Earth and Environment

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Essential Questions: How does the Sun rotate differently than the other planets? The Sun does not rotate in the same manner as a planet. 2. What are the unique properties of the Sun? The Sun produces energy through the process of fusion. 3. Describe how energy is produced in the Sun and how it is transferred outward into space. Fusion occurs in the core of the Sun. the energy moves out from the core through the radiative zone, then through the convective zone to the photosphere. 4. How is a solar prominence different than a solar flare? Energy escapes from the photosphere of the Sun into space. 5. What bodies can be found in a solar system? Sunspots, solar flares, and prominences are types of solar activity of the Sun. 6. What makes up a galaxy? The solar system consists of a star (the sun) and all the objects in orbit around the sun. 7. Compare and contrast spiral vs. elliptical vs. irregular galaxies. Galaxies are composed of 100 million to 1 trillion stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity. 8. What makes up the universe? The universe is space and all the matter and energy in it. 9. What is a light year? A light-year is the distance that light travels in 1 year, about 9.5 trillion km. 10. Why do astronomers use light years instead of kilometers to measure distances in the universe? Light from the next nearest star takes many years to arrive. The trip to that star would take the fastest rocket thousands of years 11. "What is a star? A star is a large celestial body that is composed of gas and emits light. 12. What is the difference between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude?” Apparent magnitude is a measure of the brightness of stars as they appear to an observer on Earth. 13. How do properties of stars allow us to organize them? Absolute magnitude is a measure of a star's luminosity 14. What do

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