Learning Resources GeoSafari Motorized Solar System
Contents
1. Related Websites http www nasa gov NASA s informative website with links for students and educators http www nasm si edu ceps etp The Smithsonian s National Air and Space Museum s Exploring the Planets website 6 Adapter Use Always follow these steps when using the Motorized Solar System and Planetarium with an adapter 1 Turn the on off switch to the OFF position 2 Plug the AC adapter jack into the AC adapter port at the base of the tower 3 Carefully plug the AC adapter into a wall socket 4 Turn the on off switch to ON 5 Adapters used with this are to be regularly examined for damage to the cord plug enclosure and other parts and that in the event of such damage this item must not be used with this adapter until the damage has been repaired Battery Installation 1 Use a screwdriver to carefully open the battery compartment on the bottom of the tower 2 Install four fresh C size batteries in a two on two format following the illustration here amp Batteries must be installed with the correct polarity Only batteries of the same or equivalent type are to be used amp Alkaline batteries are preferable Do not mix old and new batteries Do not mix different types of batteries alkaline standard carbon zinc or rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries amp Do not use rechargeable batteries amp The supply terminals must not be short circuited Non recharg2. N WARNING CHOKING HAZARD Small parts Not for children under three 3 years A WARNING 5 979 E Federal law requires us to advise that the LIGHT BULB in this educational product may contain lead which may CHO KI NG HAZAR D Toy contal nsa small be harmful if swallowed We stand behind the safety of all of our products For further information please contact us ball Not for children under three 3 years at QA educationalinsights com or 800 222 3909 El 5237 Ages 8 Grades 3 dwarf planet included LII inetarium The Motorized Solar System and Planetarium takes the abstract concept of the solar system and brings it to life with light and motion The activities make for a powerful hands on learning experience To teach students about stars and constellations use the star dome to transform any classroom into a planetarium Includes e central tower e sun sphere with symbol eight planet orbs plus one dwarf planet orb Northern Hemisphere with identifying planetary symbols star dome EUN ELE nine metal rods one for each of the eight planets krypton bulb on back cover plus one for Pluto Assembling the Solar System Model Before starting place four C size batteries in the battery compartment See back cover of this guide for instructions 1 Insert the krypton bulb into the center tower s inner socket Place the white plastic casing over the bulb pushing down and rotat
3. greater in volume a million planets the size of Earth could fit inside it The distance between planets is also difficult to represent on a model The planets are actually small compared to the distances between them If for example our model sized dwarf planet Pluto were shown a correct relative distance from our model sized sun it would need to be about 30 miles 48 km away Heliocentric Longitude Planetary Address Chart DATE Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto 1 1 10 82 275 101 117 335 179 356 326 273 2 1 10 223 324 132 131 337 180 356 326 273 3 1 10 303 8 161 143 340 181 356 326 273 4 10 94 58 191 157 343 182 357 326 274 5 1 10 226 106 221 170 345 183 357 327 274 6 1 10 317 156 251 184 348 184 357 327 274 7AA0 WEP 205 279 197 351 185 358 327 274 8 1 10 237 255 309 212 354 186 358 327 274 9 1 10 331 304 339 227 357 187 358 327 274 10 1 10 136 351 8 242 359 188 359 328 275 11 1 10 249 41 39 259 22 189 359 328 275 12 1 10 344 89 69 276 5 190 359 328 275 1 1 11 157 139 100 294 8 191 0 328 2759 2 1 11 260 189 132 313 11 192 0 328 2759 3 1 11 3532 23
4. night into constellations helps people easily find and remember the names and locations of stars For thousands of years different cultures have divided the night sky into different constellations They used the stars to help them navigate to plan when to plant crops and for religious purposes The Greeks and Romans named their constellations after the gods and heroes in their mythology In 1929 the International Astronomical Union divided the stars into 88 official constellations that are used by astronomers today Most of these constellations come from the Greek and Roman view of the sky The next page lists constellations that are on this model s star dome As your class observes this stellar display try some of the activities provided Note Southern Hemisphere constellations are not included in this list Northern Hemisphere Constellations Andromeda Andromeda Aquila Eagle Aries Ram Auriga Charioteer Bo tes Herdsman Camelopardus Giraffe Cancer Crab Canes Venatici Hunting Dogs Canis Minor Little Dog Cassiopeia Cassiopeia Cepheus Cepheus Cetus Whale Coma Berenices Berenice s Hair Corona Borealis Northern Crown Cygnus Swan Delphinus Dolphin Draco Dragon Equuleus Little Horse Gemini Twins Hydra Water Monster Lacerta Lizard Leo Lion Leo Minor Little Lion Lynx Lynx Lyra Lyre Ophiuchus Serpent Holder Orion Orion hunter Pegasus Pegasus Perseus Pers
5. of ice ce Which planets have the most moons Are they large or small planets The larger planets have a stronger gravitational pull so they often have many satellites or moons These larger planets can capture or pull moons into their gravitational fields more easily because objects such as moons move more slowly in space amp Which planet has a day that is longer than its year Venus rotates very slowly on its axis one day is as long as 243 days on Earth Yet Venus completes an orbit around the sun in only 225 days amp Which planets have the fastest orbital speeds Are the faster planets near the sun or far from the sun The planets closer to the sun move through space faster amp What else is out there Beyond Neptune there is a ring of thousands of small bodies orbiting the sun This disk shaped ring of icy objects is called the Kuiper Kl per Belt Pluto and its moon Charon are part of the Kuiper Belt There are also a number of comets in this region The Kuiper Belt has been called the Final Frontier of our solar system Fun Facts Using the Star Dome amp Pluto was discovered in 1930 For 76 years it was considered a planet In 2006 Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet Since its discovery Pluto has completed only 3196 of one revolution around the sun By the year 2178 it will have completed one revolution or one Plutonian year Jupiter spins the fastest on its axis Its da
6. the sun s light illuminating the planets In addition the black support rods and tower will be less visible With younger students talk about the basic concepts the model illustrates amp The sun is at the center of the solar system amp Earth is one of eight planets in our solar system amp The planets travel around the sun constantly amp The planets move in generally circular patterns called orbits The sun gives off energy The planets absorb and reflect this energy amp All the planets move in the same direction and on the same plane as they orbit the sun Older students will be able to understand and discuss more advanced concepts Each planet orbits the sun within a flat slice of space Each travels in a basically circular path without going up and down The planets as a group also travel within a fairly flat slice of space We see the universe from a particular location on Earth Our view of the planets and stars is affected by our location c Where Are the Planets Now Because the planets are constantly moving as they orbit the sun their locations change from day to day The motions of the planets follow very regular patterns Scientists can calculate where each planet will be at any given time One way to describe the positions of the planets is in terms of their heliocentric longitude This is a coordinate system with the sun as its center the Greek root helio means sun Scientists use t
7. 33 280 6 1 13 167 112 251 53 87 219 9 333 280 7 1 13 263 160 279 70 90 220 10 334 280 8 1 13 14 ane 309 085 92 221 10 334 280 9 1 13 184 260 339 101 959 2229 10 334 281 10 1 13 274 308 8 115 97 223 10 334 281 11 1 13 36 357 39 129 100 224 11 334 281 12 1 13 195 45 69 142 102 225 11 335 281 Planetary addresses for years beyond the scope of this chart can be found at http planetarium wvu edu heliocentric ce Classroom Activities Where Will the Planets Be When After students have arranged the planets in their current positions use the Heliocentric Longitude Chart to see where the planets will be on other dates Try the end of the school year different winter holidays or perhaps a student s birthday Creating a Living Solar System Model Younger students will enjoy acting out the movement of the solar system This activity works best outdoors in a paved area with plenty of space 1 Spend time before class making nine signs one for the sun and one for each planet If you wish draw a 10th sign for Pluto Write each planet s name and symbol on a large card or on a sheet of paper The symbols are listed in the Planetary Features Chart on page 4 The sun s symbol is located on the sun sphere 2 Begin the lesson by drawing a circle about two feet in diameter on the pavement with chalk This circle will b
8. 49 160 331 i32 193 0 328 276 4 1 11 166 283 191 351 16 194 ie 329 276 5 1 11 262 331 220 9 19 195 ng 329 276 6 1 11 12 20 250 28 209 196 e 329 276 7An1 179 68 279 46 24 197 29 329 276 8 1 11 274 118 309 63 279 198 29 329 276 9 1 11 34 169 338 79 30 199 29 330 277 10 1 11 194 217 8 094 33 200 3 330 277 11 1 11 285 267 38 109 36 201 3 330 277 12 1 11 523 314 69 122 38 202 3 330 277 1 1 12 208 32 100 136 41 203 4 330 2779 2 1 12 298 053 132 150 44 204 4 330 277 3 1 12 71 99 161 163 479 205 a 331 278 441112 217 150 192 176 49 206 59 331 278 5 1 12 304 198 221 189 52 207 5 331 278 6 1 12 96 248 251 204 55 208 5 331 278 7 1 12 227 296 280 218 58 209 6 331 278 8 1 12 317 345 309 233 60 210 6 332 278 9 1 12 287 78 339 56 324 174 354 325 272 10 1 12 238 82 8 266 66 212 79 332 279 11 1 12 332 132 39 284 68 213 72 332 279 12 1 12 138 181 69 302 71 214 pa 332 279 1 1 13 249 231 101 322 74 214 8 333 279 2 1 13 349 280 132 341 ZEE 215 8 333 279 3 1 13 148 325 161 359 79 216 8 333 280 411 113 255 14 192 18 82 217 9o 333 280 5 1 13 354 62 221 36 84 218 9 3
9. e your sun s position 3 Next draw another circle surrounding it Draw seven more circles each encircling the previous one These circles will represent the orbits of the planets Space the circles widely enough so that students walking along the orbits will not bump into each other If you wish draw an extra circle for Pluto 4 Choose students to enact the roles of the sun and the planets Pass out the cards The sun should stand in the central circle Each planet will walk along its orbital path around the sun 5 Here s the tricky part The planets and the sun rotate on their axes They all spin eastward except for Venus which spins retrograde or backward The student portraying Venus should spin to the right while the other students spin to the left 6 Tell your planets to spin slowly or they ll dizzily spin out of orbit In reality the planets never stop moving but ask your planets to rest if they get dizzy Calculating Revolution Periods for the Planets In the Motorized Solar System model all of the planets take the same amount of time to make one revolution around the sun In reality the planets orbit the sun at very different speeds In this activity students will time Earth s revolution then use the information in the Planetary Features Chart to calculate what the revolution times for other planets should be 1 Position Earth at 0 longitude 2 Start timing with a stopwatch or digital watch as you switch on
10. eable batteries are not to be recharged amp Remove exhausted batteries from the unit 3 Secure the compartment door 4 To prevent battery corrosion it is recommended that the batteries be removed from the unit if it is not in use for two weeks Bulb Replacement This krypton bulb s product number is KPR113 When replacing the bulb refer to this product number Please also note these additional specifications Bulb Type 4 5V 0 5A krypton lamp Current Rating 500MA Current Voltage 4 5V amp Filament Shape C 2R Caution While the unit is in operation the light bulb gets hot Warn students not to touch the bulb If the bulb burns out wait until it has cooled before replacing it Cleaning Instructions 1 Disconnect the AC adapter before cleaning 2 Clean the product with a dry or damp cloth 3 Do not immerse or spray any liquid or water on the product 00 3 Y Tell us what you think Your opinion counts Visit us online at Www educationalinsights com to review this product Developed in Southern California by Educational Insights Find us on Educational Insights Inc Gardena CA U S A All rights reserved Learning Ed Resources Ltd King s Lynn Norfolk U K Please retain this information Facebook ade in enina Engage Minds Inspire Discovery Www facebook com educationalinsights www educationalinsights com i i Fabriqu en Chine Informations c
11. eus Pisces Fishes Polaris North Star Sagitta Arrow Serpens Serpent Taurus Bull Triangulum Triangle Ursa Major Great Bear Ursa Minor Little Bear Virgo Virgin Hercules Hercules not a constellation Pictures in the Sky Ask students whether they think the constellations projected by the star dome resemble the names they ve been given Tell each student to choose a constellation What kind of figure or object do they see in the pattern of stars Encourage creativity students might look at the constellation traditionally called the Great Bear and see a skunk a man waving hello or a frying pan Students should copy down the pattern of stars draw a figure around them and name their constellation Have your students write stories and create histories around their invented constellations What s in a Name Assign names from the list above such as Hercules Orion or Cassiopeia Have your students research and write about these mythological figures Who was Hercules What did he do Why was he important Star Stories Other cultures view the evening sky differently For example Native American groups see different patterns than those previously discussed These constellations have rich stories and traditions behind them This topic is called archaeoastronomy Have your students research the Lakota the Navajo and other groups and compare findings Research additional non Western cultures in a similar fashion
12. he sun s equator as a reference point to locate objects in space r x x x A planet moves in two main ways It rotates A planet s heliocentric longitude is given in degrees from 0 to 359 Eii on ie onn TS CSI CORE RES Notice the numbered markings on the top and bottom of the central tower orbits po sun Ayplanetarn days thelength of time a planet takes to completely rotate on These are planetary addresses or heliocentric longitude markings Using its axis The time it fakes fora planet to these with the Heliocentric Longitude Chart below you can arrange the completely revolve around the sun is called a planets to closely approximate their current positions planetary year See the Creating a Living 1 Locate the date nearest to the current date on the Heliocentric polar System Modeli exercise onipage zand the Y chart on page 4 for related information Longitude Chart 2 As you read across the row you ll see a number listed for each planet This indicates the planet s heliocentric longitude 3 Move each planet s rod so that it lines up with the correct number marking The electrical power should be turned off for this activity Model Not to Scale Explain to students that classroom solar system models cannot show planet sizes to scale For example the sun must be shown much smaller in comparison to the planets than it actually is In reality the sun is about 108 times the Earth s diameter and is about 1 million times
13. ing the casing until it locks Fit the sun sphere over the bulb 2 Attach the shortest rod to Mercury the closest planet to the sun Insert this rod into the top ring of the central tower 3 Attach the next shortest rod to Venus and insert the rod and planet into the second ring from the top Continue in this fashion until all rods and planets have been assembled and attached to the tower If you choose to include Pluto it should be at the bottom of the tower with the longest rod Each planet is printed with its own planetary symbol For correct order refer to the first three columns of the chart on page 4 They list each planet s name symbol and position in relation to the sun 4 Once you have assembled the model position the planets within their orbits by following the directions in the section Where Are the Planets Now While you may wish to arrange them yourself for your initial lesson the process also makes an excellent group activity For directions on using the star dome see page 5 Introducing the Solar System Model in the Classroom Observing the Solar System in Action Seeing the model in action revolving with the light on is a good starting point for students to learn about the solar system If looking over the model from the sun s north pole the planets orbit in a counter clockwise direction Dimming the classroom lights will make the demonstration more dramatic In a darkened room students will be able to see
14. minutes 10 helium 888 200 000 mi 74 898 mi 6 mi sec 10 hours 97 hydrogen 1 429 400 000 km 120 540 km 22 42 Earth years 49 km se9 39 minutes 3 helium 1 786 500 000 mi 31 763 mi 83 75 Earth vears 4 mi sec 17 hours 2 875 000 000 km 51 120 km y 7 km sec 14 minutes 2 799 100 000 mi 30 800 mi 3 mi sec 16 hours Neptune 4 504 400 000 km 49500km 164 Earth years km se 7 minutes 6 Earth days 9 hours 18 minutes 3 676 200 000 mi 1 430 mi 3 mi sec 248 Earth years methane gases frozen into 387 to 369 F 5 915 800 000 km 2 300 km y 5 km sec ice for most of its orbit 233 to 223 C Scientists are constantly discovering new planetary moons and space objects For the most up to date information check one of NASA s websites such as http nssdc gsfc nasa gov Interpreting the Planetary Features Chart Both younger and older students can benefit from a discussion about the Planetary Features Chart Duplicate this chart and distribute copies to the students Begin your discussion by posing some simple riddles that students can answer by using the chart For example I spin the fastest on my axis Jupiter or I m the smallest planet Mercury Then explore some of the topics below Each begins with questions you might raise to get students thinking about the characteristics of the planets amp Which are the hottest planets Where are they located amp Which are the coldest planets Where are the
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16. the Motorized Solar System 3 Write down how long it takes Earth to make a complete revolution and reach 0 again 4 The Planetary Features Chart lists that it takes 88 Earth days for Mercury to orbit the sun and 365 days for Earth to orbit the sun Multiply your recorded time by 36s Your result will be the amount of time it would take Mercury to complete one orbit of the sun if Earth used your recorded time and if the relative speeds in the model were accurate 5 Relative revolution periods can be found for other planets in the same way but make sure students don t confuse years with days For example it takes Neptune 164 Earth years to orbit the sun There s no need to convert that figure to Earth days since we know that 365 days equals one Earth year Simply multiply your recorded time by 164 Locating the Planets in the Night Sky Using the Heliocentric Longitude Chart on page 2 choose a particular day and align the planets on their support rods according to their degree locations Look at Earth s location The portion of Earth always pointed at the sun represents noontime or midday Taking a straight edge veer off to the left keeping the sun below the horizon represented by the straight edge from Earth Any planets that are above the horizon should be visible in the night sky Depending on the day you could see Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus or Mercury with the unaided eye Viewing depends on clear dark skies c Planetar
17. y Features Chart Year Period Average Day Time it of time to orbital takes to Atmosphere Moons Temperature orbit sun speed rotate on axis Position Average Planet Symbol relative distance to sun from sun Diameter at equator almost non existent 59 Earth days trace amounts of hydrogen and helium 279 to 801 F 173 to 427 C Mere le 35 980 000 mi 3 031 mi 30 mi sec i i 57 900 000 km 4 879 km 88 Earth days 48 km sec mostly carbon dioxide 243 Earth days sulfuric acid clouds obscure view of surface 67 210 000 mi 7 521 mi 22 mi sec 900 F average 108 200 000 km 12 104km 2247 Earth days 35 km se Venus 482 C average 78 nitrogen 21 oxygen 1 argon carbon dioxide and trace gases 129 to 136 F 90 to 58 C 92 960 000 mi 7 926 mi 18 5 mi sec 23 hours 149 600 000 km 12 756 km 26726 Earth days 30 km se 56 minutes 141 700 000 mi 4 222 mi oeer Eme 24 hours E 185 to 50 F 227 900 000 km 6 794 km y 24 km sec 37 minutes D y 140 to 20 C average cloud temperature 186 F 121 C average cloud temperature 193 F 125 C 83 hydrogen average cloud 15 helium temperature 2 methane 193 F 125 C 74 hydrogen average cloud 25 helium temperature 1 methane 315 F 193 C S 483 700 000 mi 88 846 mi 8 mi sec 9 hours 90 hydrogen Jupiter 778 300 000 km 142 980 km 1186 Earth years 43 km se9 51
18. y lasts less than 10 hours It also spins so fast that the round planet has a flattened appearance n 1543 the Polish astronomer and priest Nicolaus Copernicus noted that Earth revolved around the sun Before then people believed that the sun revolved around Earth amp The sun is very large compared to the planets However compared to other stars the sun is an average sized star The sun is our closest star S Here s a second way to explore space create your own classroom planetarium The star dome converts the solar system model into a planetarium projector 1 Remove the top half of the sun sphere Put the star dome in its place Make epee sure the tab on the edge of the star dome fits into the notch on the lower half Nr x de of the sun sphere 2 The projected image will look best in a darkened room If possible turn off the lights and close the shades 3 Switch on the light at the base of the tower Stars constellation names and constellation outlines will be projected onto the walls and ceiling of the room The farther light travels before hitting a surface the bigger the image will appear Moving the tower closer to and further from the walls or ceiling will alter the image To get the best image experiment with different distances Star Dome Classroom Activities Constellations are clusters of stars whose patterns resemble shapes and figures Breaking the 1 000 to 1 500 stars visible on a dark
19. y located The planets closest to the sun tend to be the hottest As you would expect it gets very hot on Mercury the planet closest to the sun During Mercury s night which lasts 59 Earth days however it can be much colder than the lowest temperatures ever recorded on Earth This is because Mercury has almost no atmosphere to hold in the heat and because the night lasts so long Venus has an atmosphere much denser than Earth s Its thick atmosphere traps and holds the heat of the sun Combined with its closeness to the sun this makes Venus the most consistently hot planet with surface temperatures high enough to melt lead Which are the four smallest planets What are they made of amp Which are the four biggest planets What are they made of The four inner planets Mercury Venus Earth and Mars are small and dense They are made up of rocks and metals Scientists call these terrestrial or earth like planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune are often called the gas giants They are made mostly of gases liquid and ice They are made up mainly of the elements hydrogen and helium Because they consist mostly of gas they are much less dense than the inner planets This means that they contain less matter per unit of volume Saturn s density is less than water In fact Saturn could float on a giant body of either fresh or salt water Very little is known about the dwarf planet Pluto Scientists believe it is made largely
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