Distances & Hierarchy of Space Unit Remediation/Review

Distance & Hierarchy of Space Unit Remediation

SC.8.E.5.1: Recognize that there are enormous distances between objects in space and apply our knowledge of light and space travel to understand this distance

• Distinguish between a light year and an astronomical unit.

• Know that we use light to aid in our understanding of the enormous distances in space

• Be able to choose an appropriate unit for measuring distances in space.
  

SC.8.E.5.2: Recognize that the universe contains many billions of galaxies and that each galaxy contains many billions of stars

• Know that there are billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars

SC.8.E.5.3: Distinguish the hierarchical relationships between planets and other astronomical bodies relative to solar system, galaxy, and universe, including distance, size, and composition.

• Compare the differences in composition and size between astronomical areas and objects:  asteroids, comets, meteors, meteoroids, planets, dwarf planets, stars, moons, galaxies, solar systems, and the universe

SC.8.E.5.4: Explore the Law of Universal Gravitation by explaining the role that gravity plays in the formation of planets, stars, and solar systems and in determining their motion

• Identify the role gravity plays in the formation of and motion of planets, stars, and solar systems

• Understand how mass and distance affect gravitational force and motion of objects

Astronomical Units

Distance from the Earth to the Sun

Used to measure distances INSIDE the solar system
Examples:

• from Mercury to Jupiter

• from Earth to Saturn's moon Titan

• from the Sun to the dwarf planet Ceres between Mars & Jupiter
  

Light Year

Distance light travels in one year (~6 trillion miles)

Used to measure distances OUTSIDE the solar system
Examples:

• from Earth to Kepler-90 a solar system 2, 790 ly away

• from the Sun to the star Antares

• from the Milky Way galaxy to the Sombrero galaxy
  

Multiple Choice

Which is the bigger unit?

• Astronomical Unit (AU)

• Light Year (ly)

Multiple Choice

An astronomical unit is...

• The average distance between the Earth and the Sun

• The average distance between the Sun and Neptune

• The diameter of the sun

• The time it takes light to travel across our solar system

Multiple Choice

Our nearest star neighbor, Proxima Centauri, is 4 light years away from Earth. How old is the light by the time we see it?

• 4,000 years-old
• 400 years-old
• 4 years-old
• 40 years-old

Multiple Choice

Which unit of measurement is used to measure distances within our solar system?

• inches

• kilometers

• miles

• Astronomical units

Multiple Choice

Which unit of measurement would we use to measure the distance between Earth and another body within our Solar System.

• Astronomical Unit (AU)

• Light Year (ly)

• Miles (mi)

• Kilometers (km)

Multiple Choice

Two students are discussing the time it would take to travel from Earth to Mars. Student A says it takes 39 days and Student B says it takes 330 days for spacecraft to travel the entire distance. Which student is correct?

• Neither student is correct because it would take hundreds of years for spacecraft to reach Mars from Earth.

• Both students are correct depending on where the planets are in their orbit when the spacecraft is launched

• Student B is correct because Venus is closer to Earth than Mars is.

• Student A is correct because Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct ranking of measurement units, from largest to smallest. (Note: This symbol > means “greater than.”)

• Kilometer > Astronomical Unit > Light Year

• Light Year > Astronomical Unit > Kilometer

• Astronomical Unit > Kilometer > Light Year

• Kilometer > Light Year > Astronomical Unit

Multiple Choice

Which unit of measure would be used to measure the distance from our solar system to the center of the MIlky Way?

• ft

• ly

• AU

• km

Multiple Choice

_______________ would be the best unit to use to measure the distance between the our sun and Proxima Centauri (our nearest star neighbor).

• Astronomical units

• Light seconds

• Light years

Multiple Choice

_______________ would be the best unit to use to measure the distance between the asteroid belt and Pluto

• Astronomical units

• Light seconds

• Light years

• Parsecs

Multiple Choice

When might an astronomer use AU versus a light year?

• A light year is used for distances in a solar system and an AU are used between intergalactic objects.

• An AU is used for distances in a solar system and light years are used between intergalactic objects.

• A light year is used for distances on the surface of Earth while an AU is used when off-planet.

• An AU is used for distances on the surface of Earth while light years are used when off-planet.

Composition of the Universe

Billions of Galaxies in the Universe




Billions of Stars in each Galaxy

​Many galaxies

Stars in one galaxy

Multiple Choice

Which statement below best describes the Universe?

• The Universe is a black hole made of dark matter.

• The Universe is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space.

• The Universe contains the Milky Way galaxy which contains most of the stars in space.

• The Universe contains many billions of galaxies and each galaxy contains many billions

  of stars.

Hierarchy of Space

Universe
Galaxy
Solar System
Star
Planet

The Universe contains...Everything

There are billions of galaxies...inside of which is....

• Billions of stars

• Solar systems

• All of the planets, dwarf planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteoroids

• Gas and dust

Billions of stars

A Galaxy contains...

Each galaxy contains upwards of 100's of billions of stars, planets, solar systems, nebulae, black holes, etc.

A Solar System contains....

• At least one star

• Planets and other objects that orbit the star

To be classified a Planet, it must....

• Orbit a star

• Gravity due to its mass has pulled it into a spherical shape

• Has cleared its orbit of smaller objects

Smaller Objects in the Solar System

Multiple Choice

Alex is showing his friend what he learned about comparing the objects of space by their relative sizes.

If “W” represents the universe, what would “X” most likely represent?

• A solar system because it contains planets and stars.

• A nebula because that is what the planets formed from.

• A galaxy because it contains billions of stars and the planets.

• A universe because it contains billions of stars and the planets.

Multiple Choice

A huge collection of stars , gas and dust

• Universal

• Universe

• Galaxy

• Solar system

• Inner and Outer planets

Multiple Choice

What is the largest body in our solar system?

• Jupiter

• Earth

• Saturn

• Sun

Multiple Choice

Select the list that correctly puts the vocabulary terms in order from smallest to largest.

• universe, galaxy, solar system, star, planet

• galaxy, planet, star, solar system, universe

• star, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe

• planet, star, solar system, galaxy, universe

Multiple Choice

How does the composition of a comet compare with that of the Sun?

• Both objects are composed of gas

• Comets are made of frozen gas, water and dust, while the Sun is made of gas

• Both objects contain a form of water

• Comets are made of frozen rock, while the Sun is made of burning rock

Multiple Choice

Which component from the table above is MOST likely a galaxy?

• Component 1

• Component 2

• Component 3

• Component 4

Multiple Choice

Which of the following list the correct hierarchy in the Universe from biggest to smallest?

• Universe, galaxies, solar system, stars and planets

• Planets, stars, solar system, galaxies, universe

• Solar system, galaxies, stars, planets, universe

• Universe, solar system, galaxies, planets and stars

Multiple Choice

Jamal made a model of the universe using common objects to represent the universe, the Milky Way, the solar system, and the Sun. He used his classroom, an extra-large pizza, a tennis ball, and a grape to represent objects in his model. Which object represented the universe?

• classroom

• extra-large pizza

• tennis ball

• grape

Multiple Choice

How does the distance between Earth and the Sun compare to the distance between Earth and the Moon?

• Earth is about the same distance away from both the Moon and the Sun.

• Earth is slightly farther away from the Moon than it is from the Sun.

• Earth is much farther away from the Sun than it is from the Moon.

• Earth is much farther away from the Moon than it is from the Sun.

Multiple Choice

The data table describes the movements of components in the universe. Which components is best described by letter W?

• asteroid

• galaxy

• star

• moon

Multiple Choice

In November 2013 an object orbiting the sun seemed to disappear behind the sun. When a satellite did not detect the object, astronomers thought that the object had been destroyed when it passed close to the sun. However, when another satellite detected a small, bright object with a fan-shaped tail, astronomers proposed that the object was not destroyed. What type of object were astronomers most likely observing?

• meteor

• comet

• asteroid

• meteorite

Multiple Choice

Which statement describes the location of our Sun in the universe?

• Our Sun orbits Earth in the Andromeda galaxy

• Our Sun orbits Earth in the Milky Way galaxy

• Our Sun is the center of a solar system in the Milky Way galaxy.

• Our Sun is the center of a solar system in the Andromeda galaxy.

Gravity

• Is an attraction between all matter...pulls towards the center of the mass

• Affects motion of objects in space

• Causes the formation of stars and solar systems

• Forms stars by pulling gas and dust together until the cloud collapses and nuclear fusion starts

• Forms solar systems...the strong gravitational pull of the star holds planets in orbit

• Pulls planets, stars, and moons into a spherical shape

• Holds galaxies together

Role in Formation of...

• Causes planets to orbit stars

• Causes moons to orbit planets

Affects Motion of Objects in Space

Multiple Choice

What forced pulled the Sun together, holds planets together, and keeps all bodies in space in orbit?

• electromagnetic

• gravity

• nuclear

• van der waals

Multiple Choice

Without the influence of gravity from the Sun and surrounding planets, how would Earth move through space?

• up and down

• side to side

• in a circle

• in a straight line

Multiple Choice

Which causes the motion of planets around the Sun?

• astronomical unit

• gravity

• period of revolution

• period of rotation

Multiple Choice

What role does gravity play in maintaining planetary orbits?

• It pushes planets away from the sun

• It has no effect on planetary orbits

• It creates magnetic fields around planets

• It keeps planets in their orbital paths around the sun

Multiple Choice

How does gravity affect the formation of planets from cosmic dust and debris?

• It repels particles away from each other

• It pulls particles together to form larger bodies

• It has no effect on particle movement

• It causes particles to evaporate