Ask+the+Experts


 * Do you have questions for the experts? List your questions here and we will get answers posted back to you! **

How do we make the space suits? -From J.
** GOOD question, but WAY too complicated to answer here. Here is a link and a picture (just to make you more curious)! ** 


==Is the sun a star? -From T. From McBride 3rd Grade- Yes, it is. It is the closest star to the earth. == ==Why can't we breathe in space? -From C. From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - We need air to breathe. There's almost no air out in space, so we can't breathe there. == ==<span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">How bright is the sun? -From S. <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - The Sun has the brightness of 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 light bulbs! __Every second__, the sun puts out thirty million (30,000,000) times the energy that the whole U.S. uses in __a year__. == ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Is Pluto a planet? <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Not exactly. Pluto is __much__ smaller than the "major" planets, and it's made of different stuff. Inner planets are mostly rock, and outer planets are mostly gas - but Pluto is mostly ice, as well as being too small. So we call Pluto a "dwarf planet." == ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Is the sun really hot? -Someone<span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);"> From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Yes! It's so hot that almost anything - even metal or rock - that came close to the surface of the sun would vaporize (turn into a gas). == <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">How do they eat in space?
From a friend: What a great question! Astronauts eat pretty much like we do today, but when the space program first got started things were very different! Here is a great website to explain how astronauts eat. There are some videos you can see, too! http://science.howstuffworks.com/astronauts-eat-in-space.htm ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"> How old are the planets? <span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - The planets are about four and a half __billion__ years old. To see how big a billion is, [|click here]. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Do you know a single person that has been on one of the planets?
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - No person has ever been to any planet - except Earth, where we've all been! The only place (besides Earth) where a person has been is our moon. == ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Can someone touch the sun? <span style="color: rgb(0,2,255);">No. It is too far away. It is WAY too hot, but you can get sun burned. == ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Can everyone on Earth be on ONE PLANET? <span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Yes! "Everyone on Earth" lives on our home planet, Earth. Our planet is big enough to hold seven billion people now, and maybe more in the future! == ==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Is Pluto a Dwarf planet?<span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);"> From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Yes! That's exactly what we call Pluto. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);">Can you bring your T.V. to a planet with you?
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - No one has yet been to another planet. When someone does go, though, he or she will at least have a radio, so they can talk to people back on Earth! ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(229,52,52);">Is venus really the hottest planet - From K
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(229,52,52);"> <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Yes, the surface of Venus is hotter than the surface of any other planet. It's so hot that some metals, like lead, would __melt__ if you put them on Venus! ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Does the moon follow me when I move? From J
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - No, the moon always goes around the Earth, and that doesn't change when //you// move. However, people on different parts of the Earth can see the same moon, so it can look like it followed you from one place to another! ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What is the sun made out of? From KSF
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - The sun is made out of very very hot gas. Most of that gas is hydrogen, with a little helium (the stuff they put in helium balloons). ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What does space look like? From FJ
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - If you're just looking at space itself, it would look very boring to your eyes - you'd just see darkness. However, space has many interesting things in it to look at - stars, planets, galaxies, clouds of gas, and more! ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Is the moon hard or soft?
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Think of a beach with some sand and some rocks. The surface of the moon is a bit like that. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Is it true that there is a satellite on Mars? From KT
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Right now there are three "landers" on Mars: the Spirit rover, the Opportunity rover, and the Phoenix lander. They're mostly shut down right now for the Martian winter. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Why can't I see the sun sometimes? From JL
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Sometimes, the part of the Earth that you're standing on is facing away from the sun. When that happens, you can't see the sun, just like you can't see someone who's standing right behind you. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What color is Uranus? From KF
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Uranus looks mostly blue to us, due to the chemicals in its atmosphere. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Is the Milky Way a Planet?FromSH
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - No, the Milky Way is a __galaxy__. The sun is a star. The sun's closest "neighbor" star is __much__ further away than the planets are from the sun. Other stars are still farther away. All of these stars, however - all the stars you can see in the sky - are part of a larger "city" of stars, and that's our Milky Way galaxy. ==

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"><span style="color: rgb(0,172,255); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What does the moon look like?FromCM
==<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(2,1,147);"><span style="color: rgb(243,0,255);"><span style="font-size: 70%; color: rgb(69,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(35,168,26);">From Dr. Rosa, CCSSC - Like this! ==

<span style="font-size: 50%; color: #0096ff; font-family: Georgia, serif;">  **What is this? Izabella M.** <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);">   Izabella. This is a photograph of the Great Orion Nebula. It is a huge 'cloud' of dust and gas that is so dense, some of it collapses to form new stars. The stars then illuminate the gas and dust forming a beautiful spectacle for us to view. The actual size of the nebula is huge. It is so big, it would take a beam of light almost 30 years to travel from one end to the other! <span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(228,33,33);"> What is the moon like? Makayla As Dr. Rosa stated the surface is like a beach with some sand and some rocks. Of course, there is no water, so the whole surface is fine, powdery sand and chunks of rocks. There are craters and 'mountains' caused by meteor impacts and there is very little gravity. You would be able to jump very high, but you would have to wear a pressurized suit. There is no air to breathe. Overall, a desolate, unchanging environment. It's probably a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there! Joe Is the moon hot or cold? Makayla The moon is hot on one side and cold on the other. The temperature on the side facing the sun averages 107 degrees C (water boils at 100 degrees C)! The side facing away from the sun averages -153 degrees C (water freezes at 0 degrees C) so this is VERY cold! Joe

When was Pluto made. Makayla Pluto is part of a body of objects in what is known as the Kuiper Belt. This is debris and ice probably left over from the formation of the solar system almost 4.5 billion years ago (before even Ms. Parker was born)! Joe :-) **Why can't we look at the sun? Is there a way for people to safely look at the sun? From, Mrs. B**  **     The sun produces enough energy to burn your skin and your skin is specifically designed to protect you. The inside of your eye is not designed to absorb the amount of light and energy produced by direct sunlight. Looking directly at the sun can actually cause partial blindness. Looking at the sun through a telescope will permanently damage your eye. To safely view the sun through a telescope, we use a special mylar filter that blocks out 99% of the sun's light and energy. This allows a very small amount of light to enter the telescope and makes viewing the sun a safe adventure. Joe     **
 * Why does Saturn have so many rings why can't it only have one?? from katelyn juarez **
 * Katelyn has asked an EXCELLENT question with no simple answer! The rings are made up of rocks, ice, debris, and dust. Rings can be thought of as moons orbiting a planet. Some planets have a lot of moons (Jupiter has 63!). So, just as some planets have many moons, Saturn has many rings. There are some other, very complicated reasons why there isn't just one ring, but we'll save those for college! By the way, did you know that there are FOUR planets in our solar system that have rings? The four planets with rings are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune! **



=**  How is the new moon different from the full moon? from McBride 4th grade Science Basically, when the moon is 'new', it is located between the sun and the earth. The sun shines on the side facing away from us and we 'see' the 'dark' side. When the moon is full, the earth is between the moon and the sun. The sun brightens the side we see and the moon appears 'full'. Here is a graphic showing how this works: [|moonconnection]. Joe  Why does Saturn have rings?From C.  Most astronomers think Saturn's rings were formed by a former moon being struck very hard by an asteroid or comet. The rings, then, would be the rubble left over from the impact. Joe How far is the sun from Earth? BC The sun is about 93 million miles from earth. That is a big number: 93,000,000 miles! Joe What is a good beginner telescope? From D The best telescope is the one that gets used! Many people make the mistake of buying a cheap telescope that 'wobbles' and makes it impossible to see anything. Another common mistake is to get a really big telescope that is difficult to set up. I don't really like to recommend specific products, but since you asked, I would recommend the Orion StarBlast 4.5 for most elementary school students. It costs about $180.00, but is well built and easy to use. However, I wouldn't rush out and buy one right away. There is plenty of stargazing you can do with just your eyes or a decent pair of binoculars! Joe **=