Our star, tools for studying stars, and bright and dim
Answers are for parents and teachers.
1
Explain to someone at home why the Sun looks bigger and brighter than the stars. Use the word distance.
The Sun is a star that is much closer to Earth. The other stars are far away, so they look like tiny faint dots.
2
Draw a table of three tools for studying stars and one thing each can do.
For example: binoculars gather more light; a radio telescope collects radio waves; a space telescope sees above the air.
3
The brightness of a torch is 320 units at 1 m and 80 units at 2 m. How many times smaller is it at 2 m?
320 ÷ 80 = 4 times smaller.
4
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021. How many years had it been in space in 2026?
2026 − 2021 = 5 years.
5
Write a claim, evidence and reasoning to answer: why do some stars look brighter than others?
Claim: stars look brighter when they are closer or give out more light. Evidence: the torch looks dimmer farther away. Reasoning: light spreads out as it travels, so less reaches our eyes from a far star.