Overview

These two planets are busy. Find out how these planets save the Earth from being hit by comets and asteroids AND maintain their own mysterious mini-solar systems.This Course includes the following great BONUS LESSONS:What on Earth is Astronomy?Mini-Lesson: EclipsesMini-Lesson: Meteor ShowersMini-Lesson: AuroraProject Artemis: America Returns to the Moon1. Objective2. Warm-up activity3. Planetary composition, including discussions of gas planets, ice planets and terrestrial planets4. Gas giants: planetary composition and similarities to stars5. Location and discovery of Jupiter and Saturn6. Jupiter's rotation, day-night cycles and orbit around the Sun7. Jupiter's size and temperature in comparison to Earth8. Jupiter's weather, including lightening and tornadoes, and patterns on the surface9. The Great Red Spot10. Mass and weight11. Overviews of the four major moons of Jupiter: Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto12. Scientist Galileo Galilee and the discovery of Jupiter's moons in relation to our understanding of astronomical bodies and their orbits13. Extreme volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io14. Oceans under Callisto and Europa15. Jupiter's rings16. Voyager I and II spacecrafts17. Elliptical orbits18. Comets' collisions with Jupiter19. Jupiter's effect on Earth20. Saturn's rings: discovery, composition, gaps and interaction with moons21. Retrograde motions22. Scientists Christiaan Huygens and Giovanni Cassini23. Saturn's moons and their relationship to the rings24. Wavemaker moons25. Saturn's size, distance, and orbital and rotational information26. Saturn's weather27. Points of reference in space28. Discussion of density29. Saturn's moon Titan30. Cassini spacecraft and mission31. Test questions32. Cross-curricular activitiesMy name is Tony Ceraso and I will be your instructor. I sometimes run the planetarium and have written curriculum for the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. I have also written curriculum for NASA's school visitation program and teach on the college level in NJ.My goal is for you to thoroughly enjoy this lesson. I love astronomy and I want nothing more out of our time together than for you to have a greater appreciation for the universe through the understanding of this material. Besides the lesson I'm going to preview for you now, the course includes warm up activities, test questions, and cross-curricular activities for you to download as a supplement.

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