Download Solar System Webquest

Solar System Web Quest
Use the following website to answer questions 1 & 2:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/universe_level1/universe.html
1. Where is our solar system located in the Universe?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Where is our solar system located in the Milky Way Galaxy?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Use the following websites to compare and contrast the planets in terms of
size, features, distance from the sun, and ability to support life. Fill in table
below:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/solar_sys
tem.html
http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/kidzone.html
http://nineplanets.org/
Planet
Size
relative to
Earth
(Diametermiles/km)
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Dwarf Planet
- Pluto
©2012HappyEdugator
Surface and
Atmospheric
features.
Include: temp.,
gases, etc.
Relative
distance from
the sun
(miles/kilomet
ers)
Ability to
support life.
Why or Why
not?
Page 2
4.
Use the following website to learn about Comets, Asteroids, and
Meteoroids. Fill in the table below. Kidscosmos.org
http://www.kidscosmos.org/solar_system/asteroids_comets_meteors.php
This site will also link back to the StarChild site which you can also use.
Heavenly Body
Composition
(what is it made
of)
Size
Meteoroid
Asteroid
Comet
Orbit
Origin
Use the website http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzastro2.html to
find the answers to these questions.
5.
What are constellations?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Why do we see different constellations throughout the year?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Define (Click on ZOOM Astronomy and then glossary):
a. light year -__________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. parsec - _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. astronomical unit - _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
©2012HappyEdugator
KEY
Solar System Web Quest
Use the following website to answer questions 1 & 2:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/universe_level1/universe.html
1. Where is our solar system located in the Universe? In the Milky Way Galaxy
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Where is our solar system located in the Milky Way Galaxy? on the edge of one
of the spiral arms __________________________________________________________
3. Use the following websites to compare and contrast the planets in terms of
size, features, distance from the sun, and ability to support life. Fill in table
below:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/solar_sys
tem.html
http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/kidzone.html
http://nineplanets.org/
Planet
Size
relative to
Earth
(Diametermiles/km)
Surface and
Atmospheric
features.
Include: temp.,
gases, etc.
Relative
distance from
the sun
(miles/kilomet
ers)
Ability to
support life.
Why or Why
not?
Mercury
1/3 size of
Earth
4878 km
427C
-183 C
57.8 million km
No, no water, oxygen,
temperature
Venus
almost the
same –
12,100 km
108.2 million km
No, no water,
temperature, toxic
gases
Earth
-same
12,756 km
484C daytime
sulfuric acid and
carbon dioxide
atmosphere
nitrogen and oxygen
atmosphere
152 million km
Yes, water and
oxygen
Mars
about half the
size of Earth
6786 km
22C
-122C
95% carbon dioxide
228 million km
No, no water has
been found, no
oxygen
Jupiter
bigger than all
the planets
combined
143,000 km
120,660 km
gas planet,20,000C
core mostly made up
of hydrogen, helium,
sulfur and nitrogen
gas planet, hydrogen
and helium, low
density
778.3 million km
No, no water, no
oxygen, gives off heat
1.429 billion km
No, no water, no
oxygen, gives off heat
Uranus
51,118 km
64 times the
size of Earth
gas planet,
hydrogen, helium
and methane
2.871 billion km
No, no water, no
oxygen, very cold
Neptune
49,528 km
4.501 billion km
No, no water, no
oxygen, very cold
Dwarf Planet
- Pluto
2400 km
gas planet,
hydrogen, helium,
ammonia and
methane
atmosphere of
nitrogen and
methane
6 billion km
No, no water, no
oxygen, very cold
Saturn
©2012HappyEdugator
Page 2
4.
Use the following website to learn about Comets, Asteroids, and
Meteoroids. Fill in the table below. Kidscosmos.org
http://www.kidscosmos.org/solar_system/asteroids_comets_meteors.php
This site will also link back to the StarChild site which you can also use.
Heavenly Body
Composition
(what is it made
of)
Meteoroid
Asteroid
Comet
ice, rock and dust
rocky and/or ironnickel material
Size
from a grain of sand
to about a softball
few hundred feet to
several hundred km
wide
like a ball of rock
and dirty snow made
of rock, iron and
frozen water and
gases
up to about 5 km
Orbit
around the sun in a
cloud left by a
passing comet, named
after constellation
they appear in
in orbit around the
sun between the
orbits of Mars and
Jupiter
long, elliptical orbits
that take them from
beyond the orbit of
Uranus to around the
sun.
Origin
A piece of comet
debris.
natural occurring
bodies of primitive
material
Oort Cloud or Kuiper
Belt
Use the website http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzastro2.html to
find the answers to these questions. What are constellations? imaginary
things made up to help describe the night sky _ help us tell which stars
are which ______________________
6. Why do we see different constellations throughout the year? _because the
earth moves in relation to the sky
7. Define (Click on ZOOM Astronomy and then glossary):
a. light year -_ the distance that light can travel in one year in a
vacuum or about 5,880,000,000,000 miles ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. parsec - is equal to 3.26 light-years or 3.085678 x1013kilometers _
______________________________________________________________________________
c. astronomical unit - AU, is equal to the mean (average) distance
from the Earth to the Sun, about 93 million miles (150 million km). It takes
a beam of light about 8.3 minutes to travel 1 AU
©2012HappyEdugator