Space: stars, gravity, solar system, interaction between objects

In science we use very big and very small numbers. Scientists have developed units of measurement which make the numbers easier to manage. For example, instead of saying that the Sun is 93 million miles from the Earth, it is easier to say the Sun is one ___________ from the Earth. In science that is the unit of measure for the distance from the Sun to the Earth.

• space unit

• light unit

• planetary unit

• astronomical unit

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SC.8.E.5.1

In outer space, distances between object such as galaxies can be so vast that a new unit is used to measure them. This unit uses the distance cover by the fastest moving thing in the universe in a year. This is called a(n)...

• lightyear

• atomic year

• galactic unit

• astronomical unit

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SC.8.E.5.1

The distance between Jupiter and the sun is usually measured in astronomical units. one astronomical unit is defined as...

• the distance between the earth and moon.

• the distance that sound travels in a year.

• the distance that light travels in a year.

• the distance between the earth and the sun.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

People get confused about the organization of space. Place these in order from largest to smallest...

galaxy
solar system
sun
universe

• universe - solar system - galaxy - Sun

• universe - galaxy - solar system - Sun

• Sun - universe - galaxy - solar system

• galaxy - universe - solar system - Sun

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SC.8.E.5.2

Earth is just one of the planets that revolve around the Sun in the Solar System, and the Sun is just one of billions of stars within the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is one of thirty galaxies in a cluster of galaxies called the Local Group. The local group is just one cluster within a super-cluster called the Virgo Super-Cluster. And finally the Virgo Super-Cluster is just a tiny part of the entire Universe.

Galaxies are systems of stars, gases, and dust that exist in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The simplest classification scheme devised by Edwin Hubble recognizes four basic types of galaxies; elliptical, spiral, barred spiral, and irregular. Identify the shape of Earth’s galaxy.

• Spiral

• Lenticular

• Elliptical

• Irregular

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SC.8.E.5.2

When we look at stars, we notice that some appear brighter than others. Sirius looks much brighter than Rigel, but is it really brighter? Or is Sirius much closer to Earth, giving it the appearance of being brighter? Actually, Sirius is about one hundred times closer to Earth than Rigel. If the two stars were the same distance from Earth, Rigel would appear much brighter. We use two terms to reference the brightness of a star: absolute magnitude and apparent magnitude. Absolute magnitude is the measure of the light given off by a star, while apparent magnitude refers to the amount of light received on Earth. The color of a star indicates its temperature. Blue-white stars are very hot, while orange-red stars are relatively cool.

The phrase absolute magnitude refers to the...

• perceived color of a star

• exact distance from Earth

• amount of light given off by a star

• amount of light received on Earth from any star

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SC.8.E.5.2

It is safe for us to look at all stars except the Sun. When seen from Earth, why does the Sun appear so large and bright that we must never look directly at it?

• The Sun is actually a lot smaller than other stars.
• The Sun is closer than other stars.

• The Sun emits less light than other stars.
• The Sun is further away from Earth than other stars.

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SC.8.E.5.3

Which sentence tells why the Sun looks bigger and brighter from Earth than the other stars?

• The Sun is the hottest star.

• The Sun gives off the most light.

• The Sun can only be seen in the day.

• The Sun is the only star in our Solar System.

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SC.8.E.5.3

Isaac Newton was born the year Galileo died. In Newton's time, everything known about planetary motion could be summarized by Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. The first law states that planets move around the sun in elliptical orbits. The second states that a planet moves out at equal areas in equal times. According to the third law, the square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the distance to the sun. The laws describe what happens without explaining why. Newton believed that the bodies in space behaved like bodies on Earth: they followed the same laws of motion. He hypothesized that some force acted on the planets and moons, keeping them in orbit so they did not move in a straight line. Newton proposed that ____________ was the force that kept the planets in their elliptical orbits.

• friction
• gravity
• magnetism
• mass

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SC.8.E.5.4

What two factors keep Earth in orbit and around the Sun and the Moon in orbit around Earth?

• Gravity and inertia
• Pressure and velocity
• Centrifugal force and tension
• Magnetism and friction

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SC.8.E.5.4