Objective –On a map, I can make a scale model of the location of the thirteen brightest stars.
In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away
(source: UEN)
Materials
Ruler
Map extending 12 miles from our school
Map extending 80 miles from our school
Map extending 600 miles from our school
Procedure
Activity A
In this activity, your group will review Astronomical Units or A.U.'s. You will use a meter stick as a comparison for the Solar System.
1.Using your Astronomical Unit chart, calculate where each planet in the Solar System would be on the meter stick.Complete Table I on your worksheet.
Astronomical Unit (AU) Table
One AU = 93,000,000 – the distance of the Earth from the Sun.
Planet / Distance from the Sun - AUsMercury / 0.4
Venus / .7
Earth / 1
Mars / 1.5
Jupiter / 5
Saturn / 10
Uranus / 19
Neptune / 30
2. Distances in space are so huge, another measuring unit, light-years, is needed to measure.
3. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year. Use the Distance from the Sun to the Planets (in light years)data sheet to complete Table II.
Distance From the Sun to the Planets (in light years)
Planet / Light YearsMercury / .0000006 (3 light minutes)
Venus / .000011 (6 light minutes)
Earth / .000016 (8 light minutes)
Mars / .000024 (12.5 light minutes)
Jupiter / .000082 (43 light minutes)
Saturn / .000151 (79 light minutes)
Uranus / .000304 (160 light minutes)
Neptune / .000476 (250 light minutes)
4. There are 21 stars within twelve light-years of our Solar System. Seven of them are visible with the unaided eye. Only two of these are among the brightest stars (Sirius and Procyon). The other stars are red dwarfs and only visible with a telescope. Of the thirteen brightest stars visible in the Northern Hemisphere, ten of them are within seventy-seven light-years. The other three stars are from 197 to 522light-years away.
5.Get your map that extends about 12 miles from the school(between 4 – 14 light-years).Locate Alpha Centauri, Sirius, and Procyon. (Use the scale 1” = 2 light-years.)Mark the locations on the map and label the stars.
6.Get your map that extends about 80 miles from the school(between 15 – 99 light-years).Mark the locations on this map and label the stars.(Use the scale 1” = 15 light-years.)
7.Get your map that extends about 600 miles from our school.Locate all the stars greater than 100 light-years on this map.(Use the scale 1” = 100 light-years.)Mark the locations on the map and label the stars.
The Distance to the Thirteen Brightest StarsStar/Constellation / Actual Distance
Alpha Centauri* - Centaurus (Southern Hemisphere) / 4.5 light-years
Sirius - Canis Major / 8.6 light-years
Procyon - Canis Minor / 11 light-years
Altair - Aquila / 17 light-years
Vega – Boötes / 25 light-years
Fomalhaut – PiscisAustrinus / 25 light-years
Pollux – Gemini / 34 light-years
Arcturus – Boötes / 37 light-years
Capella – Auriga / 42 light-years
Aldebaran – Taurus / 65 light-years
Regulus – Leo / 77 light-years
Antares – Scorpius / 197 light-years
Spica – Virgo / 262 light-years
Betelgeuse – Orion / 522 light-years
*Alpha Centauri is not one of the thirteen brightest stars. It is included for comparison since it is the next nearest star to our Solar System
Name ______
In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away
Table I - Distance to Planets – Scale = “
Relative Distance of Planets:Scale =1 A.U.=1 inchMercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune
Table II - Distance to Planets – Scale = Light-years
Light Time Travel from the SunMercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune
Answer Activity A – Table I
Relative Distance of Planets:Scale =1 A.U.=1 inchMercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Pluto
3/8 inches / ¾ inches / 1 inches / 1 ½ inches / 5 ¼ inches / 9 5/8 inches / 19 1/4 inches / 30 1/8 inches / 39 ½ inches
Answer Activity B – Table II
Light Time Travel from the SunMercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Pluto
3 m 13 s / 6 m 1 s / 8 m 19 s / 12 m 40 s / 43 m 16 s / 1 h 19 m 28 s / 2 h 39 m 50 s / 4 h 10 m 25 s / 5 h 28 m 53 s
Light Time Travel from the Sun
Mercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune
3 minutes 13 seconds / 6 minutes 1 seconds / 8 minutes19 seconds / 12 minutes40 seconds / 43minutes 16 seconds / 1 hour 19 minutes28 seconds / 2 hours 39 minutes50 seconds / 4 hours 10 minutes25 seconds
The Universe in Numbers
The Milky Way is 100,000 light-years across and 2,000 light thick at its center.
Our Sun is 30,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way.
There are more than 100,000,000,000
(one hundred billion) galaxies in the universe.
Each galaxy has between 100,000,000,000 and 300,000,000,000 (three hundred billion)
The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest galaxy to ours.It is 2,900,000 light-years away and 150,000 light-years across.
The Local Group contains 50 galaxies and is 5,000,000 light-years across.
The Speed of Light
186,000 miles per second
300,000 kilometers per second
11,160,000 miles per minute
18,000,000 kilometers per minute
69,600,000 miles per hour
1,080,000,000 kilometers per hour
16,070,400,000 miles per day
25,920,000,000 kilometers per day
112,492,800,000 miles per week
181,440,000,000 kilometers per week
5,865,696,000,000 miles per year
9,460,800,000,000 kilometers per year
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