Stars and Planets

What question could you ask to figure out whether the discovery of Jupiter's red storm was made using a telescope on Earth or a probe that flew past the planet?

• How far is Jupiter from Earth?

• Has anyone ever landed on Jupiter?

• Was the storm first spotted from the surface of Jupiter, or from space?

• Did astronomers first observe the storm from Earth, or was it discovered through a space probe's images?

The student writes down a question to ask in order to learn what technology was used to capture this image and discover the surface of Mercury.

Was this photograph taken from Earth or from Mercury’s surface? If it was taken from Earth, then a telescope was likely used. If it was taken from the surface of Mercury, a rover or robot was probably responsible.

How can they change their questions to improve them?

• She might want to ask if the photo was taken from space, as it could have been snapped by an astronaut who went to Mercury.

• She could also ask if the photo is in color or black-and-white, because it might have been taken by an astronaut who explored Mercury.

• She should consider asking if the picture was taken from space, since it might have been captured by a probe flying by Mercury.

• She may want to ask if the photo is color or black-and-white, as it could have been taken by a probe passing near Mercury.

Astronomers are studying objects that are far in our solar system using devices. Which question would be most helpful for the astronomers in determining if the device is useful for their research?

• Is the device bigger than other devices?

• Will the device consume more power than other devices?

• Does it take longer to build this device compared to others?

• Can the device collect data from greater distances than other devices?

Now that the United States has landed a device on Mars, which of these questions can be answered that wasn’t possible before?

• What is the shape and color of Mars?

• How many moons does Mars have?

• What is the composition of Mars' soil?

• How far is Mars from Earth?

A group of fourth graders were studying a timeline of technological advances in space research. Which of the following questions could help the student better understand the similarities and differences in the data gathered by the technology?

• In what ways has the quality of photos changed as technology advanced?

• What were the specific years each technology was developed?

• Which scientists played a role in creating the technology?

• When did the first documented space discovery take place?

Which of the following explanations accurately compares planets and stars?

• Stars revolve around planets.

• Stars are bigger than planets.

• Stars are visible in the night sky, while planets are not.

• Planets are composed of gas and plasma, while stars are made of gas or rock.

Strength of this solar system model:

• It displays the planets in the correct order from the Sun.

• It accurately represents the distance of each planet from the Sun.

• It correctly shows the distance between each of the planets.

• It illustrates the planets' sizes in relation to one another.

This model correctly represents the relative sizes of all the elements compared to Earth, except for _________.

• The sun

• Mercury

• Venus

• Mars

What details can be observed from this model?

• The distance between the planets

• The composition of the planets' atmospheres

• The relative sizes of the planets

• The speed at which the planets orbit the Sun

What is an advantage and a limitation of the model?

• An advantage of the model is that it displays the composition of the planets. A limitation is that it doesn’t show the correct order of the planets.

• An advantage of the model is that it illustrates relative size. A limitation is that it does not accurately represent the distance between the planets.

• An advantage of the model is that it accurately shows the distance between the planets. A limitation is that it doesn’t depict their relative size.

• An advantage of the model is that it demonstrates how the planets orbit the Sun. A limitation is that it doesn’t show the composition of the planets.