Category Archives: astronomy

astronauts, astronomy, Curiosity, Exoplanets, space, SpaceX

StarChild

March 21, 2017 Teacher Peter Leave a comment

Here’s a great website for third graders to learn about our solar system:

Star Child
They have an article on ERIS!

Best of all, the page has an audio link so you can listen to it!

Are you interested in learning more about the new EXOPLANETS?

Want to know about SpaceX?

astronauts, astronomy, big bang, Curiosity

Astronomy or “Space Science”

February 21, 2017 peter2213 Leave a comment

Astronomy: The Study of Outer Space!

It’s a BIG UNIVERSE! Where would YOU like to go?

Here is your introduction:

Research Main resources:

https://www.brainpop.com/search/?keyword=Galaxies
Could you build a better solar system? https://www.brainpop.com/games/buildasolarsystem/
What do you KNOW? What do you WANT to know?
1. Here are some questions to get you started: http://www.triviachamp.com/pdf/Basic%20Solar%20System%20Trivia%20Questions.pdf
What is a planet? Check out Windows To The Universe: http://www.windows2universe.org/our_solar_system/dwarf_planets/planet_definition.html&edu=elem
or http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
and Pebble Go
Want to see some photos of the universe? Check out ESRI
1. Try here: http://esripm.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=f737586c543e48428b96df64057ebed0
2. https://bwmsen.wordpress.com/category/astronomy/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true

By the way, What exactly is the “Big Bang”?

http://www.dkfindout.com/us/space/stars-and-galaxies/big-bang/

And, WHICH PLANET IS YOUR FAVORITE?

astronauts, astronomy, communication, Curiosity, Mars, Word Study

Mars Needs Explorers! Morse Code

July 12, 2016 Teacher Peter Leave a comment

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2016/07/11/10-things-july-11

NASA-Captures-Image-of-Sand-Dunes-on-Mars-That-Look-Like-Morse-Code

“You don’t have to wait for announcements from NASA to see amazing pictures from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter yourself. You can wander the planet’s plains and mountains, thanks to the orbiter, which scans the planet in extremely high resolution daily, sending home striking postcards. The team that runs the mission’s main camera just posted a fresh batch, and scrolling through them offers a chance to comb over each nook and cranny in the landscape, almost like you were walking through them in person.”

astronauts, astronomy, Curiosity, Mars

Mars: Curiosity

April 26, 2016 Teacher Peter Leave a comment

Thanks, Bell Museum, for igniting our interest in Mars and Astronomy!

rover_detail_lg

Above diagram from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/19344620

Try also: http://www.kidsastronomy.com/mars_explorer.htm

Nasa for Kids:

3-part cards, Art, astronomy, Curiosity, fossils, material making, Science, Stars, YOU CAN MAKE IT!

Welcome to our Galaxy

April 9, 2016 Teacher Peter Leave a comment

Are you lost?

Here’s a Solar System Atlas

You are here:

Learn About Galaxies With KidsAstronomy.com

There are billions of Galaxies in the Universe. Some are very small with only a few million stars. While others could have as many as 400 billion stars, or even more. There are three kinds of Galaxies, Spiral, Elliptical, and Irregular. The only difference between the three is what shape they are.

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/galaxys.htm

The Local Group
There are billions of galaxies in our Universe. Most of these are clumped together in small groups. Our own galaxy which is called The Milky Way Galaxy lies within a group of galaxies that we call The Local Group.

The Local Group consists of about 30 galaxies. The three largest are The Andromeda Galaxy, The Milky Way Galaxy, and Triangulum.

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A galaxy is a massive group of stars, star clusters, interstellar gas and dust, and dark matter which is all gravitationally bound together.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/space/galaxies.html

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The Milky Way Isn’t Just A Candy Bar!

While there are, indeed, many truly astonishing facts about the night sky and its many celestial bodies, here are just a few to get you started:

1. The sun that brings us light and warmth, and makes life on earth possible, is just one member of the galaxy known as the Milky Way. In this galaxy, there are between 200-400 billion stars that are each as big as the sun or even bigger. The fact that there are so many larger and hotter stars in this immense galaxy is sure to astonish and amaze any curious little mind.

2. Not only is the Milky Way huge in and of itself, it is only one galaxy among tens of billions of other galaxies. Each of these immense galaxies contain billions of stars. What’s more, even though the Milky Way is quite huge, some of these other galaxies are even larger!

3. Even though the Milky Way is one of the smaller galaxies, it is still bigger than we can reasonably imagine. Let you kids know that if you had a really fast car that could travel at a speed of 5,000,800,000,000 miles in a year, it would still take a hundred thousand years to drive from one side of the Milky Way to the other.

4. The Milky Way is older than old! In fact, scientists believe that it is 14,000,000,000 (14 billion) years old.

http://www.johnphiliphunter.com/astronomy-articles/enjoying-the-night-sky-with-your-kids/

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How many planets are there in our SOLAR SYSTEM?

9? 8 ? Would you believe 13? or more…