This volume builds on the fundamental ideas covered in Astronomy 1. Students will discover stars, planets, moon, comets, asteroids, galaxies and more. Students will discover Martian sunsets, eclipses and transits, discover how to identify meteorites, investigate the forces driving Neptunes internal furnace, learn how binary planetary systems work, diffract light into its rainbow signatures while learning about the electromagnetic spectrum and more.
Step 1. Click Here to download your copy of the Ultimate Science Curriculum Astronomy 2 Student Guidebook. To download the Parent/Teacher Guidebook, Click Here.
Step 2. Watch the videos that go with it below.
Lesson #1: Stars, Planets, & Black Holes
Overview: Greetings and welcome to the study of astronomy! This first lesson is simply to get you excited and interested in astronomy so you can decide what it is that you want to learn about astronomy later on. What to Learn We’re going to cover a lot in this presentation, including stars like our sun as well as distant stars, ice and gas giants, comets, asteroids, moons, ringed planets, black holes quasars, supernova and more. This is an overview of many different concepts we’re going to study in further depth, including:
- The Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
- The solar system includes the Earth, Moon, Sun, seven other planets and their satellites, and smaller objects such as asteroids and comets.
- The structure and composition of the universe can be learned from the study of stars and galaxies.
- Galaxies are clusters of billions of stars, and may have different shapes.
- The Sun is one of many stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.
- Stars may differ in size, temperature, and color.
Materials
- Metal ball (like a ball bearing) OR a magnetic marble
- Strong magnet (the strongest one you own). I have a neodymium magnet that I am using.
- Thin plastic, cardboard, or wood sheet (like a table or cutting board). Make sure the magnet can influence the metal ball through it (dont use metal.)
- Small bouncy ball and tennis ball OR a tennis ball and a basketball (you need two balls of different sizes)
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Lesson #2: Solar System Scale Model
Overview: Today you get to make a scale model of the solar system. By scale model, I mean both the sizes of the planets will be to scale as well as the distances between the planets. Your job is to make it as accurate as you can.
What to Learn: You will learn how our solar system is mostly made up of empty space and that the distances between the objects are huge. You’ll also find out where that pesky dwarf planet Ceres (which was discovered in 1801 and thought to be a planet, but quickly was demoted to an asteroid and later a dwarf planet) lives.
Materials
· Measuring tape
· Ruler (metric or inches)
· Popsicle sticks
· Markers
· Index cards
· Tape
· Tennis ball
· Grassy field or outdoor area to spread out
Lesson #3: Atmospheres
Overview: Scientists do experiments here on Earth to better understand the physics of distant worlds. We’re going to simulate the different atmospheres and take data based on the model we use.
What to Learn: Each planet has its own unique atmospheric conditions. Mars and Mercury have very thin atmospheres, while Earth has a decent atmosphere (as least, we like to think so). Venus’s atmosphere is so thick and dense (92 times that of the Earth’s) that it heats up the planet so it’s the hottest rock around. Jupiter and Saturn are so gaseous that it’s hard to tell where the atmosphere ends and the planet starts, so scientists define the layers based on the density and temperature changes of the gases. Uranus and Neptune are called ice giants because of the amounts of ice in their atmospheres.
Materials
· 4 thermometers
· 3 jars or water bottles
· Plastic wrap or clear plastic baggie
· Wax paper
· Stopwatch
Lesson #4: Lunar Phases
Overview: The Moon appears to change in the sky. One moment it’s a big white circle, and next week it’s shaped like a sideways bike helmet. There’s even a day where it disappears altogether. So what gives?
What to Learn: The Sun illuminates half of the Moon all the time. Imagine shining a flashlight on a beach ball. The half that faces the light is lit up. There’s no light on the far side, right? For the Moon, which half is lit up depends on the rotation of the Moon. And which part of the illuminated side we can see depends on where we are when looking at the Moon. Sound complicated? This lab will straighten everything out so it makes sense.
Materials
· Ball
· Flashlight
Lesson #5: Eclipses and Transits
Overview: It just so happens that the Sun’s diameter is about 400 times larger than the Moon, but the Moon is 400 times closer than the Sun. This makes the Sun and Moon appear to be about the same size in the sky as viewed from Earth. This is also why the eclipse thing is such a big deal for our planet. You’re about to make your own eclipses as you learn about syzygy.
What to Learn: A total eclipse happens about once every year when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light. Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are lined up in a straight line with the Earth in the middle. Lunar eclipses last hours, whereas solar eclipses last only minutes.
Materials
· 2 index cards
· Flashlight or sunlight
· Tack or needle
· Black paper
· Scissors
Lesson #6: Rusty Balloon
Overview: Mars is coated with iron oxide, which not only covers the surface but is also present in the rocks made by the Martian volcanoes.
What to Learn: Today you get to perform a chemistry experiment that investigates the different kinds of rust and shows that given the right conditions, anything containing iron will eventually break down and corrode. When iron rusts, it’s actually going through a chemical reaction: Steel (iron) + Water (oxygen) + Air (oxygen) = Rust
Materials
· Four empty water bottles
· Four balloons
· Water
· Steel wool
· Vinegar
· Water
· Salt
Lesson #7: Meteorites
Overview: A meteoroid is a small rock that zooms around outer space. When the meteoroid zips into the Earth’s atmosphere, it’s now called a meteor or “shooting star.” If the rock doesn’t vaporize en route, it’s called a meteorite as soon as it whacks into the ground. The word meteor comes from the Greek word for “high in the air.”
What to Learn: Meteorites are black, heavy (almost twice the normal rock density), and magnetic. However, there is an Earth-made rock that is also black, heavy, and magnetic (magnetite) that is not a meteorite. To tell the difference, scratch a line from both rocks onto an unglazed tile. Magnetite will leave a mark whereas the real meteorite will not.
Materials
· White paper
· Strong magnet
· Unglazed porcelain tile
· Handheld magnifying glass (optional)
Lesson #8: Neptunes Furnace
Overview: We’re going to do a chemistry experiment to simulate the heat generated by the internal core of Neptune by using a substance used for melting snow mixed with baking soda.
What to Learn: Calcium chloride splits into calcium ions and chloride ions when it is mixed with water, and energy is released in the form of heat. The energy released comes from the bond energy of the calcium chloride atoms, and is actually electromagnetic energy. When the calcium ions and chloride ions are floating around in the warm solution, they are free to interact with the rest of the ingredients added, like the sodium bicarbonate, to form carbon dioxide gas and sodium chloride (table salt).
Materials
· Calcium chloride
· Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
· Phenol red or red food dye
· Resealable plastic baggie
· Gallon milk jug container
· Straight pin
· Warm water
· Cold water
Lesson #9: Binary Planetary Systems
Overview: A binary system exists when objects approach each other in size (and gravitational fields), the common point they rotate around (called the center of mass) lies outside both objects and they orbit around each other. Astronomers have found binary planets, binary stars, and even binary black holes. Students will know that the path of a planet around an object is due to the gravitational attraction between the object and the planet.
What to Learn: The path of a planet around the Sun is due to the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet. This is true for the path of the Moon around the Earth, and Titan around Saturn, and the rest of the planets that have an orbiting moon.
Materials
· Soup cans or plastic containers with holes punched (like plastic yogurt containers, butter tubs, etc.)
· String
· Water
· Sand
· Rocks
· Pebbles
· Baking soda
· Vinegar
Lesson #10: Build Your Own Solar System
Overview: What would happen if our solar system had three suns? Or the Earth had two moons? You can find out all these and more with this lesson on orbital mechanics. Instead of waiting until you hit college, we thought we’d throw some university-level physics at you … without the hard math.
What to Learn: Key concepts about gravity:
a. Gravity is a force that attracts things to one another.
b. All bodies (objects) have a gravitational field.
c. The larger a body is, the greater the strength of the gravitational field.
d. Bodies must be very, very large before they exert any noticeable gravitational field.
e. Gravity accelerates all things equally. Which means all things speed up the same amount as they fall.
f. Gravity does not care what size things are or whether things are moving. All things are accelerated toward the Earth at the same rate of speed.
g. Gravity does pull on things differently. Gravity is pulling greater on objects that weigh more.
h. Weight is a measure of how much gravity is pulling on an object.
i. Mass is a measure of how much matter (how many atoms) make up an object.
Materials
· Access to a computer with Internet
· Ruler
Lesson #11: Watch Your Weight
Overview: If you could stand on the Sun without being roasted, how much would you weigh? The gravitational pull is different for different objects. Let’s find out which celestial object you’d crack the pavement on, and which your lightweight toes would have to be careful about jumping on in case you leapt off the planet.
What to Learn: Weight is nothing more than a measure of how much gravity is pulling on you. Mass is a measure of how much stuff you’re made out of. Weight can change depending on the gravitational field you are standing in. Mass can only change if you lose an arm.
Materials
· Scale to weigh yourself
· Calculator
· Pencil
Lesson #12: Sundial
Overview: Using the position of the Sun, you can tell what time it us by making one of these sundials. The Sun will cast a shadow onto a surface marked with the hours, and the time-telling gnomon edge will align with the proper time.
What to Learn: In general, sundials are susceptible to different kinds of errors. If the sundial isn’t pointed north, it’s not going to work. If the sundial’s gnomon isn’t perpendicular, it’s going to give errors when you read the time. Latitude and longitude corrections may also need to be made. Some designs need to be aligned with the latitude at which they reside (in effect, they need to be tipped toward the Sun at an angle). To correct for longitude, simply shift the sundial to read exactly noon when indicated on your clock. This is especially important for sundials that lie between longitudinal standardized time zones. If daylight savings time is in effect, then the sundial timeline must be shifted to accommodate for this. Most shifts are one hour.
Materials
Simple Sundial
· Index card
· Scissors
· Tape
Intermediate Sundial
· 2 yardsticks or metersticks
· Protractor
· Chalk
· Clock
Advanced Sundial
· Old CD (this can also be the transparent CD at the top of DVD/CD spindles)
· Empty CD case
· Skewer
· Sticky tape
· Cardboard or small piece of clay
· Protractor
· Scissors
· Tape
· Hot glue
Lesson #13: Diffraction
Overview: When light passes through diffraction gratings, it splits (diffracts) the light into several beams traveling in different directions. If youve ever seen the “iridescence” of a soap bubble, an insect shell, or on a pearl, youve seen natures diffraction gratings.
What to Learn: Ever play with a prism? When sunlight strikes the prism, it gets split into a rainbow of colors. Prisms un-mix the light into its different wavelengths (which you see as different colors). Diffraction gratings are tiny prisms stacked together. The direction in which the beam gets split and diffracted depends on the spacing of the diffraction grating and also the wavelength of the incoming light.
Materials
· Feather
· CD or DVD
· Diffraction grating
Lesson #14: Infrared Vision
Overview: Infrared light is in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that isn’t usually visible to human eyes, but using this nifty trick, you will easily be able to see the IR signal from your TV remote, remote-controller for an RC car, and more!
What to Learn: When you press the button on your remote control to your TV, you’re using infrared light (IR) to control your TV. Infrared light is invisible to our eyes. However, snakes can detect IR and see the redder hues that we can’t. Every warm body gives off light in the IR, so snakes use this to find mice in the cool night.
Materials :
You will need these items:
· Remote control for TV or stereo
· Camera (video or still camera)
This is just a suggested list of objects. Feel free to find your own!
· Metal frying pan or cookie sheet
· Plastic sheet
· Plastic baggie
· Trash bag (white or black, or both)
· Wooden cutting board
Lesson #15: UV Light
Overview: Stars, including our Sun, produce all kinds of wavelengths of light, including UV (ultra-violet). That’s the wavelength that gives you sunburns. We’re going to find out the best way to protect you from the harmful rays. What to Learn: The UV beads we’re going to use in our experiment are made from a chemical that reacts with light. It takes the UV light from the Sun and then re-emits it in a different wavelength that’s visible to us. Materials · 5 UV beads (these change colors when exposed to the Sun) · Tape (double-sided is easier) · Sun block · Sunglasses · Sunny day · Water · Piece of fabric · Clear plastic bag
Lesson #16: Star Wobble
Overview: How do astronomers find planets around distant stars? If you look at a star through binoculars or a telescope, you’ll quickly notice how bright the star is, and how difficult it is to see anything other than the star, especially a small planet that doesn’t generate any light of its own! Astronomers look for a shift, or wobble, of the star as it gets gravitationally “yanked” around by the orbiting planets. By measuring this wobble, astronomers can estimate the size and distance of larger orbiting objects.
What to Learn: Doppler spectroscopy is one way astronomers find planets around distant stars. If you recall the lesson where we created our own solar system in a computer simulation, you remember how the star could be influenced by a smaller planet enough to have a tiny orbit of its own. This tiny orbit is what astronomers are trying to detect with this method.
Materials
· Several bouncy balls of different sizes and weights, soft enough to stab with a toothpick
· Toothpicks
Lesson #17: Space Telescopes
Overview: NASA’s Great Observatories consist of four space telescopes, each designed to look at the universe in one small part of the electromagnetic spectrum: infrared, visible, X-ray, and gamma rays. Each telescope is a satellite that orbits the Earth in a very specific way.
What to Learn: There’s a common misconception about gravity and space, in that most folks believe satellites don’t move in orbit. The truth is, satellites must maintain a very specific velocity in order to maintain their stable orbits.
Materials
· Five different sizes of small balls: marbles, ping-pong, rubber bouncy, etc.
· Tape
· Sheet of paper
Want More Science Activities?
These videos are samples from my online eScience Learning program. Its a complete science program for K-12. Plus, its self-guiding, so they can do it on their own.
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Thank You!
Thanks for the privilege as serving as your coach and guide in your science journey. May these videos bring you much excitement and curiosity in your learning adventure!
~Aurora
Supercharged Science
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