Patterns in the Sky Test

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Mrs. Baker’s class was investigating the brightness of stars, and completed a two-part investigation. For the first investigation, two students held two identical flashlights at equal distances. For the second investigation, two students held two identical flashlights at two different distances. Read the data chart below and then choose the correct statement below.

• A. The closer a star is to Earth, the brighter it will appear.
• B. The closer a star is to Earth, the dimmer it will appear.
• C. The further a star is from the Earth, the brighter it will appear.
• D. The investigation tells us nothing.

Besides the Sun, all other stars appear to be tiny specks of light. Why do the other stars appear so small?

• A. The other stars are not the same color as the Sun.
• B. The other stars are not as hot as the Sun.
• C. The other stars are not as close to Earth as the Sun.
• D. The other stars are not as large as the Sun.

Which statement about the Sun is correct?

• A. The Sun is made of rocks, ice, and minerals.
• B. The Sun is the farthest star to Earth.
• C. The Sun has the same surface temperature as Neptune.
• D. The Sun is the closest star to Earth.

All the stars we see without a telescope in the night sky are part of our galaxy.

• A. True
• B. False

Four students made claims about stars and their apparent brightness. Their teacher shares the following information from NASA: “Of course, the star that appears the brightest to all of us on Earth is the Sun. Although it is a rather typical star, not all that different from many of the ones you see at night, we live so close to it that it outshines everything else. Even the next closest star is more than a quarter of a million times farther away from the Earth, so it is not surprising that the light from the Sun overwhelms that from other stars.” Mae: “The star that appears brightest to us is the Sun because it is the largest in the galaxy.” Gary: “The Sun appears to be the brightest star because it is the closest to Earth.” Harry: “The Sun is the brightest star when looking from Earth because it is the hottest.” Paul: “I have seen brighter stars than the Sun; it isn’t that bright.” Which student’s claim is supported by the teacher’s research?

• A. Mae
• B. Gary
• C. Harry
• D. Paul

Mrs. Stone’s class went outside to study Earth’s movement and shadows. Mrs. Stone had a student stand on the sidewalk in the morning and she traced her shadow. 2 hours later, the same student stood in the same spot. How did the two shadows compare as the day went on?

• The morning shadow was longer than the second and the two shadows were in different places.
• The shadows were in the same exact position.
• The morning shadow was longer than the second but the shadows were in the same spot.

The image shows a homemade sundial. Sundials were used in the past as a way of telling time using shadows. What happened to the length of the shadow between 10:00 and 12:00?

• The shadow got longer in length.
• The shadow’s length stayed the same.
• The shadow got shorter in length.

Explain why some stars appear brighter in the night sky than others.

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