Why Tides are the Same on Opposite Sides of the Earth. The Sun and the Moon both cause tides. This is because both of the gravitational attraction between the Earth and each of these celestial bodies. The Sun’s distance from Earth is about four hundreds times the distance of the Moon. Thus, the greater gravitational [...]
Earth’s Sunlit Areas
April 10, 2011 By
The lighted regions on Earth and the position of the ever changing Dawn and Dusk borders.
Overview of a Science Project
March 22, 2011 By
What is A Bird’s Eye View? A bird’s-eye view is a view from above, as though the observer were a bird. The colorful, quirky watercolor shown is how artist Amanda Hamilton imagines a Bird’s Eye View of St. Ives Harbor. An overview of anything, including a science project can be called a bird’s eye view. [...]
Moon:Terminator Model
February 27, 2011 By
Comparison Science Project Does the Moon’s terminator move differently when viewed from Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Terminator Research If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, correspond with someone who lives in the Southern Hemisphere. The diagram is an example for collecting information in the Northern Hemisphere. The white circle, would be shaded to represent [...]
Moon: Terminator Motion
February 26, 2011 By
Where Is the Moon’s Terminator? How Does the Terminator Appear to Move? As viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the full moon phase appears to be a white disk-shaped object in the night sky. From one day to the next, the white disk changes shape as the white, lighted part decreases. The line separating the lighted [...]
Moon Illusion
February 10, 2011 By
Apparent Distance A fourth grade student recently asked me why the Moon and the Sun seem to follow her no matter where she goes. This is a question asked by many kids, and it is one that is not the easiest to explain. After all, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is based on where the observer [...]
Gravity Model: Warped Space
January 21, 2011 By
Know that this is a model of the warping of space by two objects with different masses. The paper cones in the diagram below are made from white poster board. Using two sheets of poster board, I cut the two identical and the largest possible circles. The dashed line in the diagram to the right [...]
Astronomy for Kids at Palomar Observatory
January 10, 2011 By
This video takes you on a virtual field trip to San Diego, California for a visit to the Palomar Observatory. The Palomar Observatory is home to five telescopes that are nightly used for a wide variety of astronomical research programs. Check out this video. You will also find links to other fun astronomy websites including [...]
Graviton
September 20, 2010 By
Gravity is a force between materials. The greater the mass, the greater the force of gravity, so things that have a lot of mass, such as the planet Earth, pulls things with less mass, such as a chunk of rock, to its surface. As shown in the diagram, the winner of the gravity tug-of-war between [...]
Barycenter of Bodies of Unequal Mass
August 14, 2010 By
The Animation represents two celestial bodies of unequal masses orbiting around a common barycenter. The barycenter is the center of mass of the two bodies. If the bodies had a connecting rod between them, the center of mass would be where the bodies could be balanced. Animation The animation represents two celestial bodies of different [...]
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