29

Lesson 29 of 84 ยท Space

Experimentโญ 30 XP๐Ÿš€ Starbase

Asteroids and Comets (Part 2)

๐ŸงชLab Brief #29

Asteroids and Comets (Part 2).

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

โšก The twist

Gravity is invisible โ€” but it shapes everything.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐ŸŒŸ The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Before you check: which is closer?

What You'll Learn

Asteroids are rocky objects orbiting the sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are icy objects that develop tails when they approach the sun.

Key Words

  • asteroid
  • comet

Materials Needed

  • foil
  • scissors
  • flashlight

Safety First

  • Do not mix unknown chemicals together.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Review the background information on Space before starting.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Track the moon's phase each night for two weeks. Draw what you see and identify the pattern.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Create a data table to organize your measurements.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is the closest star to Earth?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œIf you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

โšกShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Space for 8th Grade

Get the full Space track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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