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Astronomy Year / Week 05 / Wednesday
3/6
Week 05 · Planet or Star?

Wednesday

The wanderers
// Wanderers and twinklers
⏱ about 15 min

Wednesday: The wanderers

Raven draws a bright dot next to some stars. She draws it again a week later.

"The dot moved, but the stars did not!" Rocket says.

Raven nods. "What do you notice? The dot is wandering."

Nova hums. "Hint: the word planet means wanderer."

Planets wander

The word planet comes from a Greek word for wanderer.

Night after night, planets slowly move.

They move past the faraway stars behind them.

Star patterns stay the same shape.

Planets also stay near one line across the sky.

The planets travel around the Sun in a flat path.

CATCH A WANDERER
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
WANDERER CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What does the word planet mean?
Over many nights, which one moves past the others?

Planets on a line

The planets travel around the Sun in a flat path.

From Earth, that makes them look close to one line.

If you see two bright planets, imagine a line through them.

Other planets may be along that same line.

WANDERER THINKING
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Planet comes from a word in which language?
Do star patterns change shape from night to night?
How fast do planets wander?
Why do planets look close to one line?
Wanderer factTrue or false?
Planets move past the faraway stars.?
The Big Dipper wanders like a planet.?
Planets stay near one line in the sky.?
You can see a planet wander in one second.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEWandering is the clue that gave planets their name.
Try it
On paper, draw five dots for stars.
Draw one more dot in a different color. That is a planet.
On a second paper, draw the same stars.
Move the planet dot a little. You made it wander!
Draw a planet and the stars near it on two nights. Show how far it wandered.

You caught the idea of a wanderer! Tomorrow we meet the planets you can see.

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