What Observations of Space can be made from Earth?

• What are the daily motions of the stars?  Why do the stars appear to move as observed?
• What is the daily motion of the sun across the sky?  How is this motion explained?
• How does the path of the sun change with the seasons?
• How does the length of daylight vary with the seasons?
• What causes the change of seasons as observed in New York State?
• What are the moon phases?  What motion causes us to see the moon differently each night?
• How do the Coriolis Effect and the Foulcault pendulum support the idea that the earth moves in space?

How are Earth's Motions described in the Heliocentric Model?

• What is an ellipse?  How can it be described mathematically?
• How does the distance between the Earth and Sun vary during one revolution?  Does this changing distance have an effect on the change of seasons?
• How does the Earth's orbital velocity vary during a revolution?
• What is the effect of changing distance between the Earth and Sun have on the force of gravity?
• What does earth's orbit resemble when drawn to scale?

Where do WE fit in to the "Big Picture" of the Universe?

• How is our star, the sun, described by astronomers?
• In what galaxy does our solar system exist?  Where are we in that galaxy?
• What unit do astronomers use to describe distances?  Why is this unit so difficult to understand?
• ARE WE ALONE?  Explain your answer!

Planetary Astronomy Vocabulary:

Aphelion
Apogee
Apparent Diameter
Eccentricity
Ecliptic
Ellipse
Focus
Light Year
Lunar Eclipse
Neap Tide
Orbit
Penumbra
Perihelion
Perigee
Phases of the Moon
Solar Eclipse
Umbra
Main Sequence
Red Giant
Retrograde Motion
Supernova
Super Giant
White Dwarf

Planetary Astronomy Links:

NASA Homepage
Physlink - your guide to the physical laws that hold the universe together.
Amazing Space - Quiz yourself about telescopes, stars, black holes, astronauts, etc.
Moonlight Madness - a quiz on the phases of the moon from NASA.
Earth View
Send your name to MARS in 2001!
Heavens Above - If you're interested in satellites or astronomy, this is the right place! Find all the information you need to observe satellites, the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle, and a wealth of other space flight and astronomical information.
University of Tennessee's Astronomy lecture notes and links.