Sun/Galaxy

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Class Period

• 1st
• 4th
• 5th
• 6th
• 8th

Proxima Centauri is the closest star besides our sun. In is composed of a system of three objects, each producing light and rotates on its own axis. Based on this information, the three objects that make up the Proxima Centauri system are all -

• asteroids
• comets
• planets
• stars

Which statement best describes a galaxy?

• a cloud of gas that is the birthplace of stars
• a system of billions of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity
• a ball of plasma that experiences nuclear fusion in its core
• a mass of dust and ice that orbits a star in an elliptical orbit

Which student describes these two celestial bodies correctly?

• student 1
• student 2
• student 3
• student 4

The Milky Way galaxy is described as a disk of stars orbiting a central point on the dist. Which of these best explains why people on Earth cannot see the entire shape of the Milky Way?

• Earth is part of this galaxy
• Many more stars exist outside the galaxy
• The stars in the center of the galaxy are extremely small
• The center of the galaxy consists of dense clusters of stars

Why does the sun appear brighter to people on Earth than any other star?

• Sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere at an angle that cause the sun's light rays to intensify
• Unique chemical reactions in the sun's core produce a high-energy wavelength of light
• the sun burns at a higher temperature than any other stars
• The sun is closer to Earth than any other star

A student learns that the sun is a medium-size star and that many stars are much bigger and brighter. However, the student observes that other stars look very dim, even through a telescope. Why do stars look much dimmer than the sun?

• the sun appears yellow, which is more visible than other colors
• the sun is much closer to Earth than other stars are
• other stars are made up of different gases than the sun is
• as light from other stars travels through space, it gets reflected

A giant runaway star is 90 times larger than out sun and is very hot and blue-white in color. Why does the sun appear to be brighter than this runaway star when viewed from Earth?

• the sun is a different color than the runaway star
• the sun is older than the runaway star
• the sun is closer to Earth than the runaway star
• the sun is made of different elements than the runaway star