Distance from the Sun

1. Distance from the Sun 1 Astronomical Unit = 149, 597, 871 kilometers

2. Average Distance from the Earth to the Moon: 221,567 miles

3. Average Distance from the Earth to the Sun: 93,020,000 miles (149, 597, 871km )(1 AU)

4. DID YOU KNOW THE MOON CAUSES TIDES????

5. What are tides? • Tides are periodic rise and fall of large bodies of water. • Tides are caused by the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon. • The gravitational attraction of the moon causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the moon. • Another bulge occurs on the opposite side, since the Earth is also being pulled toward the moon (and away from the water on the far side). • Since the Earth is rotating while this is happening, two tides occur each day.

6. Spring Tides SPRING TIDES Spring tides are especially strong tides (they do not have anything to do with the season Spring). They occur when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in a line. The gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun both contribute to the tides. Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon.

7. NEAP TIDES • Neap tides are especially weak tides. • They occur when the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular to one another (with respect to the Earth). • Neap tides occur during quarter moons.

10. EARTH’S SEASONS

11. What causes Earth’s seasons? • The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted in relation to the ecliptic plane, an imaginary surface through Earth's orbit around the sun. • This means the northern and southern hemispheres will sometimes point toward or away from the sun depending on the time of year, varying the amount of light they receive and causing the seasons.

12. Tilt of the Earth’s axis towards or away from the sun creates the seasons SUMMER (Northern Hemisphere) When the north pole tilts toward thesun, it gets more radiation – more warmth during the summer North Pole Equator Earth When the north pole tilts toward thesun, the south pole tilts away So when it’s summer in the north, it’s winter in the south WINTER (Southern Hemisphere)

13. Tilt of the Earth’s axis towards or away from the sun creates the seasons WINTER (Northern Hemisphere) When the north pole tilts away from the sun, it gets less radiation – So it’s colder during the winter North Pole Equator Earth South Pole When the north pole tilts away from thesun, the south pole tilts toward it… When it’s winter in the north, it’s summer in the south SUMMER (Southern Hemisphere)

14. Does the Moon have seasons? • The tilt of Earth's axis is about 23.5 degrees, but the tilt of the moon's axis is only about 1.5 degrees. • As such, the moon virtually has no seasons. • This means that some areas are always lit by sunlight, and other places are perpetually draped in shadow. Videos

15. What is a Solstice? • At two points throughout the year, the tilt of the Earth’s axis reaches its maximum angle compared to the Sun, and begins to move back the other direction. • This usually happens around June 21st and December 21st. These days are known as solstices. • On these solstices, the rays of the Sun shine directly on one of the two Tropics. • During the June Solstice the rays of the Sun shine directly on the Tropic of Cancer. During the December Solstice the Sun’s rays shine on the Tropic of Capricorn.

16. Solstice June 21st December 21st

17. What is an Equinox • As the Earth moves around its orbit, it reaches two points during the year where the tilt of its axis causes it to be straight relative to the Sun. • These days are known as equinoxes. During these equinoxes the rays of the Sun shine directly on the equator. • This happens on approximately March 20th and September 22nd.

18. Equinox March 20th and September 22nd Worksheet

19. Vocabulary to know! • Ellipse- A closed, symmetric curve shaped like an oval. Earth’s shape is nearly circular! • Tilt- to cause to lean, incline, slope, or slant.

20. Clementine’s Contributions • Clementine's four cameras took more than 2 million pictures of the moon. • A laser device measured the height and depth of mountains, craters, and other features. • Radar signals that Clementine bounced off the moon provided evidence of a large deposit of frozen water. • The ice appeared to be inside craters at the south pole. • Another kind of information collected by the Clementine Spacecraft indicates what kinds of minerals make up moon rocks. • Clementine Space Craft got its name after the song, "Oh my darling Clementine." The song has a line ' Thou art lost and gone forever' - a reference to its one-way journey with no return.

22. Phases of the Moon

23. Lunar vs. Solar Eclipse • A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun, and the Earth's shadow obscures the moon or a portion of it. • A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking all or a portion of the Sun.

24. Terms to know…. • Umbra-The completely dark portion of the shadow cast by the earth, moon, or other body during an eclipse. • Penumbra-A partial shadow, as in an eclipse, between regions of complete shadow and complete illumination.

25. Lunar Eclipse

26. Lunar Eclipse • A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow). • This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle.

27. Solar Eclipse

28. Solar Eclipse • As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun. • This can happen only at the new moon phase.

29. Lunar Eclipse

30. Solar Eclipse

31. Why doesn’t a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse occur every month? • Solar and lunar eclipses don't occur every month because the plane of the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not aligned with the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. • The Moon's path is tilted when compared to the plane of Earth's orbit, so the Moon is not in a direct line with the Sun and Earth. • In a solar eclipse, the Moon must be directly between the Sun and the Earth. • Similarly, in a lunar eclipse (slightly more frequent), the shadow of the Earth has to fall on the Moon. Videos

32. Can you remember…. • What is a neap tide? • What is a spring tide? • What is an Equinox? • What is a Solstice? • What is a lunar eclipse? • What is a solar eclipse? • What does AU stand for?

34. Comet- A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust points away from the sun. • Meteoroid- A meteoroid is a small rock or particle of debris in our solar system. They range in size from dust to around 10 meters in diameter (larger objects are usually referred to as asteroids). • Meteor-A meteoroid that burns up as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere is known as a meteor. If you’ve ever looked up at the sky at night and seen a streak of light or ‘shooting star’ what you are actually seeing is a meteor. • Meteorite- A meteoroid that survives falling through the Earth’s atmosphere and colliding with the Earth’s surface is known as a meteorite. • Asteroid- A small rocky body orbiting the Sun. Large numbers of these, ranging in size from nearly 600 miles (1,000 km) across to dust particles, are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

35. Comets • Object made of ice, gas, and dust that travels through space. • “solar system leftovers” possibly formed at the same time as the sun & planets (4.5 billion years ago) • Travel across the sky SLOWLY. • Example: Halley’s Comet • Travels towards the sun every 75-79 years… said to return in 2062. • Reflects Sunlight Where do they come from? Oort Cloud (vast collection of ice/dust) outside Pluto More than a light year away from the sun (15 tril km)

36. Comets

37. Meteoroid • Smaller than asteroids • Rocky – made of metal or stone • Orbit sun, outside Earth’s atmosphere • Believed to come from the Asteroid belt

39. Meteors • We call them shooting stars • They are meteoroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up (streaks of light) • The streak of light produced by a burning metor • Meteor shower – meteors coming from the same place • Meteor storm – many meteors

40. Meteor

41. Meteorite • A meteor that strikes Earth’s surface. • Can land on other places, like the moon • Composed of iron, nickel, stone • Large meteorites have produced craters when they hit Earth. (SW Africa, Canada, Arizona, Russia) Video

42. Meteorite

43. Asteroids • Rocky, cratered bodies that orbit the sun • Smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids • Reflects Sunlight

45. Meteor Shower April 21st-22nd!!!!! • The Lyrid meteor shower should give sky watchers in darkened parts of the world a decent show late Sunday night (April 21) and early Monday morning (April 22), but the glare from a nearly full moon will probably impede the view for many stargazers. • "Moonlight will interfere with this year's display, but away from city lights, you might see up to 20 meteors per hour."

46. What is the difference between comets and meteors? • What is the difference between a meteor, meteorite, and meteoroid? • What is an asteroid?

47. HOMEWORK! Meteors Known as shooting stars Most found in the asteroid belt Object made of ice, gas, and dust Asteroids Comets

48. Stars

49. What is a Star? • A star is a huge sphere of very hot glowing gas. • When stars are grouped together we call them constellations. • The Big Dipper is a constellation that we see often.