group is done, compare with another group to make sure it looks similar. 6. Get your model approved by the teacher. 7. Clean-up area.  8. Answer the conclusion questions. 

Discussion Questions: 1. What new information did you learn about the solar system? Be specific. 

 

 

 

 

 

 2. What other observations or findings did your group make along the way? 

 

 

 

 

 

 3. Hypothesis: What would happen to life on Earth if we were closer to the sun and what would happen if we 

were further away from the sun? Closer: 

 

 

Further 

 

 

 

 

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4. How did this lab help describe why the first four planets consist of rock and the last four planets are gas 

giants?   

 

 

 

 

 5. In this lab, you built a model of the solar system. Think about what the solar system really looks like and 

how it really works. List and describe two things that are “wrong” with this model.  

 

 

 

 

 

                    

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Big Moons & Small Planets 

The Top 26 moons and small planets in our solar system drawn to the same scale. 

Problem 1   

What fraction of the objects are smaller than our moon? 

 

Problem 2   

What fraction of the objects are larger than our moon but are not planets? 

 

Problem 3  

What fraction of the objects, including the moon, are about the same size as our 

moon? 

 

Problem 4 

If Saturn’s moon Titan is ½ the diameter of Earth, and Saturn’s moon Dione is 1/6 

the diameter of Titan, how large is the diameter of Dione compared to Earth? 

 

Problem 5 

Oberon is 1/7 the diameter of Earth, Io is 1/3 the diameter of Earth, and Titania is 

4/9 the diameter of Io. Which moon is bigger in diameter: Oberon or Titania?  

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Sunny Side Up   Objective:  Create a scale model and compare sizes of the sun and planets/dwarf planets in our solar system 

 

Prediction: Predict the size of each planet or dwarf planet if the sun’s diameter was 50 cm by filling out the 

chart Body  Sun  Mercury  Venus  Earth  Mars  Jupiter  Saturn  Uranus  Neptune  Pluto  Eris 

Prediction of Model 

Diameter (cm) 

50                     

  

Body Actual 

diameter (km) 

Actual Model Diameter 

(cm) 

Sun  1391900  50 

Mercury  4866   

Venus  12106   

Earth  12742   

Mars  6760   

Jupiter  139516   

Saturn  116438   

Uranus  46940   

Neptune  45432   

Pluto  2274   

 

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Create a Model: Create your model for each body in the solar system using large paper, a compass, and/or a pencil with string for larger bodies. Remember to think about the radius for each body as you are given diameters in the chart below. Make the sun first. As you create each planet, label it with markers along the edge of the paper. When you finish, put the sun down first and place the planets on top of the sun in order from largest to smallest. 

     Compute a Scale Factor: Divide the largest distance you need to ‘model’ by the largest distance you have available in your model. This becomes your scale factor. 

 

 

Scale Factor: 1 cm = _______ 

   

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Post-Lab: Conclusion Questions  

1) Make three observations or comparisons to the actual about the model you created 

 

 

 

 

2) Use a calculator to add up the total diameter of all planets and Pluto.  

Total diameter of all planets: ________________  

Compare this total diameter of all planets to the sun. What do you notice? 

 

 

 

  3) After completing this activity you should be able to explain why our solar system is 

heliocentric. Why do all the planets revolve around the sun and not a different body?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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The Planets of Our Solar System MS-ESS1-1  Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.  

MS-ESS1-2  Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system 

MS-ESS1-3  Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.  

Rotate from station to station spending two to three minutes at each. Gather all required information as well as an interesting fact or two from each station. 

Each student will report out on a planet selected at random. Be prepared and good luck! 

Station One: General Information How Many Planets are there? What is the definition of a planet? 

  Based on the information above, what did scientists decide Pluto was and why?   

 

Station Two: Mercury Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

Station Three: Venus Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

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Station Four: Earth Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

Station Five: Mars Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

Station Six: Jupiter Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

Station Seven: Saturn Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

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Station Eight: Uranus Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

Station Nine: Neptune Average distance from the sun: Rotation period: Orbital period: Diameter Gravity: Fun Fact #1: Fun Fact #2: 

 

 

                    

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Studying Rings around the Sun: Asteroids Asteroids are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, in a somewhat flattened, ring-like disk around the Sun known as the main asteroid belt. Main belt asteroids have circular orbits that are inclined up to 30[degrees] from the plane of the ecliptic. The rocky and icy objects within the main asteroid belt orbit the Sun at distances of 2-3.5 astronomical units (AU; one AU equals 149,668,992 km or 93,000,000 mi.) and are within an area centered on the plane of the ecliptic and spanning about 1 AU above and below the ecliptic (see Figure 1). Although the main asteroid belt contains millions of known and unknown objects, the belt really isn't that crowded. While movies often depict spacecraft dodging through an obstacle course of asteroids when they enter the field, there is actually quite a bit of space between objects. Thus, the odds of running into an asteroid accidently are highly unlikely, as evidenced by the many space missions that have successfully traversed the main asteroid belt.  This past September, the OSIRIS-Rex mission successfully embarked on a one-year voyage to asteroid Bennu, which was discovered in 1999 by the LINEAR automated telescope system. Asteroid Bennu is a Near Earth Object (NEO) belonging to the Apollo asteroid group. The OSIRIS-Rex will end its seven-year mission after it takes samples from asteroid Bennu and returns them to Earth in September 2023. The mission website hosts a wealth of information about asteroids with resources such as mission-related videos, a multimedia library, an interactive mission timeline.  Coincidentally, two of the largest members of the main asteroid belt are above the horizon this month; however, both will be visible only with binoculars or a telescope. Rising around sunset will be dwarf planet Ceres; a few hours later, asteroid Vesta will rise. Due to their respective slower-than-Earth orbital speeds, observing the asteroid or Ceres requires regular observation of the same area of the sky over days or weeks. It also requires either drawing your own star chart based on what you see or using star charts such as those from the SkyLive website.  

Asteroids are members of the group of solar system objects defined as small solar system bodies (SSSB). This group includes comets, asteroids, meteoroids, or anything orbiting the Sun that is not a planet, a moon, or a manufactured satellite. SSSBs are not just limited to orbits between Mars and Jupiter but may also be found grouped in other places in the solar system. NEOs are objects near Earth that orbit the Sun, while Trojan asteroids are a group near Jupiter that orbit the Sun. Much farther out from the Sun are the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud (see Figure 2A). 

 Trojan asteroids are found in great amounts near 

Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, and Earth. These asteroids are held in a specific location, known as Lagrange points, relative to the planet by a combination of the gravitational attraction from the planet and from the Sun. There are five Lagrange points at different positions relative to the planet and the Sun (see Figure 2B). Lagrange points are specific distances from the planet and the Sun where the gravitational attraction from the Sun and the planet are in a balance, sort of like a tug-of-war with equal pull from both sides. Trojan asteroids are located at Lagrange points 4 and 5. Picture an equilateral triangle with the baseline connecting the planet and the Sun. Lagrange points 4 and 5 are at the third corner, along the plane of the orbit at an angle of 60[degrees]--one point ahead and one point behind the planet. Trojan asteroids at either of these two Lagrange points actually orbit around the Lagrange point as they orbit the Sun with their planet. 

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  Artificial satellites are often located at a Lagrange point in order to take advantage of the location relative to the Earth and the Sun. In 2001, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite was placed in an orbit around the L2 point, which is always in the Earth's shadow. This mission, which ended in 2010, was designed to measure small temperature variations in the cosmic background radiation. Being in the Earth's shadow allowed the instruments to operate in a stable, cooler environment, much like stepping out of the Sun and into the shade.  The Kuiper Belt, sometimes called the Trans-Neptune Region, is a disk-shape ring around the Sun, located in a region of space between 30-50 AU from the Sun. The objects within this region are mostly icy, comet-like in composition, and referred to as Trans Neptunian Objects (TNOs), or Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). This is the region of the solar system from which short-period comets such as Halley's Comet originate. These comets tend to have orbits along the plane of the ecliptic and last no longer than 200 years. Some of the known TNOs in the inner part of the Kuiper Belt were large enough during their formation to have formed into a spherical shape and are classified as dwarf planets. Currently, one of the largest of the known TNOs is dwarf planet Pluto.  Beyond the Kuiper belt is a spherical region surrounding the solar system known as the Oort Cloud. It is believed that this region is the source of the long-period comets that take thousands of years to orbit the Sun. Given the spherical shape of the Oort Cloud, these comets come into the inner solar system at different and steeper inclinations and directions than the short-period comets.  

More than one Moon?  Ask students how many moons the Earth has, and the typical and correct answer would be one. Our Moon is gravitationally tied to the Earth, and both in turn are tied to the Sun. However, Earth may have more than one moon if we consider co-orbital asteroids that share the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Co-orbital objects with the Earth essentially follow the same orbit around the Sun and do so in the same amount of time. Our Moon is a good example of a co-orbital, as it orbits the Sun with the Earth and, at the same time, appears to be orbiting the Earth. As the two co-orbit the Sun together, the Earth and Moon rotate about the barycenter, the balance point between the masses of two or more objects, located about 1,609 km (1,000 mi.) below the Earth's surface.  Students may model the Earth-Moon-Sun gravity situation online by using the My Solar System orbital simulator. From the drop-down menu, select "Sun, Planet, Moon," and click "Start." There are two observations students could make while watching the simulation. First, the Moon's path does not take it around the Earth; rather, it follows a wavy pattern around the Sun. When this model is depicted to actual size, the orbit looks less wavy. Second, based on the two-dimensional graphic, students may notice that the Sun wobbles back and forth. In reality, the Sun is actually orbiting around the barycenter of the solar system or, in this simulation, the barycenter of the three objects. The barycenter for these three objects and the entire solar system is well below the Sun's surface at approximately 30,000 km (18,641 mi.) from the center of the Sun. 

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Our Moon is not the only co-orbital sharing space with the Earth. Other Earth co-orbitals are the small asteroids that revolve around the Sun at the same pace as the Earth and their orbits may cross the Earth's orbit. Collectively, these asteroids are known as NEOs. Depending on their orbital characteristics, some may also be considered sort of another Earth moon, or a quasi-satellite of the Earth.  The most recently discovered quasi-satellite is 2016 H, a small asteroid of about 30-100 m that was uncovered with the PanSTAARS automated telescope. This quasi-satellite has an orbit around the Sun with an aphelion distance--the most distant point in an orbit around the Sun--of 1.1055 AU and a perihelion distance--the closest point to the Sun in an orbit--of 0.8969 AU. Asteroid 2016 H orbits the Sun in 365.93 days, but it has a more elliptically shaped orbit (0.10) than the Earth's (0.016). Eccentricity is a measure of how round or elliptical a shape is. With 0 as a circle and 1 a straight line, any value in between is an elliptical shape. Because of 2016 H's eccentricity and orbital period, it appears to be in orbit around the Earth. Each orbit around the Sun brings it closer to the Earth, and one-half orbit later, 2016 H is at its farthest distance from the Earth.   The orbital shapes of the co-orbital asteroids relative to the Earth's orbit appear to have orbits that have been described as horseshoe-shaped or looking like a game of leap frog. How we perceive their orbit is a matter of perspective, whether it is an Earth-based or a solar-system view, looking down on the orbits. We have a similar situation with how we picture the Moon's orbit. From an Earth-based perspective, the Moon goes around the Earth. Yet from a perspective above the solar system, the Moon actually orbits the Sun. In a similar manner, we know that the NEOs and co-orbitals orbit the Sun in the same time; however, from an Earth-based perspective, these NEOs have peculiar-looking orbital shapes. 

     

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Asteroid Vesta: Up Close On July 15, 2011 the NASA spacecraft Dawn completed a 2.8 billion kilometer journey taking four years, and went into orbit around the asteroid Vesta. Vesta is the second largest asteroid in the Asteroid Belt. Its diameter is 530 kilometers. After one year in orbit, Dawn departed in 2012 for an encounter with asteroid Ceres in 2015. Meanwhile, from its orbit around Vesta, it will map the surface and see features less than 1 kilometer across.  Problem 1  Use a millimeter ruler and the diameter information for this asteroid to determine the scale of this image in kilometers per millimeter.  Problem 2  What is the diameter of the largest and smallest features that you can see in this image?  Problem 3  Based on the distance traveled, and the time taken by the Dawn satellite, what was the speed of this spacecraft in:  A) Km per year?  B) Km per hour?  Problem 4   The Space Shuttle traveled at a speed of 28,000 km/hr. in its orbit around Earth. How many times faster than the Shuttle does the Dawn spacecraft travel? 

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Classifying Objects In Our Solar System   **Copy chart from SOAS to your drive 

  

 

Object  Composition  Shape  Orbit 

Star       

Moon       

Planet       

Dwarf Planet 

     

Asteroid       

Meteoroid       

Meteorite       

Meteor       

Comet       

 

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Planet: Researching & Building a Website  

MS-ESS1-3   Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system. 

 Select two or more specific, comparable space objects (planets, moons, asteroids or comets) to research and compare. Construct a Google Site to share this information and generate a QR code to post.   Part One: Introduction 

● Create a strong lead with a ‘hook’ to engage your audience ● Introduce the objects. What are they? Give some background.  ● Form: Short paragraphs w/ picture(s). Captions are helpful and encouraged.  

Part Two: Quantitative Data 1. Organized Quantitative Data Pairs: Create graphs from data tables to compare data. Choose 

quantitative data pairs you are interested in analyzing together. 2. Form: Three graphs with a brief explanatory paragraph for each highlighting something you 

could learn or take away from the comparison.  

Possibilities: 

Mass  Diameter (radius)  Density  Gravity  Number of 

Moons 

Average distance from 

Sun Orbital Tilt 

Escape Velocity Rotation 

Period/Day Length 

Orbital Period/Year 

Length 

Distance from Sun 

Average Temperature  Orbital Velocity  Axial Tilt 

 Part Three: Qualitative Data 

1. Organized Qualitative Data: Create a table to organize qualitative data (no numbers) about these space objects at different scales. Some of these may be very large features, others average in size and others even very small.  

2. Form: Minimum of four categories in one organized table. Table entries are text. Only one of four may be in ‘yes/no’ format. A brief, well-written, explanatory paragraph about what could be learned from the comparison is included. 

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Possibilities: Composition  Magnetic Field?  Ring System?  Shapes  Surface Features 

volcanoes, valleys etc. Orbit Shape  Object Orbited  Objects Orbiting  Orbit Direction  Atmosphere 

Part Four: Technology 1. Research HOW scientists were able to gather information about these objects. Describe 

missions and/or piece of technology used. Include important discoveries if available 2. Form: Well written explanatory paragraphs w/ pictures. Captions are useful.  

 Part Five: Scale Drawing 

1. Select at least one interesting piece of data. For example, you could use the diameters of your objects. Figure out a scale you can apply to both objects to fit them on one 28 cm (length) sheet of paper. Label in detail.  

2. Form: Photo of sketch added to site. Include an explanatory paragraph about what we are seeing in your diagram and how you precisely calculated the scale factor used. 

Advanced Options: 1. Intro: 

a. Create and insert a slides presentations including images and captions b. Create an introductory video for your site w/ YOU in it (30 seconds) c. Create your own artwork to insert as the background in your header 

2. Technology: a. Go above and beyond in research and detail. b. Multiple paragraphs on several different probes or projects included 

3. Add additional data, with explanatory paragraph, to any section 4. Create different types of graphs that work and analyze them 5. Add hand drawn images to any section. 6. Find a YouTube video & insert (3 to 4 minutes max) 

              

 

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Astronomy Project: Comparing Solar System Objects  MS-ESS1-3   Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system. 

 You will be creating an 11x17 poster to be displayed in the hallway OR a website that compares at least two space objects through visual representations, including a scaled model and graphs/charts. You may work alone or with a partner, though this will determine the number of objects required to research and display. See each step below and the rubric for further descriptions of your tasks. 

Step 1. Select two or more SPECIFIC space objects in our solar system (i.e. specific planet, asteroid, moon). You are encouraged to select objects in different categories, though the objects need to be comparable. Your poster or website should include a BRIEF description of the object, what is is, and where it is.  

Then, research and organize at least 6 pieces of quantitative data about each object.   

● Organize research into data tables. Choose data pairs you are interested in seeing together, rather than two data points that do not seem to have any relationship. Ex: Mass and escape velocity to see if the mass of the planet affects its escape velocity.   

● Use Google Spreadsheets to create a minimum of 3 graphs from your data table(s).  ● Write a BRIEF explanation of each graph – what relationship does the graph show/tell us about the objects 

in comparison and you think that relationship occurs.  

Possible quantitative research data includes:  

Mass  Diameter/Radius  Density  Gravity 

Escape Velocity  Rotation period (length of day) 

Orbital Period (Length of year)  Number of Moons 

Ave. distance from sun  Orbital Velocity  Orbital Tilt  Average Temperature 

 

Step 2. Research and describe, in your own words, a piece of technology that has helped scientists gather information such as that listed above. Make sure to include a picture of this piece of technology. Challenge yourself to learn about something you’ve never heard of before! 

Step 3. Create a scale model that shows the size (diameter) of each object. Figure out a scale you could apply to both objects to fit them on your poster. Create and label this model by drawing it on your poster (proficient) OR making a 3D model (advanced). Make sure to display your scale AND the math work you did to calculate the scale. If completing a website, you must take a picture of the model (and your scale/math work) and add it to the site.  

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Step 4. Neatly organize your data tables, charts w/ explanations, and brief description (with picture) of technology on to the poster OR website, along with your scale model as described above. Don’t forget to include a brief description of the name of your object, what is is, and where it is located. 

 

 

  Advanced  Proficient 

Data charts and graphs 

PROFICIENT PLUS:  

● Includes at least 6 pieces of quantitative data for an additional space object 

 ● Includes and accurately describes more 

than 3 properly labeled graphs using data in Google Spreadsheet 

  

● Includes 6 pieces of quantitative data for two space objects (or required number for group size) 

 ● Data clearly organized and labeled in 

charts  ● Includes and accurately describes three 

properly labeled graphs using data in Google Spreadsheet 

 

Scale Model ● Accurate and neat 3D physical scale 

model with scale and work displayed  

● Accurate and neat scale model drawing with scale and work displayed 

 

Technology 

PROFICIENT PLUS: ● Goes above and beyond in technology 

description and/or researches additional pieces of technology 

 

● Accurately (and in own words) describes one piece of technology (per student) used to collect space data, includes picture 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost & Found in our Solar System: Scalable Data 

 Characteristic   Mercury  Venus  Earth  Moon  Mars  Jupiter  Saturn  Uranus  Neptune  Pluto 

Mass (1024kg)  0.330  4.87  5.97  0.073  0.642  1898  568  86.8  102  0.0131 

Diameter (km)  4879  12,104  12,756  3475  6792  142,984  120,536  51,118  49,528  2390 

Density (kg/m3)  5427  5243  5514  3340  3933  1326  687  1271  1638  1830 

Gravity (m/s2)  3.7  8.9  9.8  1.6  3.7  23.1  9.0  8.7  11.0  0.6 

Escape Velocity (km/s)  4.3  10.4  11.2  2.4  5.0  59.5  35.5  21.3  23.5  1.1 

Rotation Period (hours)  1407.6  -5832.5  23.9  655.7  24.6  9.9  10.7  -17.2  16.1  -153.3 

Length of Day (hours)  4222.6  2802.0  24.0  708.7  24.7  9.9  10.7  17.2  16.1  153.3 

Distance from Sun (106 km)  57.9  108.2  149.6  0.384*  227.9  778.6  1433.5  2872.5  4495.1  5870.0 

Orbital Period (days)  88.0  224.7  365.2  27.3  687.0  4331  10,747  30,589  59,800  90,588 

Orbital Velocity (km/s)  47.4  35.0  29.8  1.0  24.1  13.1  9.7  6.8  5.4  4.7 

Orbital Tilt (degrees)  7.0  3.4  0.0  5.1  1.9  1.3  2.5  0.8  1.8  17.2 

Axial Tilt (degrees)  0.01  177.4  23.4  6.7  25.2  3.1  26.7  97.8  28.3  122.5 

Mean Temperature (C)  167  464  15  -20  -65  -110  -140  -195  -200  -225 

Number of Moons  0  0  1  0  2  67  62  27  14  5 

Ring System?  No  No  No  No  No  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes  No 

Global Magnetic Field?  Yes  No  Yes  No  No  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes  ? 

  

   

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In a Galaxy Far, Far Away…..  Learning Targets

MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system

Task I: ● Use the provided data to devise a scale which would allow you to draw the distances between Pippy and

the surrounding planets on an 11 x 17 inch piece of paper. ● Use your discussion points to help establish a class set of ‘scale rules’ for creating a workable scale from

any given set of data. ● Draw the planetary distances to scale on your paper

Scale Factor: 1 cm = __________ Solar

System Object

Distance from Pippy

Scale Calculations Scale Distance

Pippy 0 cm n/a 0 cm Plasma 274 cm Cincy 410 cm Pogo 1095 cm

Swami 4,420 cm Task II:

● Use the provided data from our solar system to devise a scale which would allow you to draw the distances between the sun and the surrounding planets on an 11 x 17 inch piece of paper.

● Use the class generated ‘scale rules’ to help you! ● Draw the planetary distances to scale on your paper

Scale Factor: 1 cm = __________ Solar System

Object

Distance from Sun

(million km)

Scale Calculations

Scale Distances (cm)

Sun * Mercury 57.91 Venus 108.2 Earth 149.6 Mars 227.94

Jupiter 778.33 Saturn 1,424.6 Uranus 2873.55 Neptune 4,501.4 *Pluto 5,945.9 *Eris 9,999.9

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Task III: ● Using your planet cards, organize distance information into the table below ● Classify each object based on the descriptions and your background knowledge ● Apply formulas as you are able to help compute scale distances. Record your work in the table below.

Note: Round all numbers to the nearest 10th

Scale Factor: 1 cm = __________

Solar System Object Classification

Distance from Center of System

(million km)

Scale Calculations

Scale Distances (cm)

Trantos 9 0 n/a 0 Picos Octos

Quatros Trentus

Lebronids Dribblus

Debris Field X5 Factor 8 - comet

Cosmoty 11 ● Create a scale model comparing the distances of Trantos 9 and the objects in orbit around it. Use 11 x 17

paper located in the room. Task IV:

● Using your planet cards, organize diameter information into the table below ● Classify each object based on the descriptions and your background knowledge ● Apply formulas as you are able to help compute scale distances. Record your work in the table below.

Note: Round all numbers to the nearest 10th

Scale Factor: 1 cm = __________ Solar System

Object Classification Diameter (km)

Scale Calculations

Scale Diameter (cm)

Trantos 9 Picos Octos

Quatros Trentus

Lebronids Dribblus

Debris Field X5 Factor 8 - comet

Cosmoty 11 ● Create a scale model comparing diameters of Trantos 9 and the objects in orbit around it. 11 x 17

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Task V: ● Challenge: Put both of your scale models from Task III and Task IV on the same scale sheet!! This is

what the advanced version of your exam will ask you to do. Plan ahead with a creative scheme! ● Select and add ‘fates’ to your solar system! See your teacher for these.

Interesting Astronomy: ● Proxima Centauri (nearest star other than the sun) = 4.2 light years

● Astronomical Unit (au) = 149,600,000 km (about 93,000,000 miles - distance from Sun to Earth)

● Light Year (ly) = approximately 9.5 trillion km

● Parsec (pc) = 3.26 light years 

Trantos 9  Diameter: 198,843 km A blue giant star. Still young with a massive gravity field & intense brightness. Like all blue giants, it will end its life in a brilliant explosion called a ‘supernova.’ Fortunately, that won’t be happening any time soon! 

Picos Diameter: 1,111 km Distance from Trantos 9: 20 million km Shape: Spherical Atmosphere: None Composition: Iron, Nickel and assorted rock 

Octos Diameter: 888 km Distance from Trantos 9: 1.6 E7 km Shape: Irregular – sort of lumpy; smaller than an asteroid!  Atmosphere: None Composition: Basalt – a sort of lava rock 

Quatros Diameter: 44,444 km Distance from Trantos 9: 444.4 million km Shape: Spherical Atmosphere: Xenon and argon gas Composition: Iron and nickel core; some liquid water on surface 

Trentus Diameter: 11,111 km Distance from Trantos 9: 781.4 million km Shape: Spherical Atmosphere: Large expanded gas sphere Composition: Small nickel core and an earthy crust that may contain some frozen water 

Lebronids Diameter: 33,333 km Distance from Trantos 9: 5.671 E8 km Shape: Spherical Atmosphere: Pure nitrogen Composition: Volcanic rocks and minerals; frozen as far as we know 

Dribblus Diameter: 23,232 km Distance from Trantos 9: 1.234 E9 km Shape: Irregular; lumpy! Atmosphere: Very little Composition: Appears rocky and oddly misshapen – may not be a sphere 

Debris Field Diameter: unknown km Distance from Trantos 9: 50-100 million km Shape: Various irregular chunks Atmosphere: None Composition: Miscellaneous bits of rock; ranging sizes. Appears to be the remains of a planet destroyed by unknown means 

X5 factor 8 – comet Diameter: 25 km Distance from Trantos 9: 4 - 600 million km  Currently Located: 375 million km Shape: Irregular Composition: Ice, dust Orbit: Highly elliptical, skewed 25 degrees from other objects, extends near Lebronids 

Cosmoty 11 Diameter: 18,422 km Distance from Trantos 9: 911 million km Note: Seems to be sharing its orbit with several other similar objects Shape: Spherical Atmosphere: Unknown Composition: Unknown 

  

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 Fates…. 

 Mestos 27 Mestos 27 – a significant sized black hole is exerting a strong gravitational pull on your system. It has recently been observed moving this direction and is currently 1 megaparsec from your outermost planet. Generate a single group paragraph to explain what effects a ‘gravity well’ such as this could have on your region. Include the approximate # of km in one megaparsec! 

Moons 3 large moons are speeding toward the solar system after being expelled from a wormhole in your quadrant. This could be worrisome, but they should take up residence orbiting around your largest, non-star, gravity event. Add them there. Write a short news article summarizing who, what, where, when and WHY they would orbit there. 

Perihelion Each of the planets has a slightly elliptical orbit. The distance from the star listed on the card represents the ‘aphelion’ of the orbit. The perihelion of each orbit is 10% closer that the aphelion. Use this information to draw a ‘birds-eye’ view of this solar system. ** You may have to adjust your scale to make this fit. 

Sea of Debris? Scientists from Dribblus have recently discovered what appears to be a ‘sea’ of what appear to be small asteroids or even planets orbiting outside the range of Lebronids. Create 4 or 5 of these and add them to your diagram and data tables. 

              

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Astronomical Magic Square! A.  _____A solar eclipse occurs  

B.  _____A crescent phase is characterized by a   

C.  _____A model showing the sun as the center of the  

D. _____Term synonymous with shrinking is   

E.  _____Term synonymous with growing is  

F.  _____ Viewing the earth as the center of the solar   

G. _____ A revolution occurs when one heavenly   

H. _____A moon phase that is greater than a   

I.  _____ When the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon and we have our longest or shortest day 

J.  _____ The dates when the sun crosses the celestial equator; day and night are of equal length: Autumnal = September 21st; Vernal = March 21st   

K. _____Rotation is defined as   

L.  _____A black 

A.  _____ Medium-sized, irregular-shaped, rocky   

B.  _____Systems of millions or even billions of stars, gas and  

C.  _____ A collection of planets and dwarf planets (and their moons) in orbit around a star,  

D. _____ Meteorites are small, irregular-shaped body made of rock or metal that  

E.  _____The streak of light that is produced when a small, irregular-shaped body of rock or metal enters the earth's atmosphere is called   

F.  _____A nebula is a cloud of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky either as an indistinct bright  

G. _____A dwarf planet resembles a small planet, but it has not cleared its  

H. _____When one variable increases and causes another   

I.  _____When one variable increases and causes another variable to decrease, it is   

J.  _____The theory of the creation of the universe that states everything originated sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from the explosion of a  

A.  _____The Open Model of the universe states that there is insufficient matter  

B.  _____The fourth rocky planet from the sun is   

A.  _____The radiation spewing from the sun that is thought to have ‘cleared out’ the inner planetary region      

1. called an ‘inverse relationship.’ 

2. patch or as a dark silhouette against other luminous matter; the beginning stage of star and planet formation.  

3. together with smaller bodies, including asteroids, meteoroids, and comets is known as a ‘solar system.’ 

4. body is orbiting around another. 

5. waning. 

6. are called equinoxes. 

7. curved or sickle shape of the waxing or waning moon.  

8. Mars. 

9. have entered Earth’s atmosphere but have not completely burned up, thereby colliding with Earth’s surface. 

10. objects orbiting the sun are called asteroids; also a classic 1980’s video game! 

11. orbital region of other objects. 

12. the movement of an object around its own axis. 

13. quarter in size is known as a ‘gibbous.’ 

14. waxing. 

15. small volume of matter at extremely high density and temperature is called ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ 

16. solar system is known as the heliocentric model. 

17. is called ‘solar wind.’ 

18. a meteor. 

19. dust held together by gravitational attraction are called galaxies. 

20. system would be known as the geocentric model. 

21. hole is a region of space with a gravitational field so intense no matter or radiation can escape. 

22. of the year, we have reached one of our solstice points. 

23. when the sun is obscured or blocked by the moon. Occurs during the new moon phase. 

24. to stop the expansion of the universe caused by the big bang. 

25. variable to also increase, it is called a ‘direct relationship.’ A  B  C  D  E 

F  G  H  I  J 

K  L  M  N  O 

P  Q  R  S  T 

U  V  W  X  Y 

 

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