- Produce a scale model of the solar system.
- Identify some strengths and limitations of scale models.
- Calculate distances to objects in the universe in astronomical units (AU), light-years, and parsecs (pc).
- Construct a model of the night sky to understand how star maps work.
- Describe the coordinate system used to locate objects in the sky.
- Identify patterns in the organization and distribution of matter in the universe.
- Describe the Doppler effect.
- Explain the big bang theory of how the universe was formed and the evidence supporting it.
- Explain the nebular theory of the formation of the solar system.
- Examine planetary systems outside of our solar system.
- Measure the major axis and distance between the foci of an ellipse.
- Examine the relationship between the distance between the foci and eccentricity of an ellipse.
- Calculate the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit.
- Draw Earth’s changing orbit in relation to the Sun.
- Explain how Earth’s changing orbit and its rotation rate could affect its climate.
- Draw the orbits of a comet and an asteroid in relation to Earth and the Sun.
- Investigate lunar phases using a model and observations in your community.
- Investigate the general idea of tidal forces.
- Explore the role of Earth, the Moon, and the Sun in creating tides on Earth.
- Assess the Sun-Earth-Moon system and the Moon’s likely origin.
- Compare the appearance of the Moon to other bodies in the solar system.
- Investigate the mechanics of an impact event and make scale drawings of an impact crater.
- Calculate the energy (in joules) released when an asteroid collides with Earth.
- Compare natural and human-made disasters to the impact of an asteroid.
- Examine the consequences to your community should an impact event occur.
- Investigate the chances for an asteroid or comet collision
- Explain electromagnetic radiation and the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of wavelength, speed, and energy.
- Investigate the different instruments astronomers use to detect different wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Understand that the atoms of each of the chemical elements have a unique spectral fingerprint.
- Explain how electromagnetic radiation reveals the temperature and chemical makeup of objects such as stars.
- Understand that some forms of electromagnetic radiation are essential and beneficial to us on Earth, and others are harmful.
- Explore the structure of the Sun and describe the flow of solar energy in terms of reflection, absorption, and scattering.
- Understand that the Sun emits charged particles called the solar wind, and how this wind affects “space weather.”
- Explain the effect of solar wind on people and communities.
- Understand sunspots, solar flares, and other kinds of solar activities and their effects on Earth.
- Learn to estimate the chances of solar activity affecting your community.
- Identify the place of our solar system in the Milky Way Galaxy.
- Study stellar structure and the stellar evolution (the life cycle of stars).
- Explore the relationship between the brightness of an object (its luminosity) and its magnitude.
- Estimate the chances of another star affecting Earth in some way.
Use the navigation on the left to find materials that support the relevant sections of this chapter.