Last week we learned about space rocks, like comets and asteroids. Jupiter is the 1st planet outside the asteroid belt so it gets hit by lots of space rocks. If Jupiter wasn’t there then the Earth could get hit by lot’s of space rocks instead but Jupiter protects us from them (by Titus, 9).
Jupiter is so big that sometimes comets orbit it instead of the sun. Astronomers on Palomar Mountain where we used to live discovered a comet orbiting Jupiter in 1993. The next year the comet broke apart in Jupiter’s atmosphere and crashed into it and made big explosions (by Joel, 7 1/2).
Category: Friday’s Factoid
Friday’s Factoid 16 (by Titus and Mom!)
Titus drew such a cool asteroid last week that I asked him to illustrate a rhyme we made up to help us remember the difference between the other different kinds of space rocks we’ve been learning about: Comets, Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites.
Comet:
Meteoroid:
Meteor:
Meteorite:
Friday’s Factoid 15 (by Titus and Nathan)
We are learning about space rocks. NASA had a contest to name a big asteroid that some people are afraid will hit the earth in a 170 years. Mom said they should name it Angst because it makes people scared but I thought they should name it Petros which means rock since that is all it is. Here is a picture of my asteroid (Titus, 9).
There is a new comet that we might get to see this year. It needs a name too but there isn’t a contest. I think it should be named Pit because when comets hit planets they leave a big pit. This comet will be the brightest comet ever. I drew a picture of it (Nathan, 5).
Teacher’s Two-Cents (by Mom)
In our study of asteroids this week, we came across a term that I had not heard before: “albedo,” which refers to an object’s surface reflectivity. The particular asteroid we were looking at (the one with no name) reflected only about 3% of the light hitting it as compared to our moon’s albedo of 12%, the Earth’s 37%, or Venus’s 65%. I got to thinking about some of the people in my life who just really seem to reflect Jesus more than others. It’s the same light shining on all of us but what is it that gives some people a more luminous “albedo” than others? What about my own surface needs to be polished in order to reflect more of Christ’s light? “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
Question of the day: What’s your albedo?
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