Earth, Sun, and Moon System Explore 2

Our Place in the Universe Research Earth orbits the Sun, slowly traveling around in a circular path. The Sun is a middle sized star. All of the planets in our solar system orbit this star. But when you look up at the night sky, you will see many other stars. Some of those have their own planets orbiting away in space. These other solar systems are called exosolar systems to distinguish between our solar system and these alien systems. Almost all of the objects you see in the night sky are part of the Milky Way, which is a giant collection of stars that all orbit a common center due to gravity.

But if you look at the constellation Pegasus, which makes a giant square in the summer sky, you might see what appears to be a puffy cloud nearby. It is not a cloud, though. It is the Andromeda galaxy. It is an even bigger collection of stars that orbit a common center, and is over a million light-years away! There are many millions of galaxies in our universe, some close by and others very distant.

Your group will choose one of these types of objects (stars, exosolar systems, and galaxies) and research its properties and location in the universe. You will then create a poster and a presentation about your star, galaxy, or exosolar system to present to the class.

Procedure: 1. With your group, research one of the following objects. These are not the only options, but simply suggestions. a. Stars: Sirius, Alpha Centauri, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Vega b. Exosolar systems: Trappist 1, Gliese 581, Kepler-444, Kepler-37, Kepler-90 c. Galaxies: Andromeda, Pinwheel, Triangulum, Whirlpool, Bode’s 2. Look for answers to the following questions: a. What sort of object are you researching? b. What properties does it have (size, number of stars/planets, age)? c. How distant is it from Earth? d. Is it inside the Milky Way? e. Where can it be seen in the night sky? 3. Create a poster illustrating the object you have chosen. Include the answers to the above questions. This poster must include some sort of graphical representation of the information gathered. A graphical representation can include the following: a. Map b. Chart c. Graph d. Data Table

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Research, continued 4. It is important that you and your team members evaluate the sources used in your research. Use the student reference sheet: Assessing Credibility, Accuracy, and Possible Bias to evaluate your sources. 5. Present your poster and findings to your class in a five-minute presentation. As part of your presentation, evaluate any competing data, hypotheses, and/or conclusions that you found in your research. 6. Take notes during each presentation to gather data about the locations of other exosystems, stars, and galaxies.

Presentation 1. Presentation Notes:

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Reflections and Conclusions

1. How could you illustrate or show someone the locations of one or more exosolar systems?

2. How could you illustrate or show someone the locations of one or more galaxies?

3. Using your sources, such as your presentation notes, if you had to estimate the number of exosolar systems in the Milky Way, how many would you estimate?

4. Using your sources, such as your presentation notes, if you had to estimate the number of galaxies in the universe, how many would you estimate?

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