The Earth S Movement in Space

Year 7 Science

Student Resources– Book A

Third Rock From the Sun

Source: http://www.rain.org/campinternet/astronomy/img/solar_system.jpg

Semester 2, Topic 1

1 The Earth’s movement in space

Complete the following questions.

1. Where on Earth is day and night usually the same length? ______

______

2. In which direction do the stars appear to move compared to the

Earth? (Hint: The Sun is a star) ______

______

3. Which is longer, day or night, for the area marked below?

4. What is the scientific name for the path of a planet around the sun? ______

______

2 5. What season is it in the northern hemisphere when it is winter in

Melbourne? ______

______

6. How many days:

a) are in a ‘normal’ Earth calendar year? ______

b) are in a leap year? ______

c) does it actually take for the earth to travel once around the

Sun? ______

7. Use a diagram to explain what a hemisphere is.

8. Why is it hot at the equator all year around? ______

______

9. Use the diagram to predict what seasons occur in the northern

hemisphere:

a) 21 June

b) 21 December

c) 21 March

d) 21 September

3 10. Explain why Adelaide is half an hour ‘behind’ Melbourne, Sydney and

Brisbane, and why Perth is two hours behind. ______

______

11. If the Earth’s axis was not tilted, would there be:

a) seasons? ______

b) day and night? ______

12. What would be the effect on the seasons if the Earth was more

tilted? ______

______

13. Where on Earth would it be dark for an extended amount of time

(more than 24 hours)? Why? ______

______

4 ______

______

14. Predict the seasons in Australia if

a) the days are a lot shorter than they nights

______

b) sunlight is more concentrated on us ______

c) the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter

______

15. How many times does the Earth spin on itself in:

a) one day? ______

b) one year? ______The Moon

1. Who were the first humans to walk on the Moon and when

did they do it?

______

5 2. Why does the Moon have a black sky? ______

______

3. Lunar astronauts can jump higher than on Earth. Why? ______

______

4. Why does the Earth only see one side of the Moon? ______

______

5. Who first used a telescope to view the Moon? ______

______

Name the two main types of lunar landscapes. Give a description of each one. ______

______

6. Where may water exist on the Moon?

6 ______

______

7. What caused the Moon’s:

a. maria?

______

b. highlands?

______

8. Draw a diagram showing where the Moon is located in relation to the

Sun and Earth when a quarter Moon is showing.

9. What force of attraction from the Moon caused tides on Earth?

7 ______

______

10. How would tides be affected if the Moon was:

a. larger? ______

b. further from the Earth?

______

The Sun

1. Name our nearest star ______

2. Identify two types of energy provided by the Sun ______

______

3. Name a harmful type of radiation from the Sun. What stops most of it

reaching the Earth? ______

______

4. What do Astronomers call the Sun? ______

5. Draw a diagram showing the view from Earth during:

8 a. a partial solar eclipse

b. an annular solar eclipse

6. Does everyone on Earth see a solar eclipse when it happens? Explain. ______

______

7. Suggest why there would be no oil, coal or gas deposits inside the

Earth if there was no Sun. ______

______

8. What would happen if the Sun lost its gravitational pull on Earth? ______

______

9 The Solar System

Using the text book or other resources complete the following questions.

1. What are the terrestrial planets and why are they named this?

10 ______

______

Mercury

List three special features: Does it have a

11 What is its temperature? What is its surface like? How long does it take to orbit the

Sun? Venus

Moon? What is its temperature? What is its surface like? How long does it take to orbit the

Sun? Earth

Moon? What is its temperature? What is its

12 surface like? How long does it take to orbit the

Sun? Mars

Sun? Jupiter

13 Sun? Saturn

Sun? Uranus

14 Neptune

Sun? Pluto

15 Navigating the Night Sky

1. How many stars can you see with:

a. the naked eye? ______

b. binoculars? ______

c. a small telescope? ______

16 2. How many stars can you see during the day? ______

3. Name our closest two stars. ______

4. Why are distances in space measured in light years and not

kilometres? ______

______

5. How far in kilometres is a light year?

______

6. In light years, how distant are these objects from the Earth?

a. Proxima Centauri

b. the Sun

c. Dorado

d. Sombrero

17 7. What is the celestial sphere? ______

______

8. Why do the stars appear to rotate? ______

______

9. What is used to describe positions on Earth?

18 ______

______

10. What is RA and DEC and what are they measured in? ______

______

11. What is a constellation? Name two. ______

______

12. What is another name for the Southern Cross?

______

19 13. Explain why only twelve constellations make up the Zodiac. ______

______

14. Explain why you are travelling back in time every whenever you look at

the stars. ______

______

20 15. If the stars that make up the Pleiades ‘died’ today, when would we on

Earth find out about it? ______

______

______Star and Galaxies

The cycle of stars

1. What is the main fuel of stars?

______

2. What is nuclear fusion?

21 ______

______

3. What sort of radiation does the Sun and stars emit? ______

______

4. Name another type of Nuclear reaction and where it was used. ______

______

5. What is a nebula? ______

______

6. Use a diagram to explain how a nebula changes into a star.

7. Why to stars ‘die’ and at what age does this happen?

22 ______

______

8. What is a pulsar? ______

______

9. How is a black hole formed?

______

10. Explain two things that might happen to a star close to a black hole. ______

______

11. Name and draw the main types of galaxies

23 12. What is the name for:

a. A galaxy whose centre is very bright?

______

b. A galaxy that emits radio waves? ______

13. Use a diagram to describe our position in the Milky Way galaxy.

14. What is one of the Indigenous names for the Southern Cross? ______

______

15. Why has nobody ever seen a black hole? ______

______

16. Place in order of size:

Solar system, Local Supercluster, Milky Way,

Andromeda, Local Group, Earth, Sun, Universe

24 ______

______

17. Complete the flow chart showing the life of a star.

18. New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Western Samoa all

have the Southern Cross on their flags. Why don’t we see it on

countries from Europe? ______

______