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= = = Welcome to Huntington Elementary School's = = = = Fifth Grade Science Wiki! = = =



**Astronomy **


 * What IS Astronomy? **

Astronomy is the scientific study of all objects and matter in outer space (e.g., the Universe!) Astronomy is not Astrology.

**Astronomy Vocabulary **(Check in regularly to see new vocabulary) **Asteroid:** A rocky object - around the size of a small planet - that orbits the sun **Asteroid Belt:** An area located between Mars and Jupiter; asteroids orbit inside the belt **Astronomical Unit (AU):** The distance between Earth and the sun; a unit of measurement for determining planetary distance within the Solar System **Comet:** A ball of ice, dust & gases that travels through space and orbits the sun **Copernicus:** Astronomer who explained the sun-centered model of our Solar System **Elliptical:** Oval-shaped, like a flattened circle. Our planets orbit the sun in an elliptical path. **Galaxy:** A cluster of billions of stars, gathered with dust & gasses (plural = galaxies) **Light Year:** The //distance// light can travel in one year, which equals about 9,500,000,000,000,000 kilometeters <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Meteoroid:** A chunk of rock or metal that travels through space and orbits the sun. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Meteor:** A meteoroid that has entered Earth's atmosphere <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Meteorite:** A meteor that has struck Earth's surface <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Milky Way:** The name of our home galaxy and the location of our Solar System <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Model:** A representation of how something looks or works. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Moon:** A body that orbits around a planet <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Planet:** A body that orbits around a central star like our sun <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Orbit:**To revolve around. The path one body takes as it revolves around another body. All of our planets orbit around our star, the sun <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Solar:** dealing with the sun <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Solar System:** Any system of planets and other objects orbiting around a central star (like our sun) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Star:** A self-luminous (self-lighting) body in space that creates its own energy <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">**Sun:** Our central star; all planets in our Solar System orbit around it

<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 300%; text-align: center;">Come Visit our Solar System (Interactive Animation from NASA):

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/solar-system/game.shtml




 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Distances in Space: **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Distances in outer space are very far. This is why scientists use different units of measurement to show how far planets are from one another, how far galaxies are from one another, etc. Within the Solar System, we use Astronomical Units (AUs) and for other distances, we use Light years (ly).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">An astronomical unit is equal to the distance from Earth to the sun.




 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Solar System Models: **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">The correct model of the Solar System is the sun-centered model, as shown at right, which was discovered by Copernicus. All planets orbit the sun (our star). The sun is the center of our Solar System.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Early ideas about Earth being the center of our <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Solar System and all planets and the sun orbiting around IT were very, very wrong!


 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Galaxies, Galaxies and More Galaxies! **

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">Galaxies come in FIVE different shapes: Spiral is the most common

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Spiral** - round center (nucleus) with arms coming off center <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Barred Spiral** - bar-shaped center with arms coming off <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Elliptical** - oval shaped <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Irregular** - no shape at all <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">**Lenticular** - camera lens shape





<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 190%;">The Milky Way Galaxy




 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">The Eight Planets of our Solar System: **



<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">In order from closest to sun to farthest away:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">1. Mercury <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">2. Venus <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">3. Earth <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">4. Mars <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">5. Jupiter <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">6. Saturn <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">7. Uranus <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 230%;">8. Neptune <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">(Remember: Pluto is no longer considered a true planet, but is now considered a "dwarf" planet)


 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">Memory Device (Mnemonic) to Remember Planets: **


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%; text-align: center;">__M__y __V__ery __E__xcellent __M__other __J__ust __S__erved __U__s __N__achos! **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">The __first four__ planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are the **<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">TERRESTRIAL PLANETS **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">.They are rocky planets. They are also known as the inner planets.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">The __second four__ planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are the <span style="color: #0300ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">**GAS GIANTS**. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;"> They are made up of gases. They are HUGE planets, also known as the outer planets.


 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 240%;">The Asteroid Belt **

<span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Between MARS and JUPITER lies the ASTEROID BELT <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">This is the location of asteroids. They orbit the sun in a counter-clockwise manner.



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">To view an animation of the asteroids orbiting around the sun in the Asteroid Belt, please click the Solar System Viewer below and click the Asteroid Belt button.

[|Solar System Viewer]


 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">When asteroids or comets collide, chunks can break off and form METEOROIDS. Meteoroids travel through space and can sometimes enter Earth's atmosphere. When this happens, they are known as METEORS. If the meteor is not burned up in Earth's atmosphere and hits the surface of the Earth, we call it a Meteorite. (Hint: Meteoroid is out in the void - out in outer space; a Meteor is in Earth's atmosphere and a Meteorite hits right on the ground).

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">Meteorites can cause damage to humans and property!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Meteor Shower Coming Soon... <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">October, 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">The Draconids will be visiting Earth's part of the Solar System. The Draconids come from the constellation known as Draco. Meteors are usually named after the constellation where they start (e.g., Perseids from the Constellation, Perseus; the Orionids come from the Constellation of Orion). Meteors are often called **falling stars or shooting stars.**




 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Comets **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Comets orbit the sun, just as do the planets in our Solar System. Comets orbit in a very narrow and long path. They are visible primarily because of the gas and dust particles that are reflected in the sun's light. Some comets are seen only once from Earth. However, some comets, known as "periodic" comets, return in a regular pattern. Halley's Comet (or Comet Halley) visits Earth's neck of the woods every 76 years. The last time we saw Halley's comet was in 1986. The next appearance of this comet will be in 2062. How old will YOU be?

<span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Learn More About our Solar System at NASA's website <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Just Click on link below:

<span style="color: #0300ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 250%;">[|Exploring the Solar System]


 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 350%;">Games and Fun Stuff **
 * <span style="color: #8f00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 350%;">(that helps you learn, too!) **



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Create Your Own Planet HERE: (Click link below)

[|Create Your Own Planet]

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">How much would you weigh on Mars? Ever wonder? (Click link below)

[|How Much Do I Weigh?]