Science - Galaxies, Solar Systems, and Planets Day 8

Galaxies, Solar Systems, and Planets Day 8

Students will be able to recognize what a galaxy consists of, distinguish among objects in the solar system, and recognize major common characteristics of all planets (comparing and contrasting the inner and outer planets).

Multiple Choice

Which of these is never ending?

• solar system

• planet

• universe

• galaxy

​THE UNIVERSE

​The universe includes all of space and time. This photograph shows just a small area of the universe. Every object and point of light in this picture is a galaxy. There are many hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. This universe is about 13.8 billion years old.

Multiple Choice

There are many _____________ of galaxies in the universe

• hundreds

• millions

• hundreds of billions

• tens

GALAXIES​

​Galaxies are clouds of gas, dust, many stars and any objects that orbit the stars. This galaxy is similar to our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Multiple Choice

Galaxies are composed of (best answer)

• stars
• stars and gas
• stars, dust, and gas
• stars, dust, and gas held together by gravity

​THE MILKY WAY

​Our galaxy as seen from our position on Earth. The band of glowing light is caused by the many hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy. The darker bands are formed by clouds of gas and dust between the stars.

Multiple Choice

Why is the galaxy called the Milky Way?

• Because it looks hazy and milky from Earth, it glows a band of light that stretches across the sky.

• Because of its dense, fluid center, it is dark and scary

• It's a translation of an ancient name for "galaxy"

​The Solar System

​The Solar System is the Sun and all of the objects that orbit the Sun. The Sun is a star. There are eight planets orbited by 205 moons in the Solar System. Asteroids and comets also make up the objects of the Solar System.

Multiple Choice

Which planet is a "Gas Giant"?

• Mercury

• Jupiter

• Earth

• Venus

Multiple Choice

What's the difference in a comet and an asteroid?

• Comet contains ice

• Asteroid contains ice

• No difference

• Comets are located between Mars and Jupiter

​STAR

​A star is a very large sphere‐shaped object in space that produces energy. Some of that energy is radiant energy, which can be felt as heat. Some of that energy is light. Stars are the only objects that produce light. All other objects reflect the light of a star. There are over four hundred billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system.

Multiple Choice

The sun looks so large because it is a very, very big star.

• True
• False

Multiple Choice

What are stars?

• Rocky bodies
• Hot exploding balls of gas
• 5 pointed shapes
• Hollywood actors

​PLANET

​A star is a very large sphere‐shaped object in space that produces energy. Some of that energy is radiant energy, which can be felt as heat. Some of that energy is light. Stars are the only objects that produce light. All other objects reflect the light of a star. There are over four hundred billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system.

Multiple Choice

Planets do / do not give off their own light.

• DO

• DO NOT

​The Moon

Moons are smaller objects of rock, metal, and gas that orbit larger planets. Some moons, like the Earth’s moon, are spheres. Some are irregularly shaped, more like potatoes. The inner planets have fewer moons than the outer planets.​

Multiple Choice

The moon is a ______________ satellite of Earth.

• large

• natural

• small

• manmade

​ASTEROID

Asteroids are objects of rock and metal found in the Solar System that do NOT orbit a planet. Some asteroids are sphere shaped, but most, like this one, are irregularly shaped. Most asteroids are found in a region between Mars and Jupiter called the asteroid belt.​

Multiple Choice

I am located between Mars and Jupiter.

• Comet belt

• Asteroid belt

• Meteor belt

• Stars

​COMET

​Comets are objects with a frozen core of gas and dust. As a comet falls toward the Sun, the frozen core begins to melt. As material streams out behind the core, this “tail” reflects the light of the Sun. Some comets are visible from Earth as they fly by.

Multiple Choice

Sometimes called "dirty snowballs".

• asteoids
• meteoroids
• comets
• meteors