Introduction Page 2
Welcome to the Sky Science Unit
To get a sense of the size of our universe, look up at the sky on a clear night away from the bright lights of the city.
The dozens of twinkling stars we can see from earth are only a tiny fraction of the billions of stars and planets that are out there.
Among them, Earth is a just a tiny blue speck.
Essential Question
What can we learn from studying the day and night skies?
Targets
At the end of this Unit you should be able to answer the following questions;
1. What does studying the sky teach us about the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars?
1.1 How can we learn about objects in the sky?
1.2 What patterns can be seen in the stars (constellations)?
1.3 What can we learn about the movement of objects in the sky by observing them?
2. What makes our solar system unique?
2.1 How do other planets compare to Earth?
2.2 What is Earth's place in the universe?
Notebook
Throughout this Unit, you will keep a Notebook. The PDF or Word downloads are the pages of your Notebook.
- Create a folder on your computer, or in the cloud, titled "Sky Notebook".
- Save all of the PDF or Word downloads to this folder.
Digging Deeper
For a closer look at these wonders in space, NASA has an "Astronomy Picture of the Day". Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe (space and everything in it) is featured along with a brief explanation written by an astronomer, a scientist who studies the universe.