Good Science Victorian Curriculum Year 7

CHAPTER 6: EARTH, THE SUN AND THE MOON
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Hubble researchers collect information to answer questions such
as these:
• What is the size of the universe?
• How are stars formed?
• How fast is the universe growing?
The Hubble Space Telescope has special features that allow it to
perform this mission:
• a 2.4-metre mirror to collect light from deep space
• cameras that detect different types of light
• instruments that separate and analyse the collected light
• systems that control where the telescope is pointed and keep it in orbit.
How is the Hubble Space Telescope different to telescopes
on Earth’s surface?
Humans first walked on the Moon in 1969
The Apollo 11 mission was the first human-piloted effort to land on the
Moon. Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Jr formed
the crew on this historic mission. The US space agency, NASA, succeeded
in their attempt on 20 July 1969. Since then, humans have landed on the
Moon four more times.
One of the main aims of these missions was to collect rock samples
from the Moon’s surface for study back on Earth. The missions collected
more than 382 kilograms of lunar samples. These samples allowed
scientists to develop theories about the origin of the Moon.
Lunar samples show that some of the Moon’s matter comes from
Earth, and some comes from another source. The current theory for the
Moon’s origin is that a very young Earth was hit by a stray body about
half its size. This collision threw debris out around Earth, which eventually
collected together to form the Moon.
What was the first human-piloted
effort to land on the Moon?
Figure 6.12 Astronauts
collected lunar soil samples
during the Apollo 12 mission,
the second human-piloted
Moon landing.
INVESTIGATION 6.5
Making a simple
telescope
KEY SKILL
Writing a research
question
Go to page 168
CHECKPOINT 6.5
1 Copy and complete these
sentences.
a The Andromeda Galaxy
was once thought to be
a .
b Edwin Hubble used a
to study
space.
c Each
contains tens of millions
of stars.
d The universe is
at the same
rate everywhere.
e The Hubble Space Telescope
can collect ,
and
light.
2 Describe the role of an
astronomer.
3 How has the Hubble Space
Telescope increased scientific
understanding of the solar
system?
4 Describe some of the ways that
the first expedition to the Moon
has contributed to scientific
understanding.
CRITICAL AND
CREATIVE THINKING
5 Imagine you are part of a
mission to Mars. List the five
most important pieces of
technology for this mission and
justify why you have included
each of them.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
I can describe how
advances in telescopes,
space probes and other
technology have provided
new evidence about space.
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