Solar System Formation

First, watch about it: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/science-space-kids/solar-system-101-kids/

Then, read about it:  http://www.universetoday.com/38118/how-was-the-solar-system-formed/

Then, research it further.  Use google or another search engine to research another article about how the solar system formed.

And then, write about it!  Send me an email to tell me in one paragraph how the solar system is thought to have formed.

Kepler's Laws

Please visit this site today.  Use it to complete the following:

Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion

Background:

What do the laws do or say?

When were they developed?

First Law: Law of Ellipses
1.       Draw it	2.       Key Terms and definitions	3.       Math formulas

Second Law: Law of Equal Areas
1.       Draw it	2.       Key Terms and definitions	3.       Math formulas

Third Law: Law of Harmonies
1.       Draw it	2.       Key Terms and definitions	3.       Math formulas

Orbits of the planets

Planetary Orbits

Explore:

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/pos/animations/

Essential questions:

What is eccentricity?

What is a semimajor axis?

What are Kepler's laws?  Describe each.

Resources:

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/pos/animations/

google.com

Computer lab day!!

Welcome, Astronomers!  You have two assignments today.  One is a quiz and one is an email to Mr. Trainer.

First, here is the quiz.  You may take it now or at the end of class, but it must be your own work (you may not talk or use notes or web resources to help you answer it).  Please answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Second, you will send me an email (at james_trainer@dpsk12.org) containing the following:

• A link to a news article you have found regarding the recent meteorite impact in Russia.  Try http://news.google.com to search for this.
• Visit one of my favorite news sites, http://phys.org/space-news/astronomy/.  Find and read an article of interest pertaining to an object or objects in the solar system.  Summarize the article and copy the link.
• A picture of a plutoid that isn't Pluto. Try http://google.com/images.
• Visit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=SolarSys and send me a cool fact about your favorite feature of the solar system.  Include a link to the page where you found your cool fact.
• Finally, find something about space and send it to me.  Anything.  It could be a picture, an article, a simulation, a video.  Anything for any topic having to do with space.
• Oh, one more thing.  No action required.  There will be a partial lunar eclipse tonight at moonrise (just after the sun sets).  Read about it here if you'd like: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131018-moon-eclipse-penumbral-science-space/