Hey there! Jessi and her friend Sam love learning about space, and they know you do too! They received lots of questions about space from curious kids like you. Let’s dive into some of these questions and learn together!
Paxton, who is 5 years old, asked how scientists use math in astronomy. Sam explained that astronomers, who study stars and planets, use a lot of math in their work. Math helps them figure out things like how far away stars and planets are from Earth.
Jessi showed a fun way to understand this. You can try it at home! Hold a pencil in front of you with your arm stretched out. Cover one eye and look at the pencil, then switch eyes. The pencil seems to jump back and forth! This happens because you have two eyes that see things from slightly different angles.
Astronomers use a similar trick to measure how far away stars are. As Earth moves around the Sun, stars appear to “jump” in the sky. By measuring this jump, astronomers can calculate the distance to the stars using math!
Jane, who is 4 years old, asked how the universe was created. Jessi explained that no one was there to see it happen, so scientists make careful guesses based on what we can see now.
Galaxies, which are big groups of stars, are moving away from us. It’s like when you pop a party popper and the confetti flies out. Scientists think that everything in the universe was once squished into a tiny space, like confetti inside a popper. Then, it all expanded in an event called the Big Bang, creating stars, planets, and eventually, us!
Zasu, who is 8 years old, asked if Venus has an atmosphere. Sam explained that an atmosphere is like a blanket of air around a planet. Earth has one, and so does Venus!
However, Venus’s atmosphere is very different from Earth’s. It’s made of gases like carbon dioxide, which aren’t good to breathe. Some gases even smell like rotten eggs! The atmosphere on Venus is very hot and heavy, so much so that it can crush spacecraft that visit.
So, while Venus does have an atmosphere, it’s not a place where we could have a picnic or breathe easily!
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! If you have more questions, you can ask a grownup to help you send them to Jessi and Sam. Keep exploring and learning about the amazing universe around us!
Star Jump Experiment: Try the pencil experiment that Jessi showed! Hold a pencil at arm’s length and cover one eye, then switch to the other eye. Notice how the pencil seems to move. Now, go outside at night with a grownup and pick a star. Cover one eye and then the other, and see if the star “jumps” like the pencil did. Talk about why this happens and how it helps astronomers measure distances in space.
Big Bang Balloon Activity: Blow up a balloon just a little bit and draw tiny dots on it to represent galaxies. Slowly blow up the balloon more and watch the dots move apart. This is like the universe expanding after the Big Bang! Discuss how the galaxies are moving away from each other, just like the dots on the balloon.
Atmosphere Exploration: Create your own “atmosphere” in a jar! Fill a clear jar with water and add a few drops of food coloring to represent gases. Use a straw to gently blow bubbles into the water, showing how gases can mix and create an atmosphere. Talk about how Earth’s atmosphere is different from Venus’s and why it’s important for life.
