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Astronomy Year / Week 05 / Thursday
4/6
Week 05 · Planet or Star?

Thursday

Planets you can see
// Wanderers and twinklers
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: Planets you can see

Rocket asks, "Can I see planets without a telescope?"

Raven counts on her fingers. "What do you notice about the names Nova shows?"

Nova projects five glowing dots. "Hint: you can see these with just your eyes."

Five planets, just your eyes

  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn

You can see these five planets with just your eyes.

Venus is the brightest planet in our sky.

Only the Moon looks brighter at night.

Not every planet is up every night.

PLANET CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
How many planets can you see with just your eyes?
Which planet looks brightest in our sky?
At night, what looks brighter than Venus?
Planet factTrue or false?
Venus is a planet you can see with your eyes.?
Every planet is up every night.?
Jupiter is on the list of five.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEKnowing the names helps you find out what is up.
For a grown-up
NASA posts a free monthly sky guide called What's Up.
It lists which planets are easy to see this month.

Planets are not up every night

Planets move around the Sun, and so does Earth.

So not every planet is up every night.

A sky guide tells you which planets are easy to see.

A grown-up can help you check it.

NAME THE PLANETS
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which one is on the list of five planets?
Which one is NOT a planet you can see with your eyes?
Do you need a telescope to see Venus?
How can you find out which planets are up this month?
THE FIVE PLANETS YOU CAN SEE
  • Put them in the order of the list.
  • Tap a card, then tap its spot.
11
22
33
44
55
Planet factTrue or false?
Venus is brighter than any star at night.?
Mercury is one of the five.?
The Moon is a planet.?
Every planet is up every night.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEKnowing the planets helps you name the wanderers.
Draw the five planets you can see without a telescope. Label each one.
◈ PLANETS TO SCALE

Press the steps one at a time.

Which planet is the biggest? Which is the smallest?

You know the planets you can spot! Tomorrow: the star that is closest of all.

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