WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning.

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

MARTIAN LITHOSPHERE

Like the Earth's lithosphere, the Martian lithosphere is the not-so-rigid part of the crust of Mars which is cooler than the interior of Mars somewhat like the film on top of a cup of hot cocoa.On Earth, the lithosphere can be pushed in response to the warmth of the Earth. Warm magma rises to the very surface and pushes the cooler, rocky lithosphere aside.

LIFE ON URANUS

The Environment of Uranus. Uranus' has strong gravity and extremely cold temperatures (-270 degrees F to -380 degrees F). There is also energy from lightning and ultraviolet light. Uranus is made of methane, ethane and other sophisticated gases. These materials, combined with the energy from lightning, ultraviolet light, and

charged particles

MARS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Mars, Earth's outer neighbor, is the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars' bright appearance and reddish color stand out in the night sky. Impressive surface features such as enormous volcanoes and valleys are frequently obscured by huge dust storms. Visit another planet: Mercury, Venus , Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Dwarf

Planets.

INTERACTIVE COMET ANIMATION The interactive animation (below) shows some things about how comets work. Click the "play forward" button to make the comet move around in its orbit. You can make your own "custom comet" by adjusting the orbit size and the eccentricity (how "oval-shaped" the orbit is) of the comet's orbit. Click the "Closeup" tab to get a zoomed-in view of the

ARCTIC CULTURES

The Inuit are the native cultures that continue to live on coastal areas of Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska (USA), Siberia (Russia), and Greenland. Over this broad area there are many different groups of people. Some share common ancestors, others probably do not, but most have similar ways of living in the Arctic. VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more. IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTH The graph shows the strength of Earth's magnetic field over the past 800,000 years. The last reversal of Earth's magnetic field was 780,000 year ago. The direction of the magnetic field has been "normal" (meaning "like it is today") since then. This normal period is called the Brunhes normal chron. WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning.

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

MARTIAN LITHOSPHERE

Like the Earth's lithosphere, the Martian lithosphere is the not-so-rigid part of the crust of Mars which is cooler than the interior of Mars somewhat like the film on top of a cup of hot cocoa.On Earth, the lithosphere can be pushed in response to the warmth of the Earth. Warm magma rises to the very surface and pushes the cooler, rocky lithosphere aside.

LIFE ON URANUS

The Environment of Uranus. Uranus' has strong gravity and extremely cold temperatures (-270 degrees F to -380 degrees F). There is also energy from lightning and ultraviolet light. Uranus is made of methane, ethane and other sophisticated gases. These materials, combined with the energy from lightning, ultraviolet light, and

charged particles

MARS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Mars, Earth's outer neighbor, is the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars' bright appearance and reddish color stand out in the night sky. Impressive surface features such as enormous volcanoes and valleys are frequently obscured by huge dust storms. Visit another planet: Mercury, Venus , Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Dwarf

Planets.

INTERACTIVE COMET ANIMATION The interactive animation (below) shows some things about how comets work. Click the "play forward" button to make the comet move around in its orbit. You can make your own "custom comet" by adjusting the orbit size and the eccentricity (how "oval-shaped" the orbit is) of the comet's orbit. Click the "Closeup" tab to get a zoomed-in view of the

ARCTIC CULTURES

The Inuit are the native cultures that continue to live on coastal areas of Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska (USA), Siberia (Russia), and Greenland. Over this broad area there are many different groups of people. Some share common ancestors, others probably do not, but most have similar ways of living in the Arctic. VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more. IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTH The graph shows the strength of Earth's magnetic field over the past 800,000 years. The last reversal of Earth's magnetic field was 780,000 year ago. The direction of the magnetic field has been "normal" (meaning "like it is today") since then. This normal period is called the Brunhes normal chron.

MYTHS ABOUT STARS

The stories below provide a mix of stories about stars and star groups from various cultures around the world. This is a Pawnee Indian shown in ceremonial dress. The Pawnee people were one of the largest and most powerful of the Native American groups. They, like many indigenous groups, had a sophisticated knowledge of astronomy. LIFE IN THE DEEP OCEAN The deep ocean is very cold, under high pressure, and always dark because sunlight can not get down that far.Less life can survive in the deep ocean than in other parts of the ocean because of these conditions. For some animals, food comes from the bodies of dead fish, dead plankton, and even dead whales that rain down from the open ocean

waters above.

WHAT IS A TELESCOPE? A telescope is an instrument designed to collect electromagnetic radiation (light) for the observation of remote objects. The word “telescope” comes from the Greek words tele =far and skopein =to look or see. The first known telescope was built by the Dutch lens-maker Hans Lippershey in 1608. Word of this invention spread

quickly and by

RADIO WAVES

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation.A radio wave has a much longer wavelength than does visible light.We use radio waves extensively for communications.. Radio waves have wavelengths as short as a few millimeters (tenths of inches) and as long as hundreds of kilometers (hundreds of miles).

THE CAPTURE THEORY

The Capture Theory. Many of the moons surrounding other planets are really captured asteroids and not objects that formed in place with the mother planet, or were ejected by the mother planet. One sign that a moon is really a captured asteroid is that it has a non-spherical shape, or looks more like a potato than round like our Moon. WEST AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY West African Mythology. Visit the links to learn about the myths of West Africa related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world. Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and politics for the Yoruba people.After his death, he became known as the god of thunder and lightning.

HURRICANE MOVEMENT

After a hurricane crosses an ocean and reaches a continent, the trade winds weaken. This means that the Coriolis Effect has more of an impact on where the storm goes. In the Northern Hemisphere the Coriolis Effect can cause a tropical storm to curve northward. When a storm starts to move northward, it leaves the trade winds and moves

into the

MALINA, INUIT SUN GODDESS Malina is the Sun goddess of the Inuit people who live in Greenland. The word "Inuit" means "people." Malina and her brother, the Moon god Anningan, lived together.They got into a terrible fight and Malina spread dirty, black grease all over her brother's face. ZEUS, KING OF THE GREEK GODS Zeus. In Greek mythology, Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He was also known as the god of justice. He was named king of the gods in the special meeting that followed his overthrow of the god Cronus and the Titans. Zeus granted Poseidon ( Neptune in Roman mythology) dominion

over

HOW THE SUN AFFECTS CLIMATE: SOLAR AND MILANKOVITCH CYCLES How the Sun Affects Climate: Solar and Milankovitch Cycles. Earth gets all its energy from the Sun and it is the Sun's energy that keeps Earth warm. But the amount of energy Earth receives is not always the same. Changes in the Sun and changes in Earth's orbit affect the amount of energy that reaches the Earth. The 11-Year Solar Cycle. WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning. SUN'S EFFECT ON EARTH Sun's Effect on Earth. Energy from the Sun is very important to the Earth. The Sun warms our planet, heating the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. This energy to the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers our weather. Our climate is also strongly affected

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY Visit the links to learn about ancient Egyptian myths related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world. Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She was depicted as a giant woman who was supporting the sky with her back. Her body was blue and covered by stars. Ancient documents describe how each evening, the Sun entered

the mouth

VENUS STATISTICS

Venus / Aphrodite. Diameter: 12,104 km (7,522 miles) Rotation Period about Axis: 243 days (retrograde) Mass: 4.87x10^24 kilograms (0.82 x Earth's) Revolution Period about the Sun: 0.62 years.

MARS'S ORBIT

Mars Opposition in August 2003 On August 27, 2003, Earth and Mars will be closer together than they have been in thousands of years. Mars

will pass within

VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSEWINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE SUNWINDOWS UNIVERSE REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE CLEVELAND REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE

COMPLAINTS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

The Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen is an element. It is found in living things like plants and animals. It is also an important part of non-living things like the air above and the dirt below. Atoms of nitrogen don't just stay in one place. They move slowly between living IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. ERATOSTHENES' CALCULATION OF EARTH'S CIRCUMFERENCE In 240 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes made the first good measurement of the size of Earth.By noting the angles of shadows in two cities on the Summer Solstice, and by performing the right calculations using his knowledge of geometry and the distance between the cities, Eratosthenes was able to make a remarkably accurate calculation of the circumference of Earth. WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning. SUN'S EFFECT ON EARTH Sun's Effect on Earth. Energy from the Sun is very important to the Earth. The Sun warms our planet, heating the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. This energy to the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers our weather. Our climate is also strongly affected

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY Visit the links to learn about ancient Egyptian myths related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world. Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She was depicted as a giant woman who was supporting the sky with her back. Her body was blue and covered by stars. Ancient documents describe how each evening, the Sun entered

the mouth

VENUS STATISTICS

Venus / Aphrodite. Diameter: 12,104 km (7,522 miles) Rotation Period about Axis: 243 days (retrograde) Mass: 4.87x10^24 kilograms (0.82 x Earth's) Revolution Period about the Sun: 0.62 years.

MARS'S ORBIT

Mars Opposition in August 2003 On August 27, 2003, Earth and Mars will be closer together than they have been in thousands of years. Mars

will pass within

VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSEWINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE SUNWINDOWS UNIVERSE REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE CLEVELAND REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE

COMPLAINTS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

The Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen is an element. It is found in living things like plants and animals. It is also an important part of non-living things like the air above and the dirt below. Atoms of nitrogen don't just stay in one place. They move slowly between living IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. ERATOSTHENES' CALCULATION OF EARTH'S CIRCUMFERENCE In 240 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes made the first good measurement of the size of Earth.By noting the angles of shadows in two cities on the Summer Solstice, and by performing the right calculations using his knowledge of geometry and the distance between the cities, Eratosthenes was able to make a remarkably accurate calculation of the circumference of Earth. MYTHS, STORIES AND ART Culture, Myth and Art. Objects in the sky and other natural phenomena have inspired people throughout the ages. Browse our collection of myths, folk tales, and stories of many types about the Earth and sky. Check out artwork, poetry, books, and movies that portray the natural world. Dutch painter Jan Vermeer painted the town of Delft, Holland

ASTRONOMY TIMELINE

The Big Bang probably occurred. ~30,000 B.C. North America. Asian hunter-gatherers had crossed over the frozen Bering Strait to become first humans in North America. ~10,000 B.C. South America. Those who crossed over on Bering Strait into North America had traveled as far south as Argentina by this point. ~6,000 B.C. ORGANELLES OF EUKARYOTIC CELLS The “brains” of the cell, the nucleus directs cell activities and contains genetic material called chromosomes made of DNA. Mitochondria. Make energy out of food. Ribosomes. Make protein. Golgi Apparatus. Make, process and package proteins. Lysosome. Contains digestive enzymes to help break food down. TEMPERATURE OF OCEAN WATER Ocean water, with an average salinity of 35 psu, freezes at -1.94 degrees Celsius (28.5 degrees Fahrenheit). That means at high latitudes sea ice can form. The average temperature of the ocean surface waters is about 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit). 90 % of the total volume of ocean is found below the thermocline in

the deep ocean.

UNDERSTANDING THE SKY People have been wondering about what they see in the sky for a long time. Because of our curiosity about the sky, we tell stories and myths about what we see there. Astronomers try to explain what we see in the sky in the simplest way possible. WEST AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY West African Mythology. Visit the links to learn about the myths of West Africa related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world. Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and politics for the Yoruba people.After his death, he became known as the god of thunder and lightning. PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS Did you know that about 200 planets have been found around distant stars? The first planet around a star like our Sun was found in 1995.

Since then, a

FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS

Physics is the study of basic properties, materials, and forces in our Universe. Our new physics section will start off with some background material about space, time, and matter.

MARTIAN LITHOSPHERE

Like the Earth's lithosphere, the Martian lithosphere is the not-so-rigid part of the crust of Mars which is cooler than the interior of Mars somewhat like the film on top of a cup of hot cocoa.On Earth, the lithosphere can be pushed in response to the warmth of the Earth. Warm magma rises to the very surface and pushes the cooler, rocky lithosphere aside. ASTRONOMY THROUGHOUT HISTORY Astronomers study planets, stars and galaxies. For thousands of years humans have been looking at the sky. Astronomers of the past have found out some really cool stuff, and they didn't even have calculators or computers! WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning. SUN'S EFFECT ON EARTH Sun's Effect on Earth. Energy from the Sun is very important to the Earth. The Sun warms our planet, heating the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. This energy to the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers our weather. Our climate is also strongly affected

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY Visit the links to learn about ancient Egyptian myths related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world. Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She was depicted as a giant woman who was supporting the sky with her back. Her body was blue and covered by stars. Ancient documents describe how each evening, the Sun entered

the mouth

VENUS STATISTICS

Venus / Aphrodite. Diameter: 12,104 km (7,522 miles) Rotation Period about Axis: 243 days (retrograde) Mass: 4.87x10^24 kilograms (0.82 x Earth's) Revolution Period about the Sun: 0.62 years.

MARS'S ORBIT

Mars Opposition in August 2003 On August 27, 2003, Earth and Mars will be closer together than they have been in thousands of years. Mars

will pass within

VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSEWINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE SUNWINDOWS UNIVERSE REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE CLEVELAND REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE

COMPLAINTS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

The Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen is an element. It is found in living things like plants and animals. It is also an important part of non-living things like the air above and the dirt below. Atoms of nitrogen don't just stay in one place. They move slowly between living IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. ERATOSTHENES' CALCULATION OF EARTH'S CIRCUMFERENCE In 240 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes made the first good measurement of the size of Earth.By noting the angles of shadows in two cities on the Summer Solstice, and by performing the right calculations using his knowledge of geometry and the distance between the cities, Eratosthenes was able to make a remarkably accurate calculation of the circumference of Earth. WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSESUNEARTHSOLAR SYSTEMSPACESCIENCESCULTURE Explore the Earth and space sciences and related arts and humanities connections with Windows to the Universe! Earth, planets, moons, the Sun, and the stars. Astronomy, Mythology, images, video, interactives, teacher resources, and classroom activities. Spanish and English, differentiated learning. SUN'S EFFECT ON EARTH Sun's Effect on Earth. Energy from the Sun is very important to the Earth. The Sun warms our planet, heating the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. This energy to the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers our weather. Our climate is also strongly affected

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

What Is a Mineral? Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a network called a crystal lattice. The lattice of atoms is what gives a

mineral

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY Visit the links to learn about ancient Egyptian myths related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world. Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She was depicted as a giant woman who was supporting the sky with her back. Her body was blue and covered by stars. Ancient documents describe how each evening, the Sun entered

the mouth

VENUS STATISTICS

Venus / Aphrodite. Diameter: 12,104 km (7,522 miles) Rotation Period about Axis: 243 days (retrograde) Mass: 4.87x10^24 kilograms (0.82 x Earth's) Revolution Period about the Sun: 0.62 years.

MARS'S ORBIT

Mars Opposition in August 2003 On August 27, 2003, Earth and Mars will be closer together than they have been in thousands of years. Mars

will pass within

VENUS - WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSEWINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE SUNWINDOWS UNIVERSE REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE CLEVELAND REVIEWSWINDOW UNIVERSE

COMPLAINTS

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, and is Earth's closest neighbor in the solar system. Although similar in size, Venus has a thick, hot atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid which makes the planet completely inhospitable to life! Learn about the interior and surface of Venus, its role in our history and culture, mythology and more.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

The Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen is an element. It is found in living things like plants and animals. It is also an important part of non-living things like the air above and the dirt below. Atoms of nitrogen don't just stay in one place. They move slowly between living IF THE EARTH IS ROUND LIKE A BALL, WHY AREN'T WE STANDING Well, the fact is, we are all standing at odd angles around the Earth. It just doesn't feel like it because of the force called gravity. Gravity was first "discovered" by Newton. ERATOSTHENES' CALCULATION OF EARTH'S CIRCUMFERENCE In 240 B.C., the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes made the first good measurement of the size of Earth.By noting the angles of shadows in two cities on the Summer Solstice, and by performing the right calculations using his knowledge of geometry and the distance between the cities, Eratosthenes was able to make a remarkably accurate calculation of the circumference of Earth. MYTHS, STORIES AND ART Culture, Myth and Art. Objects in the sky and other natural phenomena have inspired people throughout the ages. Browse our collection of myths, folk tales, and stories of many types about the Earth and sky. Check out artwork, poetry, books, and movies that portray the natural world. Dutch painter Jan Vermeer painted the town of Delft, Holland

ASTRONOMY TIMELINE

The Big Bang probably occurred. ~30,000 B.C. North America. Asian hunter-gatherers had crossed over the frozen Bering Strait to become first humans in North America. ~10,000 B.C. South America. Those who crossed over on Bering Strait into North America had traveled as far south as Argentina by this point. ~6,000 B.C. ORGANELLES OF EUKARYOTIC CELLS The “brains” of the cell, the nucleus directs cell activities and contains genetic material called chromosomes made of DNA. Mitochondria. Make energy out of food. Ribosomes. Make protein. Golgi Apparatus. Make, process and package proteins. Lysosome. Contains digestive enzymes to help break food down. TEMPERATURE OF OCEAN WATER Ocean water, with an average salinity of 35 psu, freezes at -1.94 degrees Celsius (28.5 degrees Fahrenheit). That means at high latitudes sea ice can form. The average temperature of the ocean surface waters is about 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit). 90 % of the total volume of ocean is found below the thermocline in

the deep ocean.

UNDERSTANDING THE SKY People have been wondering about what they see in the sky for a long time. Because of our curiosity about the sky, we tell stories and myths about what we see there. Astronomers try to explain what we see in the sky in the simplest way possible. WEST AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY West African Mythology. Visit the links to learn about the myths of West Africa related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world. Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and politics for the Yoruba people.After his death, he became known as the god of thunder and lightning. PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS Did you know that about 200 planets have been found around distant stars? The first planet around a star like our Sun was found in 1995.

Since then, a

FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS

Physics is the study of basic properties, materials, and forces in our Universe. Our new physics section will start off with some background material about space, time, and matter.

MARTIAN LITHOSPHERE

Like the Earth's lithosphere, the Martian lithosphere is the not-so-rigid part of the crust of Mars which is cooler than the interior of Mars somewhat like the film on top of a cup of hot cocoa.On Earth, the lithosphere can be pushed in response to the warmth of the Earth. Warm magma rises to the very surface and pushes the cooler, rocky lithosphere aside. ASTRONOMY THROUGHOUT HISTORY Astronomers study planets, stars and galaxies. For thousands of years humans have been looking at the sky. Astronomers of the past have found out some really cool stuff, and they didn't even have calculators or computers!

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March 2012 marks the first anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake

, tsunami , and

resulting nuclear accident in Japan on 11 March 2011

. The tsunami

did massive damage, wiping out entire villages and killing ~16,000 people, and leading to one of the most serious nuclear accidents in history. This image shows before and after photos of the area north of Sendai, where 10,000 people were lost. _Photos by GeoEye/EyeQ

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Partnership Opportunities CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF PROTECTION EFFORTS MISS THE MARK Efforts to protect corals in the Caribbean focus on areas that have high biodiversity, but scientists have learned that it's also important to protect reef edges ...Read more Brought to you by NSF CLOUD FORMATION AND WEATHER FRONTS Weather fronts can cause clouds to form. Fronts occur when two large masses of air collide at the Earth's surface ...Read more Brought to you by CMMAP MODELING SPACE WEATHER Computer models help scientists study all aspects of space weather. Models help us understand activity on the Sun, the flow of the solar wind in space, and planetary magnetospheres ...Read more Brought to you by CISM WHAT IS AN EARTHQUAKE? Earthquakes happen as large blocks of the Earth’s crust move suddenly past one another because of the force of plate tectonics. These blocks of the Earth’s crust meet at cracks called faults

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