Week 10 · Axis 2, Chapter 1 What Is in the Night Sky? (B) · 3 lessons
2
Looking through a telescope
Discover P2 Term 1: Axis 2, Chapter 1
GoalSay what a telescope does and what we can see in deep space.
New words
telescope · a tool that helps us see things that are far away and faintgalaxy · an enormous crowd of stars, too many to countspace · the huge place beyond the Earth where the Sun, the Moon and the stars are
Explanation
A telescope is a tool for looking at things that are far away. It helps us see things that are too faint for our eyes. With a telescope we can see bumps and holes on the Moon, some planets, and many more stars. Pictures of deep space show dots and swirly shapes. Many of them are not single stars. They are galaxies. A galaxy is an enormous crowd of stars, too many to count. The Sun belongs to one of them. Never look at the Sun through a telescope. It can hurt your eyes.
Worked examples
Mariam looks at the Moon through a telescope with her aunt. She sees bumps and holes on it.
A picture of deep space shows many dots of light. Each swirly shape is a galaxy, a crowd of countless stars.
A telescope helps us see things that are far away and faint. We do not need one for things that are near.
Class activity
Make a paper tube. A grown-up helps you roll a sheet of paper and tape it. In the daytime, look through the tube at something across the room or in the street. It is not a real telescope, but it helps you look at just one thing. Never point it at the Sun. Then draw a “telescope sky”: imagine the sky above your house seen through a strong telescope. Draw stars, planets and a galaxy.
Practice
1
What is a telescope for?
It helps us see things that are far away and faint.
2
What is a galaxy?
An enormous crowd of stars, too many to count.
3
Which tool helps us see faraway things in the sky? Say the letter.
B, the telescope.
4
Is it safe to look at the Sun through a telescope?
No. Never look at the Sun through a telescope. It can hurt your eyes.
