A B C’s of Space

Aleks SlocumSecond Grade

SCI.2.2 2010 - Earth and Space ScienceDay to day and over the seasons, observe, measure, record and recognize patterns and ask questions about features of weather. (2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6) Investigate how the position of the sun and moon and the shape of the moon change in observable patterns. (2.2.7, 2.2.8, 2.2.9)

Grade Level: Second

Indiana Academic Standards

A is for Astronaut.

An Astronaut is someone who travels space.

B is for Big Dipper.

The Big Dipper is a group of stars in the sky that looks like a cooking pot or a spoon.

C is for Comet.

A comet is a giant ball of ice and snow that orbits the sun. As it gets close to the sun it melts and

leaves a “tail” behind it.

D is for Day.

A “day” is the time it takes the earth to spin around one complete time. It is also the time frame when

the sun is in the sky.

E is for Earth.

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is where we live.

F is for Fireballs.

A fireball is a meteor that is brighter than any of the planets.

G is for Galaxy.

A galaxy is a system of millions of stars and planets. Earth is in a galaxy called The Milky Way.

H is for Hubble Space Telescope.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a telescope that is in space. It takes pictures of objects like dying stars

and other galaxies.

I is for Inferior Planets.

Inferior planets are planets that are closer to the Sun than Earth. Mercury and Venus are both

inferior planets.

J is for Jupiter.

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. It is the largest planet.

K is for Kepler.

Johannes Kepler was a German Astronomer. He figured out how the planets move around the Sun.

We call that Planetary Motion.

L is for Light-Year.

A light-year is a unit of astronomical distance equal to the distance that light travels in one year.

M is for Moon.

A moon is planet-like, but it is not a planet. A moon rotates around a planet. Earth only has one moon

while some planets have several.

N is for Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon. He landed on July 20, 1969.

O is for Orbit.

Orbit is the motion of the Earth, other planets, and even things like comets, around the Sun.

P is for Planets.

Our solar system has eight planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and

Neptune are the planets.

Q is for Quasar.

Quasars are the brightest objects in the universe. They are so far way that we cannot see them just

by looking into the sky.

R is for Rocket.

A rocket is a very powerful engine. NASA uses rockets to send satellites and spaceships into

space.

S is for Stars.

Stars are made of gas and plasma. They are really bright because they explode. Our closest star is the Sun. No one knows how many stars actually exists.

T is for Telescope.

A telescope is a tool astronomers use to see distant objects, like stars and planets, bigger and more

clear.

U is for Universe.

The Universe is everything. It includes the stars, the planets, the moons, and the galaxies. The Universe

is really big. It is everything.

V is for Venus.

Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is also an inferior planet. Venus is very hot because it is

close to the Sun.

W is for West.

West is the direction that the Sun and stars set. There are four directions North, South, East, and

West.

X is for eXplore.

We eXplore space to learn more about our solar system and where we live. There are many space

eXplorers.

Y is for Year.

A year is the length of time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun. A year is usually 365 days.

Z is for Zodiac.

The Zodiac is a circle of star constellations that the Sun passes through during a year of time. There are twelve constellations in the Zodiac. They

are Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces