The distance between stars is typically measured in

This is a photo of the constellation Orion. Orion can be seen from most places in the world at some point during the year. Orion is not seen from the same place all year long because

Why do other stars appear so much dimmer than the Sun?

Kyle was riding in the car at night. He noticed that the headlights of other cars seemed to get larger as they came closer to him.

How are the headlights of the cars similar to the stars and the Sun?

Charlie looks into the sky with his telescope. One of the stars he sees is a small dot of light named Vega.

Vega is about twice as wide as the Sun. Why does Vega look so much smaller than the Sun?

A sailor is in a sailboat on the ocean at night and cannot see land. She wants to know the direction of true north. Without knowing her position, how can she use astronomy to find true north?

While at summer camp, Susan noticed a triangle pattern of bright stars straight up in the sky every night.

One day in late fall Susan looked for the triangle of stars in the sky but she could not find it. What is the most likely reason that she couldn't find the same pattern of stars?

A pattern of stars that has been named is called a constellation. One winter evening, Jason found the star called Sirius in the constellation called Canis Major.

If Jason came outside again a few hours later, what would the stars in Canis Major look like?

A star chart of the Northern Hemisphere is shown above.

Star charts can be used...

The Sun is a star. Scientists have explained that the reason the Sun looks larger than other stars is that the Earth is much closer to the Sun than to other stars.

Lena has noticed some of the stars in the night sky look smaller than others.

What is the best prediction that Lena could make about the stars?

Which of the images below shows the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a lunar eclipse?

The image below shows the Sun, Earth, and Moon in alignment. The image is not drawn to scale.

In what phase would the Moon appear to a viewer from Earth during this alignment?

The Sun always shines on half of the Moon. During a new moon, the Moon looks dark.

Where is the lit side of the Moon during a new moon?

Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the Earth and the Moon?

Evan sees a lunar eclipse one night. When he briefly observes the Moon, about half of it is bright and the other half is dark. He wonders what phase the Moon is in during this event.

Evan decides to use a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to determine the Moon's phase during a lunar eclipse. He uses a light bulb to represent the Sun and its light, a softball to represent the Earth, and a golf ball to represent the Moon.

Which diagram shows how Evan should arrange his model to investigate a lunar eclipse?

While researching Moon phases, Carrie found images of what the Moon looked like for several days in November one year.

On which day was the Moon most directly in between the Earth and the Sun?

It takes the Earth _______ to complete one revolution around the Sun.

Julio is using a globe and a flashlight to model what causes the seasons. To represent winter in the Northern Hemisphere, he positions the globe and flashlight as shown.

How should Julio adjust his model to represent summer in the Northern Hemisphere?

The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted. Because of this, the amount of sunlight a point on the surface receives each day varies depending on the time of year. These variations result in four distinct seasons.

The diagrams below show the Earth at four different points in its yearly revolution around the Sun. Which of the below positions will result in minimum daylight hours and the coldest temperatures for the Northern Hemisphere?

The diagram below represents the positions of the Earth and Sun during different times of the Earth year.

Based on the information in the diagram, what causes the Earth to have seasons?

The diagram below shows the Earth's position in relation to the Sun during the month of June. A location in the Northern Hemisphere is labeled as location X.

Which of these is true about location X during the month of June?

There are eight planets in the Solar System. Each planet is different from the others, but they all share some common characteristics.

Which of the following is a similarity of all planets?

Which are the outer planets of the Solar System?

What do the planets Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have in common?

When Travis woke up, he looked out his bedroom window and saw that is was daylight. Later that day, before going to sleep, he saw that it was nighttime. What caused day to turn into night?

The picture shows us how the Sun's rays strike Earth. Because of the Earth's tilt on its axis, some parts of Earth are having summer, and others, winter. What letter or letters on the Earth are experiencing winter?

The tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation is responsible for the

Earth orbits the Sun every 365 days, causing seasonal patterns that vary by location. In the summer, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, receiving the greatest amount of solar energy than any other time of the year. What can be expected in the Northern Hemisphere during this season?

Although the distance between the Earth and Sun varies slightly throughout the path of Earth's orbit, it has little impact on seasonal changes. What has the most impact on the seasonal changes that create variations in daylight and temperature?

Hundreds of years ago, it was believed by many that our solar system was Geocentric. This means that Earth is at the center of the solar system, with the Sun and other planets orbit around it. Today, the solar system is now thought to be Heliocentric.

What does this mean?

In the early 1600's, Galileo modified the lenses used in a scientific tool. After doing this, he was able to use it and see, for the first time, some of the moons of Jupiter.

The device Galileo used was a...

When the Sun is completely blocked out by the Moon a ________________ occurs.

During a ________ moon, we see one whole side of the Moon here on Earth.

The yellow circle represents the sun. If you were standing on the blue circle (Earth) and looking up at the moon, you would be seeing the _________ moon

As Earth spins on its axis, producing night and day, it also moves about the Sun in an elliptical orbit that requires about 365 1/4 days to complete. The Earth's axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is __________ for that hemisphere.

The picture shows us how the Sun's rays strike Earth. Because of the Earth's tilt on its axis, some parts of Earth are having summer, and others, winter. What letter or letters on the Earth are experiencing summer?

If Earth were not tilted on its axis, what change would we experience?

Which location of the moon relative to the sun and earth may produce a waning (getting smaller nightly) half moon?

The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon appear as if it is changing shape. From Earth we see the Moon grow from a thin crescent to a full moon and then shrink back to a thin crescent again. The phases of the Moon depend on its position in relation to the Sun and Earth. As the Moon makes its way around the Earth, we see the bright parts of the Moon's surface at different angles. These are called "phases" of the Moon.

Why does the moon have different phases?

The full moon rises in the east at the time of sunset. After rising, it continuously moves to the west and is seen high in the sky close to midnight. Which of these is the reason for the change of the moon’s position in the night sky?

Recycling centers are where people take materials that may be reused to make new products. How does recycling paper products affect our environment in a positive manner?

What negative consequence would most likely occur from burning coal?

Why are fossil fuels considered a nonrenewable resource?

Danny wants to throw away his plastic water bottle that he is no longer using. Which of the following disposable methods would best help conserve natural resources?

Which of the following materials are natural resources?

A local business claims that they are doing "everything possible" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Which company practice would cause a consumer to question their claim?

Select the nonrenewable resources listed below. (More than one may be used)

Select the renewable natural resources. (more than one may be used)

A weather satellite can capture a picture of a hurricane from space and send the information to Earth within seconds. How would the people that live near the ocean where the hurricane is forming benefit by having a photograph of a hurricane so quickly?

Adding harmful materials or chemicals to the soil, water, or air is known as ___________.

Select the characteristics of the inner planets in our solar system.

Select the characteristics of the outer planets.

Choose the word that best completes each part of the sentence below.

The sun appears to be __________ than the other stars we see at night because it is ______________.

The star chart above shows some of the constellations that are visible in the Southern Hemisphere during the Winter.

Which constellation is most visible to the people that live in the Northern section of the Southern Hemisphere?

A telescope is made of lenses aligned inside a tube like structure.

How does a telescope help astronomers to gather knowledge about objects in our solar system?

What makes constellations appear to move across the sky?

What tools (instruments/objects) did explorers use to navigate?

The star chart above shows the visible constellations in the Northern Hemisphere during Spring. Which constellation will most likely not be visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the Summer?

In the Spring the constellation Leo is visible to anyone residing in the Northern Hemisphere, but in the Summer it is only partially visible. Why is this?

Why do stars in the night sky look like tiny points of light, even though they are much larger than Earth?

The table shows examples of constellations that are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere by season.

Which statement explains why different constellations are visible as the seasons change?

Star A and Star B are identical. However, Star A looks dimmer than Star B. Which statement may explain why Star A seems dimmer than Star B?

One way to reduce the need for fossil fuels is by developing _________.

Conserving wetlands and reducing deforestation will help __________.

Because conservation means using fewer natural resources and reducing waste, it helps our communities by__________.

Which of the following are NONRENEWABLE sources of energy?

Which of these are examples of natural resources?

The use of pesticides and fertilizers must be carefully monitored because of the effect they can have on the environment. Which of the following is a possible negative effect of the use of these chemicals on the environment?

What do humans do that releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?

What celestial body is the center of our solar system?

What is the proper alignment for a solar eclipse to occur?

The image above represents a ________________.

A lunar eclipse occurs when ____________.

A substance that pollutes something, especially water or the atmosphere is called ________________

Which of the following options correctly pairs up all of Earth's spheres?

Change of season is mainly due to Earth's revolution around the sun.