A unit is a unit right? Well....some units are...astronomical!! They are so big and ginormous that they are out of this world! (Hee, hee!) An Astronomical Unit is the distance between the Earth and the Sun. In 2012, the International Astronomical Union defined the distance to be 149,597,870,700 meters. (That's 149,597,870,700 meter sticks!) Tycho Brahe estimated the distance between the Sun and the Earth at 8 million kilometers (5 million miles). He wasn't even close. But he lived without calculators and a computer so I'm definitely willing to give him a break. It's really 93,000,000 miles. That is one astronomical unit! Remember this is an average number because the Earth's orbit is _________________Elliptical! You guessed it! Astronomers use the Earth’s average distance from the Sun as a standard yardstick for measuring distances in the Solar System. That is really cool, and we thought a yardstick was pretty long! When you ask the question, "How far is that?" concerning the Universe, scientists now have a consistent unit of measure to use. This unit of measure makes it handy to see how far away the planets are from the Earth or the Sun. Bottom line: Astronomers like to list the distances to objects within our solar system (planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, spacecraft, etc.) in terms of the astronomical unit, or AU. It helps them paint a picture of what our Solar System and Universe may look like. If you are outside tonight and take a look at the moon, you may see this: Have a nice weekend, sweet dreams of gravity, planets and other celestial objects! See you Monday.
15 Comments
Lexx
12/4/2015 01:24:46 pm
I will dream of gravity and au
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Eleda
12/4/2015 02:10:48 pm
Hey lexx if u r sick I hope u feel better. Btws I have your pencil🌞
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becca
12/4/2015 03:20:56 pm
i am so glad we have gravity on earth! i would hate to just be free falling all the time.
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Meirah
12/4/2015 07:49:16 pm
I think we should stop underestimating Gravity. Think about this when we don't have Gravity.
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Meirah
12/4/2015 07:50:35 pm
I am going to look at the sky now.
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Eleda
12/4/2015 08:27:55 pm
Here are random objects around the house that uses gravity couches, t.v.s,spoons, forks, knives, papers, scissors, doors, clothes, washing machine, dryer, dish washer, sinks, water, food, cups, plates, stairs, pets, beds, mattresses, clocks, microwaves, ovens, stoves, curtains, humans, a.c., heating, bowls, holiday decorations, soap, bath tub, shower heads, electronics, trash cans, pets, combs, hair gel, hair spray, tables, chairs, cabinets, bracelets, necklaces, soda cans, last but not least the house it's self. Wow, I didn't think my list would be sooooo long
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Lexx
12/6/2015 04:57:33 pm
Its probably much longer than that
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Lexx
12/6/2015 04:58:37 pm
Btw you said pets twice
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#hannah:)
12/4/2015 10:01:04 pm
I would love not having gravity it would be so fun but @ times i would hate it like when your eating food and your food runs away from you!!!
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Olivia Barlow
12/7/2015 07:25:23 am
Remember basketball Wed.
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GIGI
12/5/2015 09:44:29 pm
Mrs.Taylor...i really like your blog
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lars
12/7/2015 07:43:49 am
wow that is cool im going to look at the sky now
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |