Astronomy

Question 1

What is a solar system?

Answer 1

a collection of planets orbiting a star

Question 2

What is a galaxy?

Answer 2

a large collection of stars

Question 3

What is a universe?

Answer 3

a collection of billions of galaxies

Question 4

What (naturally) orbits the Earth and also some planets?

Answer 4

moons

Question 5

What is gravitational field streght?

Answer 5

The force which causes orbits.

Question 6

What factors affect gravitational field strength?

Answer 6

• The closer you are to a planet, the stronger the gravity will be.
• The larger the mass of the object you’re on, the stronger the gravity will be.
• The closer you are to the sun, the stronger the gravity will be.

Question 7

What three types of orbit does gravitational force cause?

Answer 7

• The planets’ orbit of the sun.
• The satellites’ orbit of the Earth.
• The comets’ orbit of the sun.

Question 8

How does a comet’s orbit differ from that of a planet?

Answer 8

• Comets orbit the Sun in much more elliptical orbits.
• Comets have the sun at one focus of their orbit, whereas the sun as at the middle of the planets’ orbit.
• Comets have much longer orbital periods than the Earth because they travel from the outer edges of the Solar System.
• Comets travel much faster when they nearer the Sun because there is an increased pull of gravity.

Question 9

Why might a telescope travel fastest when it is closest to the Earth?

Answer 9

• When an object is closer to the Earth, the gravitational field strength increases.
• The mass of the object stays constant so the object accelerates.