The Sun Weblist

Here are some sites that are of use if you want to learn about the sun. And, honestly, who doesn't?

The Sun WebList

Earth, Moon, and Sun Questions

Recently, we learned about what causes high and low tides, and the difference between spring and neap tides. Do you remember the tides? We've also learned about planetary motion, the cause of seasons (generally how it's been so cold lately!), and the phenomena of moon phases and eclipses (both solar and lunar). Phew! That's a lot of stuff. The audience of this blog must be imparted with this knowledge as well. Give it to them, Crazies.
The following scenarios and questions are actually part of your standard check of these concepts. This is the short answer/essay portion. You may think about them, prepare for them, and actually answer them if you'd like to type out your answer in a comment. (Otherwise, you will write your answers out in class on Monday.)
Scenario 1:
Using these pictures and the following info, attempt to answer the numbered questions.

• Both pictures were taken from the same exact spot (The zoom for both snapshots was the same, too). The picture on the left was taken at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The picture on the right was taken 5 1/2 hours later, at 7:30 pm.
  
• The moon phase on this particular day was a "New Moon".

Question 1: What causes high tides and low tides? On the day the picture was taken, was there a Spring or Neap tide? If so, which one?

Scenario 2: The moon is closer to the Earth than it actually is. Normally the moon is approximately 240,000 miles away. In this scenario, the moon is only 160,000 miles away.

Question 2: What would happen to the length of time it takes our moon to progress through all of its phases (from new moon back to another new moon)? Would the length of our month be longer, shorter, or the same? Why? (Hint: Use your knowledge of Kepler's Laws to answer this one.)

Scenario 3: The Earth's axis is not tilted. It normally tilts at a 23.5 degree angle. In this scenario, there is no tilt (0 degrees).

Question 3: Would we experience a change of seasons if Earth’s axis was not tilted? In your answer, be sure to include at least two factors that cause winter temperatures to be colder than summer temps, and why this seasonal change in temperature would or would not be felt if Earth's axis was not tilted.

When We Left Earth

Yesterday, we watched a cool video on the original astronauts from the Mercury Project. It is considered one of the crowning achievements in the history of mankind, and rightly so. The United States sent a man to outer space on the top of a jet missile, and then got him back to Earth.

1. What would it have been like to be one of the first astronauts? Describe the positives and negatives to being one of the first people in space. Would you have wanted to be in Alan Shephard's space shoes?


2. Would you have been nervous/scared/excited/etc.? Explain. Do you have any life experiences where you have felt the kind of emotions that astronauts felt before launching?


3. Could just anyone become an astronaut? What are some of the challenges to becoming one? Which qualities are the most important?


4. Why was it so important to send a human to outer space?

Inertia Demo

It's not magic. It's about gravity, inertia, and a lack of friction.

A World Without Inertia

Wouldn't it be terrible? To actually learn more about inertia, go to the wikispace and watch the vodcast about Newton's Gravity.

Explaining Astronomy

Suppose that you need to explain the concepts of a year, a month, and a day to a small child such as Clara. Could you do this? First, you should know a couple of things about Clara:

1. She is extremely smart for just turning four years old (I know that you're thinking, "Hmm..... she must get her intellect from her mother." Well, you're right.) Clara will follow your line of thought quite well.
   
2. If you use the terms rotation, revolution, orbit, or any other term used specifically for astronomy, she might not know exactly what it means (Many adults wouldn't know what the terms mean either.) Be sure to explain these things as you go.


3. It would help if you related these concepts to things a 4-year-old would know about -- like Disney movies (especially Rapunzel from Tangled and, of course, Cinderella), Elmo from Sesame Street, Legos, Clifford the big red dog, etc.
   

For each concept (year, month, and day) describe the motion of the Earth, the moon, and the sun. Good luck.

Planet Prezis

Comment: I eagerly await the chance to become an expert on each of the planets of our solar system.
Question: Who is going to give me that opportunity?
Answer: The Crazy 8s
Another Question: How?
Another Answer: This week they will be researching a specific planet, collaborating in groups, and developing a PREZI that will blow away (in a good way) anyone who is fortunate to be in attendance.

Below is a link for some useful planet research sites.

Planet Prezi Instructions and Links