Download our planet - section 1

BOOK 3
OUR PLANET
SECTION 1
OUR PLANET IN THE UNIVERSE
OUR
PLANET
- SECTION 1 - SEC 1
OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM (EMS)
The Electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is a range of wavelengths and frequencies which
extend from gamma rays to radio waves. The EMS is very useful because it allows us carry out a wide array of tasks, including letting us see very far into the universe and show us
things which might not be visible to the naked eye.
The EMS is split into seven regions:
1. Radio waves.
2. Micro waves.
3. Infra-red.
4. Visible light.
5. Ultraviolet.
6. X-rays.
7. Gamma rays.
EMS
EM spectrum qualities, Wikimedia CC, http://bit.ly/2e4EJXh
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OUR
PLANET
- SECTION 1 - SEC 1
OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
THE EMS AND SPACE
Regions of the EMS are often used to record or photograph far regions of space. Parts of
our solar system have also been photographed using different regions of the EMS, giving
interesting effects.
X-RAY IMAGES OF THE SUN
X-ray of the Sun 2
X-ray of the Sun 1
NASA/NOAA/ Lockheed Martin
NASA
ULTRAVIOLET IMAGES
UV of the Sun
UV of a galaxy
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA/ESA/Immer et al.
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OUR
PLANET
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OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
VISIBLE LIGHT IMAGES
Visible light image of the Sun
Visible light image of Earth
NASA/SDO, HMI
NASA/ GSFC/ NOAA/ USGS
Visible light image of the Moon
Visible light image of a galaxy
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OUR
PLANET
- SECTION 1 - SEC 1
OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
ACTIVITY
Using the internet, research different space images using different regions of the EMS.
Construct a table like the one below.
Part of the electromagnetic
spectrum
Object
X-rays
Ultraviolet
visible
infrared
microwave
radio waves
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Picture
OUR
PLANET
- SECTION 1 - SEC 1
OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
THE UNIVERSE
The universe is massive and is continuing to expand. Our minds cannot fathom the
enormous scope and size of the universe. The size for some of the objects in the universe
is so large that they are measured in light years. A light year is the distance light will travel
in one year. The speed of light is 670 616 629 mph and there are 8 760 hours in a year.
940
km
1 737
km
1186
km
2 440
km
167 000
km
Smallest
559 288 2.4
km
billion km
1.87
LY
200
LY
100 000
LY
Largest galaxy
Our Galaxy
Smallest galaxy
Solar system
Largest star
Largest planet
Smallest star
Smallest planet
6
m
Dwarf planet
Smallest asteroid
5
μm
moon
Dust particle
0.1
nm
Largest asteroid
Atom
Size
Object
The table below compares the size of different objects in the universe:
4 million
LY
Largest
(known)
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OUR
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OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Our solar system is the collection of one star, eight planets, a dwarf planet and a collection
of moons. There is also an asteroid belt. The planets are various sizes and distances from
the Sun. They are found in this order as you move away from the sun.
•Mercury
The easiest way to remember the
•Venus
order of the planets is with a rhyme.
•Earth
•Mars
•Jupiter
•Saturn
Many Vampires Eat My Jam
Sandwiches Under Neptune’s
Pub
•Uranus
•Neptune
•Pluto
The asteroid belt is found within our solar system between Mars and Jupiter. This
separates the inner and outer planets. The inner planets are rocky and the outer planets
are gaseous. Some planets have many moons, but some have none.
Solar system
Ian McKinnell / Alamy Stock Photo
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OUR
PLANET
- SECTION 1 - SEC 1
OBTAINING
RESOURCES
OUR
PLANET
IN THE
UNIVERSE
OBTAINING
CLEAN
WATER
ACTIVITY
Use only the words in the box below to fill in the blanks.
Saturn
asteroid
Earth
Neptune
Moon
inner planets
outer planets
dwarf planet
planets
Pluto
moons
Mars
the Sun
The solar system is made of one star called ____ ___________. Orbiting around the sun
are eight ________ and one __________ __________. The first four planets are called
Mercury, Venus, _________ and ________. Together they are called the __________
__________. The next four are called the ________ ________, called Jupiter, ________,
Uranus and ___________. The inner and outer planets are separated by an __________
belt. The final planet is a dwarf planet called _________. Some of the planets have
_________. Earth has one, called the __________, while Saturn has 60!
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