Space Systems

The sun is made up mostly of

Hydrogen

The Sun

has a lifespan of about 10 billion years.

the sun like all stars

uses up its fuel and will eventually change and fade.

Nuclear fusion occurs deep in the sun and

converts hydrogen into helium releasing ALOT of energy

The energy from fusion in the Sun’s core travels outward as

radiation

radiation

moves through the Sun’s layers and reaches Earth as sunlight.

This energy

warms our planet, drives weather, and helps plants grow!

by studying other stars we can understand our sun

with sunspots and solar flares

the suns activity can change in an

11 year sunspot cycle (the number of sunspots and sun flares goes up every 11 years)

the Big Bang theory suggest

everything in the cosmos started out as a single point and expanded in an instant

galaxies are

moving away from each other

Light from galaxies is

shifted to the red end of the spectrum.

nucleosynthesis

making new elements inside the stars

When stars run out of hydrogen

they fuse helium and

make heavier elements

orbit

is the path one object takes around another in space

orbits are often

elliptical

orbits are often caused by

gravity

The Sun’s gravity pulls planets toward it,

and the planets’ forward speed keeps them from falling in.

– Planets move in ellipses (Kelpers 1st law)

with the Sun at one focus point.

planets move faster when they are (Keplers 2nd law)

closer to the sun

The time it takes for a planet to orbit (Keplers 3rdlaw)

depends on how far it is from the Sun.

cyclic

patterns that repeat in a regular cycle.

The Moon’s light changes shape every month

because of its orbit around Earth.

moon cycle

abt a month (29.5 days)

Solar Eclipse – Moon passes between Earth and Sun, blocking Sun’s light

solar eclipse = new moon

lunar eclipse (earth is between sun and moon) casting a shadow on the moon

lunar eclipse = full moon

Eclipses don’t happen every month because Moon’s orbit is tilted at

5 degrees incline compared to earths orbit

Ocean water level rises and falls (high and

low tides) every day.

caused by the moons gravity pulling on earths water

● Spring tides: Very high highs and very low

lows (when Moon and Sun line up).

○ Spring, Strong, Straight Line

● Neap tides: Milder highs and lows (when

Moon and Sun are at right angles).

○ Neap, Not strong, Ninety degree

angle

Earth has seasons because

it tilts (about 23.5°) as it orbits the Sun.

● When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun:

Summer there (more daylight).

● When it tilts away:

Winter there (less daylight).

● Opposite seasons in Northern and

Southern Hemispheres!