Deep Space Intro

Follow these links to complete the Deep Space Intro lesson.

http://www.glyphweb.com/esky/concepts/lightyear.html

1. What is a light year?
2. What is the radius of the Solar System in light years?
3. What is the name of AND distance to the next nearest star to the Sun in light years?

http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html

4. What is a galaxy?
5. What is the name of the galaxy that the Solar System belongs to?

http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw.html

6. The Milky Way Galaxy is a spiral galaxy. Click the link to spiral galaxy and sketch one. Do it carefully, you'll need it later on.
7. About how many stars are there in the Milky Way Galaxy? Write that number in scientific notation.
8. What is the shape of the Milky Way Galaxy?

http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/Milky_Way.shtml

Scroll down to "The Milky Way Today"
10. About how old is the Milky Way Galaxy? Write that number in scientific notation.
11. Near the bottom of the page there are 2 images - one a "top view" and the other a "side view" of galaxies that are similar to the Milky Way. Note the position of the Solar System (Sun). Draw in the position of the sun on the Milky Way diagram you did earlier. Then draw a "side view" diagram and plot the Sun's position on that diagram, too.

http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/milkyway.html

12. Read about the interesting 1994 discovery regarding the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy. Describe what is happening.

GREAT OVERVIEW and for more INFORMATION: http://www.glyphweb.com/esky/home.html