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Space Environment
Module 5
Module 5 Space Environment
1
Stars &
Nebula
• Our Sun is a star
• A Hot body of
Helium and
Hydrogen gas
• Nebula are huge
clouds of gas and
dust that have
vague shapes
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Galaxies
• Enormous collections
of stars
• Our Galaxy is called
the Milky Way
• Scientists estimate that
our Milky Way has
100 Billion stars…
many with planets
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The Universe
Everything we are
aware of is a part of
the known universe
– Galaxies
– Stars
– Planets
– Plants
– Animals
– Humans
All made from the same
elements
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Space – the Final Frontier?
• The region of the
universe beyond earth
• Great distances between
significant bodies
–
–
–
–
Moon 240,000 miles
Planets 20,000,000 (Venus)
Sun 93,000,000 miles
Galaxies Light years
• A light year is 6 trillion
miles
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Constellations
• Groups of stars named
after mythical figures,
objects, or animals as
seen from the Earth
• “The Big Dipper”
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The Sun
• Center of our solar
system
• Temperatures reach
15,000,000° C at its
center
• Dark areas are
sunspots -- cooler.
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The Solar System
Nine Ten Planets
Inner – Mars Earth Venus
Mercury
Outer – Jupiter
Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
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Our Sun as
seen from the
tenth planet
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Relative Size of Planets
Rotates counter-clockwise
The “Red” Planet
Largest planet
Furthest from Sun
Sun
Pluto Neptune Uranus
Saturn
Jupiter
Mars Earth Venus Mercury
Atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen
Closest
to
Module 5 Space
Environment
the Sun
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Characteristics
of Space
Thickness of the
atmosphere
• Defined as starting 62
miles above the earth
• Very few molecules
(low pressure - almost
a vacuum)
• No oxygen
• Very cold
• Little gravity
(microgravity)
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Our Moon
• ¼ the size of the Earth
• Orbits the earth in 28
days
• Rotates on its axis once
each 28 (27) days
– Lunar day is 28 earth
days
• Far side never viewable
from Earth
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Meteors
• Meteoroids are rocks
10 meters or less, that
drift through space.
• If it enters the Earths
atmosphere it is a
meteor.
• If it strikes the earth
before burning up it is
a meteorite
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Asteroids
• Often called minor
planets or
planetoids
• Primarily inner
Solar System
• smaller than planets
• larger than
meteoroids
• distinction made on
visual appearance
when discovered
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Comets
• Composed of frozen
gases, dust and ice
• Have no light source
but reflect sunlight
• Tail
– shaped by Solar wind
– always points away
from the sun
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The Universe
A Wonder of
God’s creation
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