Module 2 Assignment: The Earth In Space
Physical Geography 110
Module 2 Assignment: The Earth in Space
Don’t forget your name, school, date and title at the top of your completed work. Write full sentences, with correct spelling and grammar. Edit and proof-read all your work before submitting files to the dropbox.
PART A
1. a. Describe each of the following units of distance in space: light year parsec astronomical unit
b. Explain the meaning of the statement, When you gaze up at objects in the night sky, you are really looking back in time.
2. a. Using simple language, describe the details of the Big Bang theory.
b. Briefly, how does the Steady State theory differ to the Big Bang theory?
3. Describe the details of the Nebular Hypothesis.
4. Using the various links on …show more content…
NASA’s Solar System Exploration site, complete the table below. One line of information for each is sufficient (…do not go overboard on information!).
(Solar System Exploration: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=SolarSys)
Celestial objects
Name(s)
…if given
Location within the solar system
Description of object
One (1) unique feature or interesting point
Sun
sun
Center of the solar system
The sun is a star. A star does not have a solid surface, but is a ball of gas (92.1 percent hydrogen (H2) and 7.8 percent helium (He)) held together by its own gravity.
If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel.
4 solid/hard planets
1. Mercury mercury is the closest planet to the sun
Sun-scorched Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's moon. Like the moon, Mercury has very little atmosphere to stop impacts and it is covered with craters. Mercury's dayside is super-heated by the sun, but at night temperatures drop hundreds of degrees below freezing. Ice may even exist in craters. Mercury's egg-shaped orbit takes it around the sun every 88 days
Mercury has no moons.
2. Venus
Venus is the second closest planet to the sun at a distance of about 108 million km (67 million miles) .
Venus is a dim world of intense heat and volcanic activity. Similar in structure and size to Earth, Venus' thick, toxic atmosphere traps heat in a runaway 'greenhouse effect.' The scorched world has temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Glimpses below the clouds reveal volcanoes and deformed mountains. Venus spins slowly in the opposite direction of most planets.
Venus is only a little smaller than Earth
3. Earth
Earth is the third planet from the sun at a distance of about 150 million km (93 million miles)
Earth, our home planet, is the only planet in our solar system known to harbor life - life that is incredibly diverse. All the things we need to survive exist under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the cold, airless void of space.
Earth is the perfect place for life.
4. Mars
Mars orbits our sun, a star. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun at a distance of about 228 million km (142 million miles)
Mars is a cold desert world. It is half the diameter of Earth and has the same amount of dry land. Like Earth, Mars has seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons and weather, but its atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to exist for long on the surface. There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but evidence for water now exists mainly in icy soil and thin clouds.
Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos
4 gaseous planets
1. Saturn
Saturn orbits our sun, a star. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun at a distance of about 1.4 billion km (886 million miles)
Adorned with thousands of beautiful ringlets, Saturn is unique among the planets. All four gas giant planets have rings -- made of chunks of ice and rock -- but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Like the other gas giants, Saturn is mostly a massive ball of hydrogen and helium.
Saturn cannot support life as we know it. However, some of Saturn's moons have conditions that might support life
2. Jupiter
Jupiter orbits our sun, a star. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun at a distance of about 778 million km (484 million miles)
The most massive planet in our solar system -- with dozens of moons and an enormous magnetic field -- Jupiter forms a kind of miniature solar system. It resembles a star in composition, but did not grow big enough to ignite. The planet's swirling cloud stripes are punctuated by massive storms such as the Great Red Spot, which has raged for hundreds of years.
Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He
3. Uranus
Uranus orbits our sun, a star. Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun at a distance of about 2.9 billion km (1.8 billion miles)
Uranus is the only giant planet whose equator is nearly at right angles to its orbit. A collision with an Earth-sized object may explain the unique tilt. Nearly a twin in size to Neptune, Uranus has more methane in its mainly hydrogen and helium atmosphere than Jupiter or Saturn. Methane gives Uranus its blue tint.
Uranus cannot support life as we know it.
4.
dwarf planet
Pluto
moons
orbits Earth
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
largest moon of Saturn
asteroid belt
comets
various, yet may originate in the Oort Cloud
5.
Review this great video to explain how Earth’s moon was formed (look specifically at 4:40 through 7:00 min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pt0fFn_a4&feature=related 6. Explore these sites about the famous “northern lights”: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/jf13/solar_maximum.asp http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/earth_system/solar_wind_auroras.html
a. What produces the northern lights?
b. Why is Canada the best location on Earth to view the auroras borealis?
7. Why must pilots take the Coriolis effect into consideration when plotting a flight path? Provide an example flight path in your explanation. 8. a. Briefly, what causes night and day? b. In some detail, what causes the seasons?
9. Why can we only give the distance from the Earth to the Sun as an average number (include “perihelion” and “aphelion” in your response)? 10. a. Complete the following table comparing each of the eight planets, and Pluto, with respect to the criteria shown. Use NASA’s planetary factsheet at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ .
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Distance from the Sun
(106 km)
Orbital Period
(days)
b. Fill in the table then create a bar graph comparing the orbital periods in Earth years. Note that the orbital period units in the table are given in days—you must convert days to Earth years for the comparison. You can calculate on your own, or simply click on “Planetary Fact Sheet - Values compared to Earth” link (after the table)…
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Orbital Period (ratio to Earth values)
1
11. So, here we sit, practically motionless at our seats. Considering that we are on a spinning planet orbiting the Sun, which itself orbits a galaxy… are we, in fact, motionless? If not, how fast are we travelling?
For details of speeds within the universe, go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/publications/tnl/71/howfast.html 12. Using any international time zone map, and assuming standard time, answer the following:
a. If it is Friday, 5:00 PM in Edmonton, Alberta, what day and time is it in Seoul, South Korea?
b. If it is Thursday, 6:30pm in Halifax, Nova Scotia, what day and time is it in Tokyo, Japan?
c. If it is 7:30 in the morning on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska, what time and day is it in Auckland, New Zealand?
d. If it is Wednesday, 1:45 pm in Amsterdam, Holland, what day and time is it in Honolulu, Hawaii?
(…this is a great interactive map: http://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/)
PART B CHOICE QUESTIONS
Be sure to answer only one question in each grouping!
1. Answer one of the following questions:
What are the differences between asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites? or The International Astronomical Union decided in 2006 that a new system of classification was needed to describe celestial bodies. Pluto, Eris and Ceres became the first “dwarf planets”. What exactly is a dwarf planet? Where are each of Pluto, Eris and Ceres found and to which category of celestial objects did each of Pluto, Eris and Ceres belong before being named dwarf planets?
2. Answer one of the following questions:
In either case, discuss three points of interest (to you) after viewing the information given. Write two or three lines for each point.
Watch the six minute video that takes you from Earth out to the edge of the known universe and back again. It is best to watch the video full screen, with a headset for audio if possible. The link is found on the “Hierarchy of Structure in the Universe” page. or A robotic spacecraft, called a rover, is presently exploring Mars. The Mars “Curiosity” landed on the Red Planet on August 5, 2012. These sites provide lots of detailed information on this recent Nasa mission. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/marsrover.cfm http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?InFlight=1&MCode=MarsSciLab
3. Answer one of the following questions:
When you look at the stars of a clear night sky, what part of the Milky Way galaxy do you see? or Describe Earth’s “address” in the universe? Give as many details as possible!
4. Answer one of the following questions:
Why was an extra second of time (a “leap” second) added on June 30, 2012? For help with this question, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/extra-second.html. or Many countries observe daylight saving time (DST), the practice of setting clocks forward 1 hour in the spring and back 1 hour in the fall. Why?
5. Answer one of the following questions:
Prior to any standardized time system, the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out in 1519 on their westward journey from Spain to circumnavigate the Earth. Upon their return three years later, they discovered that their meticulously kept logs were off by one day. Explain why. or What is the connection between Sir Sandford Fleming and standard time? See this video: https://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/heritage-minutes/sir-sandford-fleming
PART C MAPPING
1. How do sensors on satellites and airplanes, combined with people on the ground contribute to remote sensing overall?
To help with your response, revisit this video found mid page at: http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/essentials/rsgis.html
2. Using simple language, interpret the diagram on the “Mapping through Remote Sensing” page.
3. Visit the various “Hubble” sites provided in the module content again (e.g. http://spacetelescope.org/about/, http://spacetelescope.org/images/, http://heritage.stsci.edu (gallery or pan and zoom gallery)).
Choose two (2) images that you like, describing each, and adding information such as when the picture was taken/released and how far away the objects in the images are from Earth. Cite your source. An example is given here.
For example:
This image of a pair of interacting galaxies. The distorted shape of the larger one (top) shows signs of interactions with the smaller one—it is thought that the small galaxy passed through the large one!
This Hubble image was released on April 20, 2011.
These galaxies are approximately 300 million light years away. http://spacetelescope.org/images/heic1107a/ 4. Review how to interpret satellite images at this Natural Resources Canada site: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/remote-sensing/kids/1826.
Ready to interpret more satellite images? View the 12 satellite image segments referred to here: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/remote-sensing/kids/1310. Identify which image contains the feature(s) described in the table below. Enter the correct image number in the box beside each "Feature description". Be careful, as some images are used more than once.
Two race tracks, a smaller one inside a larger one. Some roads and two golf courses are also visible in the image.
An airport at the edge of a city. You can also see a smaller river joining a larger river in the image.
The effect of a cyclone on the surface of ocean waters.
A smooth coastline showing a coastal town and its breakwater which creates a safe harbour for boats.
5 bridges across a river. Three of the bridges also pass over islands in the river.
There are many clouds (and their shadows) over land and water in this image.
A coastal area showing ice flows in the largest of the inlets. The land area is studded with lakes and there are many islands offshore.
A hook-shaped peninsula ending in a point.
A rugged coastline showing many sharp coves and inlets.
This scene shows farmland near the mouths of 2 rivers. You can also see several roads meeting at a village.
In this view you see many lakes in a rugged and rocky forest area. A large swampy section shows no lakes at all.
A forested region showing clear-cut areas as well as the logging roads that were built to access this site.
A mouth of a river showing the sediment that is carried by the river into the sea.
Module 2 Assignment: The Earth in Space
Don’t forget your name, school, date and title at the top of your completed work. Write full sentences, with correct spelling and grammar. Edit and proof-read all your work before submitting files to the dropbox.
PART A
1. a. Describe each of the following units of distance in space: light year parsec astronomical unit
b. Explain the meaning of the statement, When you gaze up at objects in the night sky, you are really looking back in time.
2. a. Using simple language, describe the details of the Big Bang theory.
b. Briefly, how does the Steady State theory differ to the Big Bang theory?
3. Describe the details of the Nebular Hypothesis.
4. Using the various links on …show more content…
NASA’s Solar System Exploration site, complete the table below. One line of information for each is sufficient (…do not go overboard on information!).
(Solar System Exploration: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=SolarSys)
Celestial objects
Name(s)
…if given
Location within the solar system
Description of object
One (1) unique feature or interesting point
Sun
sun
Center of the solar system
The sun is a star. A star does not have a solid surface, but is a ball of gas (92.1 percent hydrogen (H2) and 7.8 percent helium (He)) held together by its own gravity.
If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel.
4 solid/hard planets
1. Mercury mercury is the closest planet to the sun
Sun-scorched Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's moon. Like the moon, Mercury has very little atmosphere to stop impacts and it is covered with craters. Mercury's dayside is super-heated by the sun, but at night temperatures drop hundreds of degrees below freezing. Ice may even exist in craters. Mercury's egg-shaped orbit takes it around the sun every 88 days
Mercury has no moons.
2. Venus
Venus is the second closest planet to the sun at a distance of about 108 million km (67 million miles) .
Venus is a dim world of intense heat and volcanic activity. Similar in structure and size to Earth, Venus' thick, toxic atmosphere traps heat in a runaway 'greenhouse effect.' The scorched world has temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Glimpses below the clouds reveal volcanoes and deformed mountains. Venus spins slowly in the opposite direction of most planets.
Venus is only a little smaller than Earth
3. Earth
Earth is the third planet from the sun at a distance of about 150 million km (93 million miles)
Earth, our home planet, is the only planet in our solar system known to harbor life - life that is incredibly diverse. All the things we need to survive exist under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the cold, airless void of space.
Earth is the perfect place for life.
4. Mars
Mars orbits our sun, a star. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun at a distance of about 228 million km (142 million miles)
Mars is a cold desert world. It is half the diameter of Earth and has the same amount of dry land. Like Earth, Mars has seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons and weather, but its atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to exist for long on the surface. There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but evidence for water now exists mainly in icy soil and thin clouds.
Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos
4 gaseous planets
1. Saturn
Saturn orbits our sun, a star. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun at a distance of about 1.4 billion km (886 million miles)
Adorned with thousands of beautiful ringlets, Saturn is unique among the planets. All four gas giant planets have rings -- made of chunks of ice and rock -- but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Like the other gas giants, Saturn is mostly a massive ball of hydrogen and helium.
Saturn cannot support life as we know it. However, some of Saturn's moons have conditions that might support life
2. Jupiter
Jupiter orbits our sun, a star. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun at a distance of about 778 million km (484 million miles)
The most massive planet in our solar system -- with dozens of moons and an enormous magnetic field -- Jupiter forms a kind of miniature solar system. It resembles a star in composition, but did not grow big enough to ignite. The planet's swirling cloud stripes are punctuated by massive storms such as the Great Red Spot, which has raged for hundreds of years.
Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He
3. Uranus
Uranus orbits our sun, a star. Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun at a distance of about 2.9 billion km (1.8 billion miles)
Uranus is the only giant planet whose equator is nearly at right angles to its orbit. A collision with an Earth-sized object may explain the unique tilt. Nearly a twin in size to Neptune, Uranus has more methane in its mainly hydrogen and helium atmosphere than Jupiter or Saturn. Methane gives Uranus its blue tint.
Uranus cannot support life as we know it.
4.
dwarf planet
Pluto
moons
orbits Earth
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
largest moon of Saturn
asteroid belt
comets
various, yet may originate in the Oort Cloud
5.
Review this great video to explain how Earth’s moon was formed (look specifically at 4:40 through 7:00 min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4pt0fFn_a4&feature=related 6. Explore these sites about the famous “northern lights”: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/jf13/solar_maximum.asp http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/earth_system/solar_wind_auroras.html
a. What produces the northern lights?
b. Why is Canada the best location on Earth to view the auroras borealis?
7. Why must pilots take the Coriolis effect into consideration when plotting a flight path? Provide an example flight path in your explanation. 8. a. Briefly, what causes night and day? b. In some detail, what causes the seasons?
9. Why can we only give the distance from the Earth to the Sun as an average number (include “perihelion” and “aphelion” in your response)? 10. a. Complete the following table comparing each of the eight planets, and Pluto, with respect to the criteria shown. Use NASA’s planetary factsheet at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ .
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Distance from the Sun
(106 km)
Orbital Period
(days)
b. Fill in the table then create a bar graph comparing the orbital periods in Earth years. Note that the orbital period units in the table are given in days—you must convert days to Earth years for the comparison. You can calculate on your own, or simply click on “Planetary Fact Sheet - Values compared to Earth” link (after the table)…
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Orbital Period (ratio to Earth values)
1
11. So, here we sit, practically motionless at our seats. Considering that we are on a spinning planet orbiting the Sun, which itself orbits a galaxy… are we, in fact, motionless? If not, how fast are we travelling?
For details of speeds within the universe, go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/publications/tnl/71/howfast.html 12. Using any international time zone map, and assuming standard time, answer the following:
a. If it is Friday, 5:00 PM in Edmonton, Alberta, what day and time is it in Seoul, South Korea?
b. If it is Thursday, 6:30pm in Halifax, Nova Scotia, what day and time is it in Tokyo, Japan?
c. If it is 7:30 in the morning on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska, what time and day is it in Auckland, New Zealand?
d. If it is Wednesday, 1:45 pm in Amsterdam, Holland, what day and time is it in Honolulu, Hawaii?
(…this is a great interactive map: http://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/)
PART B CHOICE QUESTIONS
Be sure to answer only one question in each grouping!
1. Answer one of the following questions:
What are the differences between asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites? or The International Astronomical Union decided in 2006 that a new system of classification was needed to describe celestial bodies. Pluto, Eris and Ceres became the first “dwarf planets”. What exactly is a dwarf planet? Where are each of Pluto, Eris and Ceres found and to which category of celestial objects did each of Pluto, Eris and Ceres belong before being named dwarf planets?
2. Answer one of the following questions:
In either case, discuss three points of interest (to you) after viewing the information given. Write two or three lines for each point.
Watch the six minute video that takes you from Earth out to the edge of the known universe and back again. It is best to watch the video full screen, with a headset for audio if possible. The link is found on the “Hierarchy of Structure in the Universe” page. or A robotic spacecraft, called a rover, is presently exploring Mars. The Mars “Curiosity” landed on the Red Planet on August 5, 2012. These sites provide lots of detailed information on this recent Nasa mission. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/marsrover.cfm http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?InFlight=1&MCode=MarsSciLab
3. Answer one of the following questions:
When you look at the stars of a clear night sky, what part of the Milky Way galaxy do you see? or Describe Earth’s “address” in the universe? Give as many details as possible!
4. Answer one of the following questions:
Why was an extra second of time (a “leap” second) added on June 30, 2012? For help with this question, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/extra-second.html. or Many countries observe daylight saving time (DST), the practice of setting clocks forward 1 hour in the spring and back 1 hour in the fall. Why?
5. Answer one of the following questions:
Prior to any standardized time system, the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out in 1519 on their westward journey from Spain to circumnavigate the Earth. Upon their return three years later, they discovered that their meticulously kept logs were off by one day. Explain why. or What is the connection between Sir Sandford Fleming and standard time? See this video: https://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/heritage-minutes/sir-sandford-fleming
PART C MAPPING
1. How do sensors on satellites and airplanes, combined with people on the ground contribute to remote sensing overall?
To help with your response, revisit this video found mid page at: http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/essentials/rsgis.html
2. Using simple language, interpret the diagram on the “Mapping through Remote Sensing” page.
3. Visit the various “Hubble” sites provided in the module content again (e.g. http://spacetelescope.org/about/, http://spacetelescope.org/images/, http://heritage.stsci.edu (gallery or pan and zoom gallery)).
Choose two (2) images that you like, describing each, and adding information such as when the picture was taken/released and how far away the objects in the images are from Earth. Cite your source. An example is given here.
For example:
This image of a pair of interacting galaxies. The distorted shape of the larger one (top) shows signs of interactions with the smaller one—it is thought that the small galaxy passed through the large one!
This Hubble image was released on April 20, 2011.
These galaxies are approximately 300 million light years away. http://spacetelescope.org/images/heic1107a/ 4. Review how to interpret satellite images at this Natural Resources Canada site: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/remote-sensing/kids/1826.
Ready to interpret more satellite images? View the 12 satellite image segments referred to here: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/remote-sensing/kids/1310. Identify which image contains the feature(s) described in the table below. Enter the correct image number in the box beside each "Feature description". Be careful, as some images are used more than once.
Two race tracks, a smaller one inside a larger one. Some roads and two golf courses are also visible in the image.
An airport at the edge of a city. You can also see a smaller river joining a larger river in the image.
The effect of a cyclone on the surface of ocean waters.
A smooth coastline showing a coastal town and its breakwater which creates a safe harbour for boats.
5 bridges across a river. Three of the bridges also pass over islands in the river.
There are many clouds (and their shadows) over land and water in this image.
A coastal area showing ice flows in the largest of the inlets. The land area is studded with lakes and there are many islands offshore.
A hook-shaped peninsula ending in a point.
A rugged coastline showing many sharp coves and inlets.
This scene shows farmland near the mouths of 2 rivers. You can also see several roads meeting at a village.
In this view you see many lakes in a rugged and rocky forest area. A large swampy section shows no lakes at all.
A forested region showing clear-cut areas as well as the logging roads that were built to access this site.
A mouth of a river showing the sediment that is carried by the river into the sea.