* NEW NGSS website is now available @ http://nextlevelsci.weebly.com *
Learning Objective
How can we obtain and communicate information to model the position of the Sun in the Universe, the shapes and composition of galaxies, and the measurement unit needed to identify star and galaxy locations?
Background Information
In a previous module you may remember learning about our Solar System and how incredibly big it is. Well in this module we are going to take it up notch!
Introduction
Have you ever looked up into the night sky and wondered just how many stars there are in space? This question has fascinated scientists as well as philosophers, musicians and dreamers throughout the ages. Look into the sky on a clear night, out of the glare of streetlights, and you will see a few thousand individual stars with your naked eyes. With even a modest amateur telescope, millions more will come into view. So how many stars are there in the Universe? It is easy to ask this question, but difficult for scientists to give a fair answer!
Stars are not scattered randomly through space, they are gathered together into vast groups known as galaxies. The Sun belongs to a galaxy called the Milky Way. Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies also!
Stars are not scattered randomly through space, they are gathered together into vast groups known as galaxies. The Sun belongs to a galaxy called the Milky Way. Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies also!
Key Question
Where exactly is our Solar System located in space?
Key Terms
- Milky Way Galaxy
- Light Year
- Elliptical galaxy
- Spiral galaxy
- Irregular galaxy