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Home , Ganymede (mythology), Nereids, Selene

Planetarium Fact Sheet 6th – 8th Grade

(Based off of CPALMS 8th grade Learning Criteria) ------My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles AU – Astronomical units = 92.3 million miles ------

Introduction

• This is what it currently looks like in Fort Walton Beach. Are there any stars out now? o Yes! We just can’t see them because of the Sun & Light Pollution. • How do scientists study objects in space? o Telescopes to see into space, Rovers to collect samples, satellites can help us communicate all over the world, predict weather patterns, or make our radios, televisions & phones work. We are also using the Planetarium to create a model of what space looks like. (5.10) • I am now going to turn off the Sun & make it night time, so we can see better. • Can anyone see the Milky Way? What is the Milky Way? o The Milky Way is the name of the Galaxy that we live in. It looks like a giant spiral, and our Solar System resides in one of the arms of this spiral. Scientists believe that there are as many as 250 billion stars in the Milky Way. (5.2)

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Sun

• The Sun is a star. It is estimated to have been shining for about 5 billion years and will live another 5 billion years before it becomes a red giant, and then a white . • Is it a big, medium or small star? o Medium! The star Antares is 1,000 times bigger than our sun! o How big is the Sun compared to Earth? Diameter of Sun – 1,392,000km, Diameter of Earth - 12,756km. You could line up 109 Earths across the face of the Sun. (5.1) • The distance from the Earth to the Sun = 92.3 Million Miles. (5.1) • The Earth rotates around the sun because of its gravitational pull. o How long does it take the Earth to rotate around the sun? 365 days or 1 year. o How does this impact our seasons? (5.9) • The Sun’s surface burns at about 10,000 degrees. (5.6)

1 • The Sun is made up of gasses on fire - mostly hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. (5.6) • Solar Flares – A sudden flash of increased brightness on the sun, usually near the surface or close to a sunspot group. • Sunspots – Cooler, darker areas on the Sun’s surface that we can see. These are temporary spots, and will usually appear in pairs. o Prominence – This is a blast of gas shooting from a sunspot that can arc out for hungers of thousands of miles. (5.6) • What does the sun provide for our ? o Solar Energy: Almost all energy on Earth is Solar Energy. We also use Geothermal Energy, which comes from inside of Earth. • Gravity – A force that tries to pull objects towards each other. Gravity is also the force that holds orbiting in place. Newton realized that the reason why the planets orbit the sun (heliocentric) is connected to why objects on Earth fall to the ground when we drop them. The Sun’s gravity pulls on the planets, just as the Earth’s gravity pulls things down to the ground. (5.4 / 5.8) o All orbits in space are the shape of an ellipse – it’s like a circle that has the sides squished in. The Sun’s gravity keeps all of the planets orbiting around it, making these ellipses. (5.3)

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Mercury

• How do we name the planets? o All of the planets (except for Earth) are named after gods from Roman and . Many of these planets were named by the Romans thousands of years ago. • Mercury is named after the Roman to the gods – Mercury (Roman) / (Greek). He is also the god of travel, commerce (money) and theives. It’s thought that Mercury was given this name because it moves so quickly through the sky. • Mercury’s date of discovery is unknown. The first culture to mention it was the Sumerians around 3,000 BC. • Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun - 36 million miles. (5.1) • A year is how long it takes a planet to orbit around the sun. How long is a year on Earth? Since Mercury is so close to the Sun, it has the shortest years. o A year on Mercury = 88 Earth Days. • A planet’s day is the time it takes the planet to spin once on its axis. Mercury rotates very slowly compared to Earth, so a day on Mercury is much longer than a year. o One solar day (from noon to noon on the planet’s surface), it would take 176 Earth Days.

2 • Mercury is the first of the four Terrestrial planets. These are the Rocky, Inner planets are are closest to the sun. They are made of rocks & metals. • Mercury is the smallest of all the planets (diameter: 4,879 km. Earth is 12,742 km). • Mercury is the most cratered planet in the Solar System. Unlike many other planets which “self-heal” through natural geological processes. These are caused by numerous encounters with asteroids and comets. • Does Mercury have any or Rings? o No! Why? The Gravitational Pull from the Sun would destroy them. o If there’s a shadow on Mercury – What makes that Shadow? We do! Earth! We see Mercury & in Phases, just like the because they are between us and the Sun. • Mercury is the second hottest planet in our Galaxy. Venus is the hottest planet, which is where we’re going next…..

Venus

• Venus is named after the Roman of love and beauty ( in Greeky mythology). This is because Venus is so luminous & bright. It is the second brightest object in the night sky. Only the Moon (& Sun in the daytime) are brighter. o In fact, it was originaly thought to be a star. Venus is so bright it can be seen during daytime on a clear day (magnitude btw -3.8 to -4.6). • Venus is also known as the Morning Star and the Evening Star. o Early civilizations thought Venus was two different objects (Phosphorus and by the Greeks, and Lucifer and Vesper by the Romans). This is because when its orbit around the Sun overtakes Earth’s orbit, it changes from being visible after sunset to being visible before sunrise. (5.8) o Mayan astronomers made detailed observations of it as early as 650 AD. • Just like Mercury, Venus does not have any moons or rings due to the Gravitational Pull of the Sun. • Just like Mercury & Earth, it is a Terrestrial planet, and it is thought to be made up of a central iron core, rocky mantle and silicate crust. • Venus is also known as “Earth’s Twin,” or “Earth’s Future.” It is about the same size as the Earth. The big difference is that it is the hottest planet in our Solar System. The surface temperature on Venus can reach 880 degrees. o This is because the Sun’s energy warms the planet, but it can’t get out because it is blocked by Venus’ very thick atmosphere. The heat becomes trapped and builds up to extremely high temperatures. This creates Greenhouse Gases.

3 o How to reduce Greenhouse Gases (Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Fuel Emissions, Factories): Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; Turn off heat/AC when you’re not at home; Buy energy efficient products; Plant a tree; Turn lights/TV/everything off when not using it; Eat less red meat; Encourage others to conserve. • A day on Venus (solar day) = 117 Earth days. A year on Venus = 225 Earth days. • Venus rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets. This means that Venus is rotating in the opposite direction to the Sun, this is also known as a retrograde rotation. o A possible reason might be a collision in the past with an asteroid or other object that caused the planet to alter its rotational path. • The Russians sent the first mission to Venus. The Soviet Union’s Venera 3 was the first man-made craft to land on Venus in 1966.

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Earth

● The Earth is the only planet that is not named after a Greek or Roman god. We don’t know how the Earth got its name, but it is derived from the Anglo Saxon word “Erda,” which means ground. ○ If you go back further, some theorize that Earth is named after the Norse Goddess, Jorth (Jörð), who was personification of Earth, and Thor’s mom. Odin mated with Jorth, because he wanted a son who would be strong on Earth (not just in Asgard) and gave birth to Thor. Odin kept the true identity of his mother hidden from Thor. ● The Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun, & Rocky/Terrestrial (like Mercury & Venus). ● The Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has a large amount of liquid water. About 74% of the surface of Earth is covered by liquid or frozen water. Because of this, people sometimes call it "Blue Planet." (5.2 / 5.3) ○ Because of its water, Earth is home to millions of species of plants and animals. ● The Earth’s atmosphere provides oxygen that humans need and carbon dioxide that plants need. It also helps filter out the harmful rays from the sun. (5.2 / 5.3)

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4 Moon

● The Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun, and the 1st planet to have a moon. We have only have one moon, but she is very large (about 1/4 the size of Earth). ○ According to NASA, “If Earth were the size of a nickel, then the Moon would be about as big as a coffee bean.” (5.3) ○ The Moon is only 238,900 miles from the Earth. (5.1) ● Did you know that our Moon has a name? Her name is , named after the Roman goddess of the Moon ( in Greek mythology). ● The Moon is a Natural Satellite (an object that orbits a planet). (5.9) ● Because the Moon itself does not rotate, the same side of the Moon always faces the Earth. The Dark Side of the Moon always faces away from the Earth. ● The surface of the Moon is covered in craters left meteors & asteroids that have crashed into her surface. ○ China sent an expedition to take pictures of the Dark Side of the Moon. This showed us the large amount of damage that the far side has sustained. ○ We should be very thankful, because if the Moon was not there, these meteors and asteroids would have hit Earth! ● How does the Moon affect our ocean? The water in the Earth’s oceans is pulled toward the Moon, creating the tides at the beach. It also slows the Earth’s rotation, and that is why we have a 24 hour day. (5.9) ● Some scientists believe that something big hit the Earth & knocked a chunk of it off. This became our Moon. ● Moon Phases – As the Moon travels in its 29.5-day orbit around the Earth, its position changes daily. Sometimes it’s between the Earth and the sun and sometimes it’s behind the Earth. This causes a different section of the Moon’s face to be lit up by the Sun, which shows in different phases. ○ The 8 Phases (in order): New Moon, Waxing , First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, Waning Crescent. (5.9) ● What is a Lunar Eclipse? Sometimes the Earth lines up perfectly between the Moon and the Sun, and the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon. This creates a Lunar Eclipse. ○ There is also a Solar Eclipse, which occurs when the Moon lines up between the Sun and Earth, the moon casts a shadow on the Sun. (5.9) ● How many people have walked on the moon? 12 (America, China & USSR). (5.10) ● The Moon has its own gravity. It’s 1/6 as strong as Earth. On the Moon, we’d be very light, but our Mass would remain the same. (5.9 / 5.4)

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5

● Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun, and the last of the Rocky/Terrestrial planets. ● Mars is known as the “Red Planet.” Because it resembled blood, it was named after the Roman god of War (Aries in Greek mythology). ● Mars has 2 moons, and , which are named after the sons of Aries and Aphrodite. They symbolize Fear & Dread (Terror). ● Mars has a very thin atmosphere which allows a lot of heat to escape into space, therefore it is much colder than earth. The thin atmosphere also means that there isn’t enough oxygen to breathe. ○ The temperature varies from about 70 degrees in the summer to -195 degrees in the winter. ● Why is Mars so red? 4 billion years ago, there was liquid water on Mars. The surface of Mars is covered with Iron, which oxidizes (rusts) when it gets wet. Though the liquid water no longer remains (aside from vapor), the rust particles do. The dust layer on the surface of Mars is not very thick, so when large wind storms blow across Mars, they kick up all of the dust, giving the planet a red color. ● Mars also has the tallest volcano and deepest cavern out of all the planets. ○ The volcano is named Olympus Mons (after Mt. Olympus), and it is roughly the size of Arizona. ● Mars is also the only planet, aside from Earth, that contains Water. ○ There are two Polar Ice Caps on Mars (a North and South pole, just like Earth). While our polar ice caps consist of water, Mars’ polar ice caps are a combination of water ice, and carbon dioxide ice. ○ As the Martian seasons change, the carbon dioxide ice vaporizes in summer, revealing the surface, and freezes again in winter. ● We have sent Probes & Rovers to Mars to research the planet. They are looking for water in liquid form, and for signs of life – Spirit, Opportunity & inSight. ○ The Opportunity rover was just retired. It was supposed to last 90 days on Mars, but it spend 15 years researching Mars’ terrain & sending data & images to scientiests. ○ Rovers like this are what will one day allow NASA to send people to Mars. They would like to as early as 2030! (5.10) ------

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● Jupiter is the 5th planet from the Sun, and the first of the Gas ! ○ This means that the planet doesn’t have a surface to stand on, because it is made of just gas. ● Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System, and it is named after the King of the Gods in Roman mythology ( in Greek). ● Jupiter has more moons than any other planet – Currently there are 79 moons, and there may be others that we have not discovered yet. ○ All of Jupiter’s moons are named after different characters from his mythological stories (mostly ex-girlfriends). ○ Funny enough, no moons are named after Jupiter’s wife, . NASA sent the Juno probe up to Jupiter to check up on the planet & its moons. ● Jupiter’s four biggest moons are known as the – , , and Callisto. They are all named after people whose lives were made difficult when Jupiter/Zeus fell in love with them. ○ Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest moon, and it is bigger than Mercury! ○ These four moons were first discovered by Galilei in 1610. They were the first objects found to orbit another planet. ● In the 1600s, Galileo believed that the Solar System was Heliocentric NOT Geocentric. This means that he believed that the Earth (and all other planets) revolved around the Sun. Everyone else believed in Geocentric - that we were the center of the universe & all other planets (and the Sun) revolved around the Earth. (5.8) ○ Galileo got into a lot of trouble for his beliefs, which ended up being correct! ● Jupiter has the shortest days of any planet - Only 9 hours and 55 minutes. ● The gasses surrounding Jupiter are about 100 degrees below zero. ● Jupiter has a big Red Spot. This is a giant storm that has been around for a very long time. We started studying it 150 years ago, and but who knows how long it has existed. ○ This spot is nearly 4 times as wide as the Earth! ● They are hard to see, but Jupiter has 4 rings. They are very hard to see because they are made of rock & dust.

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Saturn

● Saturn is the planet that’s famous for its Rings. These rings are much easier to see than Jupiter’s, because they are made of rock, dust and water ice. The ice reflects the light, and makes them very easy to see (and photograph). ● Saturn is named after Jupiter’s father - Saturnus, the Roman god of the harvest. Kronos, in Greek mythology. 7 ● Saturn has 62 moons. Since Saturnus/Kronos was a Titan (the old gods of the elements, children of [Sky] and [Earth]), all of it’s moons are named after different . It’s largest moon, Titan, is bigger than Mercury. ● Saturn is the second gas giant, and it’s made of gasses like hydrogen and helium. ● Saturn is the least dense of all planets. What is density? ○ An object is packed tightly together and heavy, like a metal ball, it is very dense. Saturn is very light – if you took a scoop of Saturn, it would float in water! ○ This is unique – all of the other planets would sink. ● The average temperature of the gases on Saturn are about 288 degrees below zero. ● So far, 4 spacecraft have visited Saturn: Pioneer 11, & 2, and the Cassini- mission. ○ Using data from NASA’s Cassini misson, scientists have discovered molecules on Titan which might drive the production of complex organic compounds (aka primitive life). These are molecules that have never been seen in our solar system before! Studying this might also teach us how life may have arisen from the chemical reactions on our own planet. (5.10)

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Uranus

● Uranus is the 7th planet from the Sun, and the 3rd Gas Giant. ● Uranus is a very special planet, because it is the first planet to be discovered with a telescope! It was first discovered by William Herschel in 1781. ○ He originally wanted to name it “Georgium Sidus” after King George III of England, but astronomers decided that name would not fit with the other planets. ○ They named it Uranus, after the Greek god of the Sky. It is the only planet named after a Greek god. ● Uranus’ moons are also very speical. There are 27 moons, and they are all named after different characters from British writers: ○ William Shakespeare & Alexander Pope. ● Uranus is a blueish color because of the mix of colors in its atmosphere, which are all made of different gases. Since Uranus is so far from the Sun, it is very, very cold! ○ The surface temperature is -350 degrees! ● Uranus is a unique planet because it spins differently. All of the other planets spin like a top, but Uranus somersaults on its side. Scientists theorize that something big (like an asteroid or meteor) hit it and knocked it on its side. ● Uranus has faint rings circling it, made mostly of rock & dust.

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8

● Neptune is the 8th and furthest planet from the Sun, and the 4th Gas Giant. ○ It is 2.793 billion miles from the Sun, and very, very cold - 392 degrees below zero, and has that blow up to 1,200 miles per hour! This is because it spins very rapidly on its axis. ● Neptune was originally thought to be made of water, because it is so blue. ● It was named after the Roman god of the sea ( in Greek mythology). ● Neptune has 14 known moons, and they are all named after different sea gods & . ○ Neptune’s largest moon is , named after one of Neptune’s favorite sons (aka Ariel’s dad). ● Neptune is not visiable with the naked eye, and it was discovered in 1846 using mathmatical predictions. ● It’s blue color is caused by an atmosphere is full of ammonia & methane gases, which gives it its blue hue. ------

Pluto & the Dwarf Planets

● is named after the Roman god of the Underworld ( in Greek mythology). ○ It has five moons, named after different things from the Underworld – , Nix, , Kerberos, Hydra. ● Pluto is very cold, since it is so far from the Sun – 380 degrees below zero. ○ It is NOT a gas giant, instead it is made of water ice (1/3), frozen gases, and a rocky core. You could stand on it, but you’d be very cold. ● An American astronomer discovered it in 1930, and an 11 year old British girl named it “Pluto” after the god of the Underworld, and Mickey’s friend. ● Pluto was changed from a Planet to a Dwarf Planet in 2006. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to a Dwarf Planet because it only met 2 of the 3 criteria used for defining a Planet. ● The 3 criteria are: 1. It is in orbit around the Sun. 2. It has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape). 3. It has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit. Pluto is no longer a planet because it did not meet this last criteria – it falls into Neptune’s orbit. • Though Pluto got a demotion, other celestial bodies got a promotion. Pluto is currently the largest of the Dwarf Planets. These are objects that are in a direct orbit of the Sun, that have a shape controlled by gravitational forces, but have not cleared their orbit.

9 ● There are 5 officially recognized Dwarf Planets – Pluto, Ceres, , Haumea & Makemake. ○ Ceres – Named after the Roman goddess of agriculture/crops. This is where “cereal” comes from. She is located in the asteroid belt between Mars & Jupiter; ○ Eris – Named after the Greek goddess of strife & discord. Located past Pluto. ○ Haumea – Named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth. Her two moons are named after her children, Hi’iaka & Namaka. Located past Pluto. ○ Makemake – Named after the Rapa Nui god of fertility. The Rapa Nui are native to Easter Island, and Makemake was discovered around Easter. Before an official name was decided, its codename was “Easter Bunny.” Located past Pluto.

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Constellations

● Okay, now I want you all to step back in time, and think of a world with no electricty, no technology, no GPS. In Ancient times, the stars were our maps. ● The official definition of a constellation is an area of the sky with defined boundaries - all stars and any other objects within that boundary are considered part of the constellation. ○ Stars that form patterns are known as asterisms, and asterisms usually fall within a single constellation (but can also be part of multiple constellations). ● There are 88 official constellations which are recognized by the International Astronomical Union. These fall into two different types: ○ The Northern Hemisphere consists of constellations named by the ancient Greeks & Romans. These are inspired by , legends, and inventions of the time – Hercules, , Pegasus, Orion, all twelve Zodiac. ■ Some of these are connected by their myths – Orion is locked in an eternal battle with Scorpio, or Queen Cassiopeia & King Cepheus gave their daughter, , as a to the sea monster. Perseus flew on Pegasus to save her. ○ Most of the Southern Hemisphere consists of constellations named by astronomers in the 1600s & 1700s. These incldued modern inventions, such as the Microscopium (Microscope), Fornax (Furnace), Horologium (Pendulum Clock), and Telescopium (Telescope). ● A few constellations can be viewed all year long but most are seasonal and can only be viewed at certain times of the year. ● The Sun is the only known star in galaxy which is NOT part of a constellation. ● Ursa Minor’s tail – Polaris, the North Star. (Also Little Dipper). ● Some of our favorite authors also get their inspiration from the stars: ○ JK Rowling (Harry Potter) – Draco the Dragon (Draco Malfoy); Luna the Moon (Luna Lovegood), Sirius the Dog Star (Sirius Black). ○ Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson) – Perseus constellation, etc 10