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Mission 1 – page 1
Name: _________________________
Teacher: _______________________
Mission 1: What's In Our Sky?
Mission 1: We need to learn more about how the Sun, Moon and Earth are alike
and different so we can make the best decisions about how to grow plants on the
Moon. You will learn all about them and report back on what you've learned to
Commander Spud Goodroot.
Sections:
Sun and Stars
The Moon
Earth Dances
Moon Dances
Moon Visits
Sun and Stars
The Sun is the brightest object in our sky and the largest object in our solar
system. The Sun is actually a star that is 93 million miles (that's 150 million
kilometers) from the Earth. The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old and is one of
more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way
Galaxy. The Sun is one of many stars in the part of our galaxy called the Orion
arm.
The Milky Way Galaxy, courtesy of Windows to the Universe,
http://www.windows.ucar.edu
Mission 1 – page 2
Entry 1: Make a chart in your Agronaut log to record what you learn about the
Sun, Moon and Earth that you will learn in this mission.
Sun
Moon
Earth
Average
Temperature
Diameter
(compared to
Earth)
Miles away from
Earth
N/A
N/A
What makes up
the atmosphere?
Is water present?
Rotation period
Gravity (compared
to Earth)
N/A
Mission 1 – page 3
The Earth and eight other planets move around the Sun in paths called orbits.
Lighter objects orbit heavier ones, and the Sun is the heaviest object in the solar
system. The Sun is more than 300,000 times heavier than the Earth.
The Sun is very large
compared to the Earth. The
diameter of the Sun is 100
times more than the diameter
of the Earth! And, even at
that size, it is just a mediumsized star compared to
others.
The Sun is very hot! The
temperature of the surface
of the Sun is about 11,000 °F
(degrees Fahrenheit). That's
the same as 6093 °C
(degrees Celsius). We will
learn about temperature
scales in Mission 4.
Entry 2: What is the temperature in your area today? Use the internet, the news,
check a thermometer or ask an adult to help you find out the temperature today.
Record the temperature in °F and °C in your Agronaut Log.
_______ Celcius
_______ Fahrenheit
How does it compare to the temperature of the Sun?
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Mission 1 – page 4
The Sun is a ball of gas made mostly of two gasses: hydrogen and helium.
Helium is what goes into balloons to make them float. The Sun is always working
to change hydrogen to helium. The Sun makes the light that we see and the
heat that we feel when we are outside during the day.
The Sun is one of many stars in our galaxy. Our sun is an average star. Some
others stars are much bigger and others are much smaller. All of the other stars
in the sky are much further away from us than the Sun. Their long distance away
from us is the reason they look like tiny points of light in the night sky.
We measure the distance of stars from Earth in light years. A light year is the
distance that light travels in one year. Since light travels at a speed of 186,000
miles/second (300,000 kilometers/second), a star that is one light year away is
actually 5.8 trillion miles (9.5 trillion kilometers) from us! The Sun is only 8 light
minutes away. That means that light from the Sun takes 8 minutes to get to
earth. By comparison, if your friend turned on a very bright flashlight in California,
you would see the light in about 1/60th of a second. Thats very quick! That is
quicker than snapping your fingers! The closest star to us, other than the Sun, is
Alpha Centauri, and it is 4 light years away. The most distant stars we can still
see without a telescope are about 1000 light years away!
All the stars we see at night from Earth are also stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.
There are over 100 billion stars in our Galaxy, but on an average dark night we
can only see about 1000 to 1500 of them! Stars produce light and heat by
changing hydrogen into helium, just like the Sun (remember, the Sun is a star,
too!).
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky that have names. Constellations
have been used for many years to help sailors navigate, or figure out where they
are, in the ocean and also to remember stories about heroes and myths.
Astronauts can use constellations in the same way. We see different
constellations during different seasons as the Earth moves around the Sun.
Mission 1 – page 5
Entry 3: Your teacher will help you learn about some constellations that we can
see in the night sky and the stories or people that they represent. In your
Agronaut log, try drawing your own constellation and making up a story to go
along with it.
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Mission 1 – page 6
The Moon
The Moon is the second brightest thing
in the sky after the Sun, but it is not a
star. The Moon is about ¼ the diameter
of the Earth and is made of rocky
material. Most lunar rocks are between
3 and 4.6 billion years old. Many
scientists believe that the Moon formed
when the Earth ran into a very large
object (perhaps as big as the planet
Mars). They think the Moon formed
from the broken material. The Moon is
the only natural satellite of the Earth
and travels around the Earth in an
orbit.
The diameter of four
Moons is equal to the
diameter of the Earth.
Entry 4: Draw a picture of the Earth and its orbital path around the Sun. Now add
to the picture the Moon and its orbital path around the Earth.
Mission 1 – page 7
The Moon is about 240,000 miles (386,000 kilometers) away from Earth. How
long does it take for light to travel from the Earth to the Moon? About 1.3
seconds.
The temperature on the Moon is much colder, but strangely also much hotter
than on Earth. It can get as hot as 212 °F (100 °C) and as cold as -233 °F (-147
°C)! This large temperature range happens because the Moon has no
atmosphere. On Earth, our atmosphere helps to control the temperature on our
planet. Since the Moon has no atmosphere to help with temperature control, it is
very hot where the Sun shines on the Moon and it is very cold where the Sun
does not shine! Because of the way it rotates, the moon's South Pole never gets
any sunlight.
Man-made satellites that have orbited around the Moon have found some
evidence of ice scattered in some of the deep craters near the Moon's North and
South Poles. This means that there is frozen water on the Moon.
Earth Dances
The Earth revolves around the Sun every 365 days, and this is why our calendar
has 365 days in a year. That means the Earth moves completely around the Sun
one time each year. So why does the Earth orbit the Sun? Think of it like this:
The Earth is spinning around the Sun just like you would twirl a ball on a string. If
the string breaks, the ball flies off. Why doesn't the Earth "fly off" into outer
space? That is because of gravity. Gravity is a natural force that attracts objects
to each other. The Sun and the Earth are held together by gravity, so even
though the Earth is spinning around the Sun, it remains in orbit because of
gravity. This is the same reason why all of the planets orbit the Sun and also why
the Moon orbits the Earth. Gravity is like the string that holds the twirling ball.
Gravity is the reason we keep our feet on the ground. We feel Earth's gravity
pulling us down. Because the Moon is smaller than the Earth, there is less
gravity. If you weigh 60 pounds on Earth, you would only weigh 10 pounds on the
moon!
Mission 1 – page 8
Earth's orbital path is created by two things: gravity and a sideways motion.
The Earth also has an axis, and it rotates on its axis every 24 hours. This is why
there are 24 hours in a day. Revolution is when the Earth moves in a circle
around the Sun, and rotation is when the Earth spins on its axis. Because the
Earth rotates one time every 24 hours, at any point in a day, half of the Earth is
facing the Sun and half of the Earth is facing away from the Sun. In North
America, we have daytime when our continent is facing the Sun. North America
has nighttime when our continent is on the side of Earth facing away from the
Sun. So, when it is nighttime in North America, it is daytime in places on the
other side of the Earth.
Entry 5: Can you find an example of a country that is experiencing nighttime
when you are experiencing daytime? Record the country in your log. Write a
paragraph about 1) what you are doing at 8:00am and 2) what a boy or girl your
age in that country might be doing at that same moment.
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Mission 1 – page 9
If we stood in the same spot outside for an entire day, it would look like the Sun
was moving across the sky. It is really the Earth that is moving! As your spot on
the Earth rotates toward the Sun, we see a sunrise, and as it rotates away, you
see a sunset. The Sun appears to be directly above us in the sky at noon.
In the picture above, Rosy sees the Sun rise in the east because the Earth is
rotating. She sees the Sun directly above her at noon, and then she sees the
Sun set in the west - all because of the Earth's rotation.
So, we know that the Earth's rotation causes day and night. The Earth's
revolution around the Sun also causes our seasons. The different seasons on
Earth are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and the angle of the sunlight when
it hits the Earth.
The Earth is not positioned straight up and down - it is tilted at an angle. So, for
example, when the Earth is tipped towards the Sun, the northern hemisphere has
summer. Summer in the northern hemisphere brings longer days (over 12 hours
of sunlight a day!) and shorter nights. The sunlight during the summer is also
hitting the Earth head on, which heats that part of the Earth. At the same time of
the year, the southern hemisphere is having winter, which means less hours of
daylight. The sunlight is not striking the southern hemisphere head on at that
time, which causes less heating of the Earth in the southern hemisphere.
Mission 1 – page 10
Entry 6: Can you find an example of a country that is having winter when you are
having summer? Record the country in your log. Write a paragraph about 1) what
you do in the summer and 2) what a boy or girl your age in that country might be
doing at that same time, when they are having winter.
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Mission 1 – page 11
Moon Dances
We just learned that when one half of the Earth is lit up by the Sun, the other half
of the Earth is dark. The same thing happens with the Moon. When the Moon is
orbiting around the Earth, we see different parts of the Moon at different times.
This makes the Moon seem to disappear slowly and then reappear. There are
eight phases of the Moon, and the Moon cycles through all eight phases every
29 1/2 days. This is almost once a month.
Mission 1 – page 12
Phase 1 - New Moon
Phase 2 -Waxing Crescent Moon
Phase 3 - First Quarter Moon
Phase 4 - Waxing Gibbous Moon
Phase 5 - Full Moon
Phase 6 - Waning Gibbous Moon
Phase 7 - Last Quarter Moon
Phase 8 - Waning Crescent Moon
Entry 7: Draw the phases of the Moon in your Agronaut log. You will begin a
Moon journal. Every night for one month, look outside and find the Moon in the
night sky. Draw in your log book what the Moon looks like and determine what
phase it is in.
Mission 1 – page 13
Phases of the Moon Log
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Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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Mission 1 – page 14
What about gravity on the Moon? Gravity helps to keep the Earth orbiting around
the Sun. In the same way, gravity helps to keep the Moon orbiting around the
Earth. Remember, smaller objects orbit larger ones. The Moon is smaller than
Earth, so the pull of gravity from the Earth is stronger. Does the Moon have
gravity? Could objects be attracted or pulled towards the Moon by its gravity?
Yes, but the gravity on the Moon is only 1/6 of that on the Earth. So, on the
Moon, you would only weigh 1/6 of your weight on Earth.
Entry 8: How much do you weigh on Earth? In your Agronaut Log, calculate what
you would weigh on the Moon.
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Moon Visits
When a satellite or spacecraft circles close to Earth, we say it is in Low Earth
Orbit (LEO). Because these satellites and spacecraft are traveling so close to
Earth, they must travel at very high speeds so that Earth's gravity does not pull
them back into the atmosphere. Satellites and spacecraft in LEO can circle the
entire Earth in about 90 minutes! This high-speed travel creates a state of freefall, and things in free-fall are said to be "weightless". This state is also called
microgravity environment. In microgravity, people do not feel the effects of
gravity. This is the reason we see pictures of astronauts floating around on
spacecraft. There is no gravity to keep them firmly grounded.
Mission 1 – page 15
The Moon was first visited by a
Russian spacecraft called Luna II in
1959. The first time humans visited the
Moon was on July 20, 1969 when Neil
Armstrong was the first person to step
onto the Moon. The last time anyone
visited the Moon was in December
1972.
Entry 9: In your Agronaut log, calculate how long it has been since a person has
been on the Moon.
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The Moon is the only extraterrestrial body that humans have visited. Many
people want to go back to the Moon, and other people want to go to planets such
as Mars or to other objects in the galaxy such as asteroids.
Mission 1 – page 16
Entry 10: Interview someone you know who was alive in 1969 and remembers
when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon. Ask this person what he or she
remembers. Write down important things that they tell you about 1) what details
they remember, 2) how they felt, and 3) how other people reacted. Write about
your interview in your Agronaut Log.
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Mission 1 – page 17
Sky Report
Look back at the information you have learned and write a report on the
following page to Commander Spud Goodroot answering the following questions:
1. How is the Moon different from the Earth and the Sun? Refer to your chart for
help.
2. Why does part of the Moon seem to "disappear" and then come back?
3. Do you think people or plants could live on the Moon right now? Why or why
not?
4. If you had to decide right now, is there anywhere on the Moon where you
would NOT put the plant growth chamber? Why?
Congratulations! You have completed Mission 1!
Mission 1 – page 18
Sky Report
To: Commander Goodroot
From: __________________
Date: ___/____/_______
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Mission 1 – page 19
Mission 1 Glossary
angle
what lies between two rays which share the same endpoint
asteroid
a rocky object in space that can be anywhere from a few feet
wide to several miles wide. Most asteroids in our solar
system are part of a belt between Mars and Jupiter.
atmosphere
the mass of gas surrounding an object in space and held by
the object's gravitational field
axis
an imaginary straight line around which an object spins. The
Earth's axis is tilted 23.45 degrees.
billion
A number represented as a 1 followed by nine zeros
(1,000,000,000). If you have a bucket that holds 10 thousand
marbles, you would need 100 thousand of those same
buckets to hold a billion marbles! That's a lot of marbles!
Celsius
metric temperature scale at which water freezes at 0° and
boils at 100°
crater
a bowl-shaped depression on a surface made by the impact
of a large object, such as a meteor
diameter
a straight line segment which passes through the center of a
circle or sphere with both its ends on the boundary of the
circle
extraterrestrial
originating or occurring outside the Earth and its atmosphere;
when scientists search for extraterrestrial life, they are trying
to find life on someplace other than Earth
Fahrenheit
the temperature scale at which water freezes at 32° and boils
at 212°
freefall
another term for the feeling of "weightlessness"
galaxy
a huge collection of gas, dust, and stars in space. Our own
galaxy is called the Milky Way.
gravity
the natural, invisible force between objects that attracts them
to each other
Mission 1 – page 20
heat
a form of energy that causes the sensation of feeling hot or
warm
kilometer
A unit of measure for length. One kilometer equals 1,000
meters. A kilometer is also equal to .6214 miles.
light
electromagnetic radiation that has a wavelength that is visible
to the naked eye
light year
the distance that light can travel in one year (9.5 trillion
kilometers)
Low Earth Orbit
An area that satellites travel in that is about 200-500 miles
(320-800 kilometers) above Earth. Satellites traveling in Low
Earth Orbit have to travel very fast so that gravity does not
pull them back out into the atmosphere.
Luna II
Russian spacecraft, the first spacecraft to land on the Moon.
Humans were not on this spacecraft. It landed on the Moon
on September 14, 1959.
lunar
having to do with the Moon
microgravity
an environment in which there is minimal gravitational force
Moon
can be any natural object orbiting around another; often
refers to the Moon of the Earth (but other planets have
moons too.) The Moon of the Earth was probably formed
when a large object struck the Earth a long time ago.
navigate
to plan, record and control the movement of a ship or plane
Moon - can be any natural object orbiting around another;
often refers to the Moon of the Earth (but other planets have
moons too.) The Moon of the Earth was probably formed
when a large object struck the Earth a long time ago.
Neil Armstrong
American astronaut and the first person to step on the Moon.
When he landed on the Moon, he said, "That's one small step
for man; one giant leap for mankind."
orbit
the path followed by an object in space as it travels around
another object
Mission 1 – page 21
phase
one of the apparent forms of the Moon. The Moon cycles
through 8 phases.
revolve
to move in an orbit or circle around something
rotate
to move around a center point, or axis, just like how a wheel
rotates
satellite
an object that orbits another in space. The Moon is a natural
satellite of the Earth.
star
an object in space composed of intensely hot gasses that
creates light and heat energy from nuclear reactions going on
inside of it
Sun
a star, and the largest object in our solar system. The Sun is
the closest star to Earth and is about 5 billion years old.
telescope
an instrument used for viewing far away objects, such as
planets and stars
temperature
the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment
trillion
A number represented as a 1 followed by twelve zeros
(1,000,000,000,000) If you have a bucket that holds 100
thousand marbles, you would need 10 million of those same
buckets to hold a trillion marbles! That's a lot of marbles!
weightless
not experiencing the effects of gravity