Astronomer

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Astronomers will study the movements and locations of bodies in space. You will examine both inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) and outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and some moons. You'll need to know about things like the gravity and density of each planet. You'll also need to know about each planet's rotation, solar day and planetary year. Resource Links

Questions you'll need to answer are:

1. Which planets or moons have enough density to support a the weight of a colony?

2. Can an adaptation be made to make this possible? How?

3. Which planets or moons have enough gravity to hold a colony down? How does the gravity compare to the gravity of earth? What could we do to create gravity if there was not enough?

4. How long would a day be on any of the planets or moons? Would the sun rise in the east or in the west? How would we adapt to a longer or shorter day?

5. How long would a year be on any of the planets or moons? Would there be any affect on the people of the colony or the plants grown as a result of the length of the year?

6. How long would it currently take to get to the different bodies or objects in the solar system? What features would a spacecraft need to allow people to travel these distance?

Write and answer at least four (one good question and answer from each group member) of your own questions from the perspective of an astronomer.

Regroup SSCP