Week 6: Space Science

 

1. The big question addressed in lab, and a description of what you did.
1. In lab we discussed the following questions:
1. How do the phases of the moon occur?
1. Initial thought: occur due to the position of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Part of the moon is dark because it is covered by Earth's shadow.
2. What we learned: The moon we see is the side that is light up by the sun.
2. What causes the seasons?
1. Initial thought: When the Earth is further from the sun, it is Winter, when the Earth is closer to the sun, it is Summer.
2. What we learned: The Earth is titled and sometimes the northern hemisphere is titled towards the Sun and sometimes the southern hemisphere is titled away from the sun.
3. What causes a lunar eclipse?
1. Initial thought: when the moon falls into Earth's shadow
2. What we learned: The Earth, Moon and Sun all align so the shadow of the Earth covers the moon from the sun.
2. A description of what you learned in Thursday's lecture.
1. In lecture we learned about the moon phases and the Sun. We discussed that 28 days is a full cycle of the moon and that the moon is title locked with the earth (meaning we only see one side of the moon. We also learned what the moon would look like at different times of the day. For example, if the moon is directly above me at noon, it would be a new moon. We also discussed that the Earth is titled and is on an axis that is almost a perfect circle. The Earth is titled and that is the reason that we have seasons.
3. Answer questions about the weekly textbook reading:
   1. What did you learn?
   1. I learned more about the history of what people believed about space. At first, humans believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system and everything rotated around the Earth. Then, Copernicus believed that the Sun was the center. That theory became widely accepted once the telescope was invented. It also discussed more about the moon phases and equinox and solstices. It also discussed lunar and solar eclipse.
   2. What was most helpful?
   1. The diagrams were the most helpful because it gave me the ability to understand what the words were saying. The diagrams about solar and lunar eclipses really were helpful to me.
   3. What do you need more information on?
   1. I still need more information on moon phases and how to tell what phase the moon is based on the time of the day.
   4. What questions/concerns/comments do you have?
   1. I am wondering if solstices and equinoxes happen on the same time every year?