LibGuides: Science: Space

Space: an overview

Space is the near-emptiness in which all objects in the universe move. The planets and the stars are tiny dots compared with the vast expanse of space. World Book online.

This Lib Guide explores space in broad terms; from living in space to space stations and examing the relationships between the moon, earth and sun. Click on the image to view an article on space from World Book online.

Moon, Sun, Earth

The Sun
Overview of the history, properties and functions of the sun from Infobase.
The Moon
Information on the history and formation of the moon from Infobase.
The Earth
A detailed article on the formation of the planet earth from Infobase.

Journey to Mars

Space exploration
A history of space exploration and its different phases from Brittanica.
Mars exploration Rover
Information from Brittanica on the Rover mission to Mars.
Mars
Information from Brittanica on the planet Mars including a timeline of NASA's exploration of the planet.

Seasons

Interplanetary Seasons
Every planet in the solar system has seasons. Most have four like the Earth -- called Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall -- but that's where the similarities end
The weather on each planet.
While the Earth is home to many different weather systems, the most extreme terrestrial conditions are mild compared to weather on other planets.

Database - Infobase Science

Contains two databases for you to use: Science online and Today's science

user name: clonard password: geelong

Planets

Planet is a large, round body that orbits a star and shines by the reflection of the star’s light. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organization of astronomers, recognizes eight planets that orbit the sun in our solar system. In order of increasing distance from the sun, they are (1) Mercury, (2) Venus, (3) Earth, (4) Mars, (5) Jupiter, (6) Saturn, (7) Uranus, and (8) Neptune. The IAU recognizes many smaller objects that also orbit the sun, with some, such as Pluto and Ceres, designated as dwarf planets. In addition, astronomers have discovered thousands of extrasolar planets (or exoplanets)—that is, planets that orbit other stars.

WBO Student | Article (worldbookonline.com)

Planets World Book Online
An overview of the planets in our solar system.

Information about Planets from NASA Science

Compare the planets
A table comparing facts about the eight planets in our solar system.
Jupiter
Jupiter has a long history of surprising scientists – all the way back to 1610 when Galileo Galilei found the first moons beyond Earth. That discovery changed the way we see the universe.
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun – a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Mars is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past.
Mercury
The smallest planet in our solar system and nearest to the Sun, Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth's Moon.
Neptune
Dark, cold, and whipped by supersonic winds, ice giant Neptune is the eighth and most distant planet in our solar system.
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest planet in our solar system.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and has the third-largest diameter in our solar system.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor.

Liveability

Living in space
A detailed article on what its like to live in space for an astronaut and also explains some of the properties of living in space. From Infobase.
Alien life: from science fiction to Mars rocks.
An Infobase article presenting a timeline of people's fascination with alien life in space and of experiments to explore the possibility of aliens life in space.

Creating a bibliography

Referencing or citing your sources is an important part of academic writing and research. It lets you acknowledge the ideas or words of others and helps avoid plagiarism.

Click on the Online Reference Generator to create references for your assignments.

Living in Space

Laika
An article from World Book online about Laika, the first dog who travelled into space.
Life in Space
An article from NASA examining the possibility of life in space.
The future of large space settlements
An article on the future of space settlements that includes a timeline of plans from the past to settle in space. From Infobase.
Mars early exploration
A diagram of a NASA spacecraft that travelled to Mars.

Space Stations

NASA Space Stations
Website of NASA Space Stations.
Space Stations Brittanica
A space station is a spacecraft designed to revolve around Earth in a fixed orbit as a long-term base for scientific research. Astronauts can live on a space station for days or months at a time while making astronomical observations, studying Earth’s resources and environment, and performing experiments.

Space exploration
A detailed web article on space exploration from the database, Infobase. You may have to log onto infobase prior to reading the article.
How to make a model space shuttle.
Here is a desciption from a student in the US on how to make a 3D cardboard space shuttle. Have some fun with it.

Library Resources

Space Reading List
Space Reading List of library resources, fiction and non-fiction accessible through Clonard Library.