Unit 2

In Unit 2 we are learning about gravity and the motion of the Sun, Earth, Moon system.

Objects in the space form due to gravity. Where there is more material gravity is stronger. This stronger gravity pulls together the material. Over time it forms into stars, planets, and other objects. The first picture shows an actual solar system during formation.

This is a picture of an actual solar system during its formation. The rings around the central bright area (the sun) are where the planets will form.

Gravity and the Big Bang

It's not just in forming the solar systems gravity plays a role. Gravity also was involved in the start of the universe after the big bang.

Scale and the Solar Sytem

Onjects in our solar system vary greatly in size. The picture the the left (which you can see much larger here) shows the scale of solar system bodies.

But it is not just the planets themselves that vary in scale, the features such as mountains can be compared. Check out more here.

How does the Whirlpool Galaxy look different in different wavelengths?

When looking at objects in space we analyze all wavelength of light, not just the visible.

Different telescopes and satelites look at different wavelengths.

NASA is one of the major oranizations involved in space technology, read about some of the things they are doing at this link.

Phases of the Moon

It is not just our moon that has phases. Here is one of Pluto's moons (Charon) as a crescent moon.

Here is Saturn's moon (Dione) as a crescent moon. (Tiny in the upper right is the moon Enceladus as a crescent moon as well.)

Even the Earth has phases from the moon. This gibbous Earth shows the upper part where it is day and the lower part where it is night.

Solar Eclipse

In addition to phases we can observe eclipses of the sun and the moon.

Lunar Eclipse

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