| 1. The North Star is the brightest in the sky. |
It's the 48th brightest star. The North Star is important, but it's not very bright. |
| 2. The seasons are caused by the Earth being closer or further away from the sun. |
We are closest to the sun in January! The reason for the seasons is the tilt of the Earth, which makes the sun high in our sky in summer and low in winter. |
| 3. Astrology is a science. |
Astrology is superstition; astronomy is science. Astrology is based on constellations, which are imaginary patterns in the sky. |
| 4. The astronauts float in orbit because gravity ends at the top of the atmosphere. |
Astronauts float in orbit because they are falling around the Earth. You get a second or two of this feeling when you go down a fast elevator. |
| 5. Falling stars are stars that actually fall from the sky. |
Falling stars are pieces of rock that burn up as they rub against the atmosphere. |
| 6. Comets are burning objects that move swiftly across the sky. |
Comets are mountain-sized snowballs that give off gas and dust near the sun. They are too far away to move quickly across the sky. |
| 7. Our Sun is at the center of our galaxy. |
The Sun is located about two-thirds of the way from the center of our galaxy. |
| 8. The phases of the moon are caused by the earth's shadow. |
The earth's shadow causes an eclipse of the moon, but the phases are caused by the angle we view the moon during its monthly rotation around the Earth. |
| 9. Light years are units of time. |
A light year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles. |
| 10. The asteroid belt is a very dangerous place. |
In spite of what you see in movies, you would have difficulty even finding an asteroid if you were in the middle of the main belt. Space is big! |
