10.1 - Observing the Stars questions Flashcards
One of the 88 officially recognized patterns of stars that create a ‘map’ of the sky. They are usually named for an ancient legend.
Constellations
Over the course of weeks, these “wandering stars” appeared to move in looping patterns against the background stars.
Planets
_______ are any easily identifiable groups of stars. They may be a part of one of the 88 officially recognized patterns of stars that divide up the sky.
Asterisms
___________ is a constellation that contains the Big Dipper asterism.
Ursa Major
it contains the star “Betelgeuse” that could go supernova in the near future!
Orion
The Earth ________ around its central axis causing a day and night cycle.
Rotates
What is Polaris? Describe HOW and WHY it appears to move differently than other stars in the night sky.
Polaris is a star that we also call the North Star.
It is different from other stars in the night sky because it appears to remain still in the night sky, while other stars appear to move in a circular pattern around it each night.
Explain the difference between a revolution and a rotation as it relates to the movement of the Earth through space. How long does it take to complete one of each?
When we say that the Earth is rotating, we mean that it is spinning, much like you could spin a basketball on your finger. it is rotating around its central axis!
When we say that the Earth is revolving, we mean that it is moving in a pathway through space around the sun. We also can call this an orbit!
Describe one observation of celestial bodies that are explained by the Earth’s REVOLUTION and one observation that is explained by the Earth’s ROTATION.
Rotation: The fact that the sun rises and sets each day is the result of the Earth rotating on its axis.
Revolution: The fact that constellations move through the sky in a pattern that repeats each year is the result of the Earth moving around the sun.
A grade six student explains to you that the curved shadow on a crescent moon is evidence that the Earth is round. That student suggests that the shadow is cast by the Earth, which is blocking sunlight from reaching the moon! Is this student correct? Explain.
As the moon orbits the Earth, the side of the moon facing the sun is ‘lit up’. The side of the moon facing away from the sun is in shadow. The amount of ‘lit up’ side and the amount of ‘shadow’ side that someone on the Earth can see determines the phase of the moon.
The constellation Orion contains what asterism?
Orions belt asterism
