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Astronomy Year / Week 05 / Monday
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Week 05 · Planet or Star?

Monday

Stars make light, planets reflect it
// Wanderers and twinklers
⏱ about 15 min

Monday: Stars and planets

Rocket points at a bright dot. "Look at that super bright star!"

Raven tilts her head. "Is it a star? What do you notice about it?"

Nova blinks. "Hint: some bright dots are not stars at all. Some are planets."

Two kinds of bright dots

A star is a giant, hot ball of glowing gas.

Stars make their own light.

Our Sun is a star.

A planet is a world that travels around the Sun.

Planets do not make their own light.

Sunlight shines on them, like it shines on the Moon.

StarPlanet
Makes its own light?yesno
Examplethe SunEarth
STAR OR PLANET?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which one makes its own light?
Why do planets shine in our sky?
Fact checkTrue or false?
The Sun is a star.?
Earth is a planet.?
Planets make their own light.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThis is the big difference between stars and planets.

Bright dots in the sky

Planets can look as bright as stars.

Some planets look even brighter than most stars.

So bright does not always mean star.

This week you learn clues to tell them apart.

LIGHT MAKERS
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
The Moon shines with sunlight. Which is it most like?
Is Earth a star or a planet?
What is a star made of?
Can a planet look brighter than a star?
SUNLIGHT ON A PLANET
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Last
Try it
Make the room dim.
A grown-up holds a flashlight. That is a star.
Hold a ball in the beam. That is a planet.
Which one makes light? Which one reflects it?
Safety first
A grown-up holds the flashlight.
Never shine light in eyes.
Star or planetTrue or false?
The flashlight is like a star.?
The ball makes its own light.?
Planets shine with sunlight.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEModels help us see how real planets shine.
Draw a star making light and a planet reflecting it.

You know the difference! Tomorrow we try the twinkle test.