We Live Where?!

Miss Napolitano

Formation of the Solar System

• Nebula: birthplace of stars• Star leaves nebula• Star is rotating: gases and material

surround it• Gravity, rotation, condensing• Planets may be formed• Moons may be formed around

planets

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

Our Place in the Universe

The Milky Way Galaxy

How BIG are We, REALLY??

Check out this video that shows our size relationship with the rest

of the Universe.

Rotation

• EVERYTHING IS ROTATING!!!– Sun rotates around center of Milky Way

galaxy– Earth rotates around Sun– Moon rotates around Earth– Why does the Sun Shine?

The Earth and the Moon• ¼ the size the Earth

• 238,712 mi. from Earth

• 60-70 hours to get there

• 4.6 billion years old

• Tilted 5° in its orbit

• Brain Pop The Moon

The Moon

The Near Side• Rotates in 27.3 days.

• One Revolution in 27.3 days.

• Moon rotates and revolves at the same = we only see one side

The NEAR side

There is NO DARK SIDE

There is a FAR side….

And the Backside!

The FAR side

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00304

Characteristics of the Moon

• What do we see when we look at the Moon?

• Light, shiny places

• Dark, flat places

• Craters: Deep, bowl-like spots formed from meteor impacts

• Mountains: Bright areas

• Mare: Dark, flat areas, known as “Seas”

Our Moon

Look at the NEAR side and the FAR side of the Moon.

How are they SIMILAR?

How are they DIFFERENT?

Phases of the Moon

Check out this video on Moon Phases

Brain Pop

Phases of the Moon

• How are the phases of the Moon formed?

• Let’s make our own!

• Make sure you follow directions carefully!

Moon Stats

Moon’s orbit around Earth is inclined about 5 degrees to Earth’s plane of orbit around the

Sun

Ecliptic plane

Sun Earth

Moon

Moon’s orbital plane

Image created by LPI staff

Comets

Comets

• What are they?

• What are they made of?

• Why are they important?

Check it out!