ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS
What is Astronomy? Fun Facts:
NASA defines astronomy as simple "the study of stars,
planets and space." These activities will provide you
with some fun facts and information about astronomy.
Point out the Southern Cross to your partner and
describe how you know where to find it.
Prior to technology how do you think knowing
where the Southern Cross would have benefited
adventurers?
Does anybody know any other Astronomy related
skills that can be utilised for navigation?
1. The planet Saturn would float on water—it’s the only
planet in our solar system that would.
2. The Sun’s core releases energy equivalent to 100 billion
nuclear bombs per second, and that energy travels
thousands of years through its layers before it is emitted
as heat and light to power the solar system.
3. A car ride to the nearest star at 110km per hour would last
over 356 billion years.
Moon Phases
The 8 phases seen above in order starting at new moon, finishing
at waning crescent cycle each month in the same order.
Which phase are we in tonight?
 Astronomy
The Milky Way What was the most interesting
take home for you from this
What is the Milky way?
tutorial and why?
The Milky Way is made up of
approximately 100 billion starts. Each star
More information:
varies in shape and size, the stars build a
ASTRONOMY AUSTRALIA LTD. (2020).
large disk which is roughly 100,000 light Retrieved 18 September 2020, from
years. Our Solar System is about 25,000 http://www.astronomyaustralia.org.au/
light years from the centre of our galaxy. Astronomy and space - CSIRO. (2020).
Retrieved 18 September 2020, from
https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Astronomy

Communications, F., & Communications, F.

(2020). The 13 Most Fascinating Astronomy
Major Facts | Florida Tech Ad Astra. Retrieved
18 September 2020, from
https://adastra.fit.edu/blog/floridatechbound/
13-fascinating-astronomy-major-facts/

Technology has had a significant impact on what we know

about astronomy. We can now research sunrise & sunset
times, moonrise & moonset, moon phases, eclipses, and the
night sky.
For examples, visible times for 18-19/09/2020 in Adelaide.
You can research what times you can view the planets.