Science Time!

Patterns of the Earth and Sky

Brightness

Standards : NGSS 5.E2U1.7, 5.E2U1.8

Let’s review our
vocabulary:

● Visualize
● Scale
● Sun
● Luminosity
 visualize scale
To make a picture in your mind Our perspective of the size,
using information from different distance, or brightness of objects
sources. compared to other objects.
 Sun
The only star in our solar
system; over 92 millions miles
from Earth.
Luminosity
A measure of how bright
something is shining; how much
light something is giving.
Where are the
stars in space?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Why does the

sun look bigger
and brighter
than other
stars?
Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 1

When stars are

farther away,
they appear
smaller.

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We are going to
make a model to
help us visualize
this.
Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 1

I need two
space objects
please!

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SPACE OBJECTS can be a planet, star, or other
object from space. In this case, they will be stars.

I need two objects.

Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 1

But what about

brightness? Do you think
a star’s distance from
Earth affects how bright
the star appears to us?

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Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 1

How would you describe

the difference
between the
headlights in the two
images?

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Why does a
star even give
off light?

Why is it bright?
A star is a hot
burning ball
of gas.
There is a nuclear reaction happening and creating
the energy that we see as light!
Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 2

Let’s practice using evidence as we answer these questions:

What is the star closest to Earth?

What is your evidence?

CLUE:
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Turn to page 19!
You will need:
a “What Would You Say”
worksheet
and a pencil.
You may also need your reading
booklet to cite evidence.
 Question 1:
Someone says, “Stars
are like the sun, except
stars are very tiny.”
What would you say?

Clue:

Use evidence
from our
reading to
answer...
 Question 2:
Someone says, “The sun
seems brighter because it is
bigger than other stars.”
What would you say??

Clue:

Use evidence
from our
reading to
answer ...
Can we answer our
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Why does the

sun look bigger
and brighter
than other stars?
The sun looks like the biggest and
brightest star to us on Earth.
Our Sun is the closest to us in
distance at 92.874 million miles from
Earth. This makes it look bigger than
other stars to us. This also makes it
appear the brightest as the luminosity
appears stronger due to its close
distance.
When we measure a stars luminosity,
we are measuring the power of the
light energy they are giving off.
Other Stars are so many light years
away, that their luminosity to us is
impacted by the distance.
Lesson 1.6: The Brightness of Starlight Activity 1

Key Concept

The sun looks bigger and brighter because it is

much closer to Earth than other stars.

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 Today we learned
about the luminosity of
stars and why our sun
appears the brightest
and largest.
Next time we will
investigate why we
cannot see stars in
the daytime sky.