Webchat

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 8:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning Expedition Teams! Our Trail-Guide today is Tom Fuller, from the University of California. We will be discussing the RAAP Project and how you can use it from your classroom. RAAP stands for "Remote Access Astronomy Project". Let's get in and learn more about how we can actually use a telescope mounted onto the Physics building at the University of California Santa Barbara, to photograph stars we select. Chat starts at 10 today.

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:12AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hello we are oak view stundents in 5th.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:18AM PST (-0800 GMT)
To Dr. Fuller - last night we happened to catch a Discovery Channel show about the moon's formation and slow spiraling away from the earth .. 1.5" a year. Is this accepted in the astronphysics communtiy as fact, or is it a theory ? What are possible explanations for how the moon was formed ? The emphasis on the moon's positive gravitational effect on our angle of rotation was very informative - they claimed a 1 degree shift may have been the reason the Sahara dried up and the Nile became the cneter of North African civilization .... any more insights inot this topic ?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:20AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:20AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HHHiiiiiidddyyyyy hhhooooooooooooooo

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:21AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HHHiiiiiidddyyyyy ho

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:22AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HHHiiiiiidddyyyyy ho Suckit tim

adam oak view: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:22AM PST (-0800 GMT)
what relationship did the native americans have with the night sky.

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi whats up : )

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Have you seen a plant at all?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Oak View students - did your guest Julie Tumamait tell you any star stories form teh Chumash last week ? We have one online about the Plieades - it is called Coyote and the Six Sisters and can be found at button ..... it is a Gabrielino cosmology story ..... please take a moment to read it, and then find the Plieades on the star map below ......

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HI : } MY NAME IS joEy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) :) : ) : )

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Coyote and the Six Sisters stroy depicts Coyote as the star Aldebran - can you find it on the map ? what constellation is it in ?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:28AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi joy

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:28AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi my name is joey what is your name ?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Have you seen a planet?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi My name is Kacee.What is yours name? Have you seen a planit

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi my name is Alma

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:30AM PST (-0800 GMT)
yes she did why?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I NO WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
hi will heheheheheheh

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Oak View - I have given you specific questions to answer - please stay on topic as this is a learning room ... thanks

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HI joey!

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:34AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Thank you for the map.

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:34AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HI WANT TO CAHT WITH ME ???????????

Timothy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:34AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Oak View students - have you been learning about the most recent Mars explorer mission? Do you have any ideas why the mission appears to have failed. Second time we have lost an explorer sent to Mars.

joey: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HI WILL \

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Why did you become an astromener Arika @ Oak View shool

Timothy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:39AM PST (-0800 GMT)
To learn more about the NASA Mars Mission go over to button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:42AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Here is the link to the Mars Polar Lander site - they tried at 1:45 this morning to contact the probe, but had no luck. Later this week they will use an antennae at Stanford University up north to try to detect signs of any radio transmission ......button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Here is the NASA briefing from early this morning. Read it over and please tell us what the next efforts will be to try to contact the polar lander ....

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
NASA briefing button

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:57AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Take a look today at one of Camp Internet's special Space Studies web sites at button

Mrs. Glenn: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 9:59AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning from Oro Grande.

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:00AM PST (-0800 GMT)
As you begin to practice some star finding use the Camp Internet Astronomy Sighting Field Report Form to log in your findings - goto: button to enter your star watch findings.

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:01AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning Oro Grande!

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:02AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Tom, have you ever seen the seven sisters?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:03AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hello, All! I see a lot of questions, so I'll be a few moments responding.

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:07AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning Tom - we'll give you a moment to catch up.

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:09AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many new planets are there?

monroe elamentary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:09AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many stars are thear?

Gabriel, regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:13AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many new planets are there?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:13AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy - My understanding is that the Moon is indeed spiraling away from Earth, but very slowly. I believe the tidal distortion of the Earth creates a pull on the Moon in the forward direction of its orbit about Earth. The most plausible theory I've heard about the formation of the Moon is that a Mars sized object collided with Earth very long ago, and that the matter ejected from the collision stayed within Earth's gravitational field and coallesced into what is now the Moon. I did not see the Discovery program, so am not familiar with the theory about African civilization. To what shift in rotation are you referring?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:15AM PST (-0800 GMT)
adam oak view: I am not very familiar with the Native American beliefs and knowledge of the night sky. Perhaps the recent chat session with John Johnson could help you with this question.

Yohana: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:16AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the main ingredient of how comets are made?

Tiffany 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:18AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why do some different planets have moons and others have rings?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:19AM PST (-0800 GMT)
(no name!) - Yes, I think I've seen all the known planets. The only one I'm not sure of is Pluto. I remember trying to find it according to an ephemeris (table of locations), but it looks so much like a star from this distance, that I couldn't be sure. Can you name the planets you have seen?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:20AM PST (-0800 GMT)
whenever a blackhole sucks somthing in do you know where it gose?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:21AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom - the show's scientists said that with-out the moon, the earth would probably experience 30-50 degree shifts off axis, and it would disrupt life. They mentioned that it is possible a small shift of even 1 degree caused the desertification of the Sahara, and the move of human population to the Nile. They also noted that not only should we look for planets that might support life in other solar systems, but that we need to look for planets WITH moons to find a comparable life-supporting environment as the moons allow the planets to stablize their seasons / sunlight / tides, etc..... we found this interesting as we had not previously considered the impact the moon has on the earth beyond the tides .....

Yohana 6th from Oro Grande Elementary : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:22AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What kind of Gas is there on Jupiter,Saturn,Mars,Mercury, Venus,Uranus,Neptune,Pluto?And I'll give you time to answer each one I'm not hurrying you so dont worry.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:23AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Can you share with our students how you came to be involved in astronomy ?

Mrs. Glenn 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:24AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, Our class had some contact with you last year. I belive you sent us different heat intensity images of Betelguise. I am amazed by the images of the telescope.

garrett: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:24AM PST (-0800 GMT)
what is the largest star in the galaxy?

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elem.: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, What is the difference between a nebula and a comet?

Gabriel from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
do you know the name of the new planets?

Nolan: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you now how big the galixey

Yohana 6th from Oro Grande Elementary : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:28AM PST (-0800 GMT)

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
To our Camp Outpost Teachers present today - at the recent in-service trainings we offered an introduction to the RAAP program. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to use the resources in the online training area here button ... if you have any problem with password access, write us at camp@rain.org

LAURA: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HOW BIG IS OUR GALEXY

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Arika @ Oak View shool - One of the reasons I decided to study astronomy is because I'm curious about the world around me, and it is a challenge to find out about things that are very far away. The fun thing is that the more I find out about an astronomical object, the more attractive it becomes. For example, if you look up at a star in the night sky, you see just a point of light. That alone might not be very interesting. But if you learn about how stars have different colors, depending on their temperature, then you can begin to see interesting patterns in the sky, noting which stars are hot and which are not so hot. Red stars are coolest, and blue stars are hottest. When you go outside tonight, and look at the sky, can you find a hot blue star and a cool red one?

katherine: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the estamate of how many stars there are in the galxy

Mrs. Glenn 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:30AM PST (-0800 GMT)

Nolan: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:30AM PST (-0800 GMT)
do you like your job

Megan : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How big is the lagest star

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elementary - Yes, I have seen the seven sisters, though it's difficult to decide which one is the seventh. There are many more stars in the Pleiades than the proverbial seven. When I was younger I could see many more than seven. Now that my eyes are older, I might have difficulty seeing the seventh sister. I'll have to try it out! How many can you see?

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

James Monroe Elem.: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
what is the biggest star you have ever seen

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

monroe elamentary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many stars are thear?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many stars are there in the universe?

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elem.: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:34AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, What is the difference between a nebula and a comet?

monroe elamentary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:34AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How do stars form?

jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Tom Fuller how do you think the Milky way was formed?

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

Priscilla,Diana,Janet fromOro Grand: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller Why are volcanos on planets?

jeremy: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:36AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how do you know how big the planets. when you never been there.

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:36AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hello this is Leah & Dee

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many stars are in the universe?

Omar Oro grande 5th: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the storms on the planets made of?

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
who named all the planets?

james monroe: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
have you ever seen another plant outside our solar system?

Nolan: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
if we cant get out of the galxy how do you study it

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
why did you guys name the planets there names

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
(no name) - How many new planets? In our solar system, there have not been any new planets discovered lately. However, there have been new moons discovered around existing planets. I think one was recently discovered around Neptune. It might be interesting to visit NASA's web sites and compile a list of all the currently known moons in our solar system. In other star systems there have been a number of planets discovered. They are so far away that we cannot see them directly. Instead, astronomers look for a shift in the motion of the host star toward and away from us.

Kathy,-Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What kinds of gases are on Uranus?

LAURA: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
is there mysterious things in space?how many stars are in our galexy total?are the stars realy big balls of gas?

Michael 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:39AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,Why does Earth have one moon and the planets have more than three?

jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:39AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Tom Fuller How is it possible for a volcano to be in space?

Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:40AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom Fuller, Why does Saturn have the biggest rings?

Alisha 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:40AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,Why are volcanoes on planets?

Mrs. Glenn 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:40AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why can you only see meterorites sometimes and not all the time?

jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:41AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Tom Fuller What is the temperature on Pluto?

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:42AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Is it fun to be an anstronamer?

Michael 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:42AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,Why do some planets have moons and others have rings?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:42AM PST (-0800 GMT)
monroe elamentary - I don't believe anyone really knows how many stars there are. Certainly there are billions in our galaxy, and there are billions of galaxies larger and smaller than ours in the observable universe. There are very probably billions more galaxys outside the observable universe, but we will never know how many. Can you estimate how many stars you can see in the sky?

jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Tom Fuller How was the storm on Mars formed?

Ana Rosa 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, what is the specific gas that Mars is made of?

Alisha 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,Have you ever took a close up picture of a volcanoe on Mars?

Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:46AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Can you predict when our planet will be red?

Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:46AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom Fuller, Which to planets has the same amount of moons?

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:46AM PST (-0800 GMT)
who discovered the planets?

Michael 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:47AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,Are there any Valley's on any of the Planets?

Nolan: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:47AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How long have you been studing the solar system?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:48AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Yohana - My understanding is that comets are composed of a mixture of silicate dust, water ice and frozen volatile compounds. I don't know that you can say generally that one of these is the largest part of a comet. Particularly since the composition changes as the comet is heated by the Sun, and the ice vaporizes, allowing both water vapor and the other materials to be blown away by the solar wind.

Tiffany 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:48AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why do different planets have different temperatures?

Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:48AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom Fuller, Which to planets has the same amount of moons?

Leah & Dee: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:49AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What planet has the same amount of rings?

Alisha 6th from Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:49AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr.Fuller,What is a Black Hole made of?

Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:50AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Does planet X have moons or rings?

monroe elamaetray: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:50AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the biggest star in the universe?-by Anna& Samantha

carlos : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:51AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I just want to now what is the name of the new planet you guys found.

Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How are planets different from stars?

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why do black holes form and why do they take in a lot of light?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Speaking of moons in our solar system, the UCSB deep space program has a nice list of planets and moons at this button .... how many moons does it show are in our solar system ?

Bailey & Javier: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is your favorite planet?

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, what do the black holes do with all of the light they take in?

Victoria: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I WAS WONDERING HOW YOU KNOW SO MUCH IF WE COULDN'T LEAVE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM?

Juan Pablo: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How do we know the sizes of the planets

Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What kind of gases are there on Uranus?

James Monroe: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:55AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many stars are in the sky?

Javier: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:55AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Did you go nasa training center

Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:56AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why are Saturn's rings made out of icycles instead of rocks or broken off pieces of planets?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:57AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tiffany 6th Oro Grande Elementary - I think the difference between moons and rings has to do with how strong the gravitational field is at that distance from the host planet. The smaller planets like Earth and Mars, have a relatively weak gravitational field, so their moons experience a very weak tidal force. Large planets, like Jupiter and Saturn, have a very strong gravitational force, so moons near them experience a strong tidal force, similar to your rolling a ball of dough between your hands. If you do that for a long enough time, you will notice that it gets warm. That is what is happening to Jupiter's moon Io. As Io spins in Jupiter's gravitational field, it is squeezed in differing directions and gets very hot inside, resulting in the volcanoes on its surface. If a moon was not very large and was nearer a large planet, this rolling force would break up the moon into little pieces, and these would form a ring around the planet in the orbit of the former moon. Do you know how many planets in our solar system are known to have rings? (Hint: It's more than two!)

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:57AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Many of the answers to your questions can be found under the planet's name at this button ..... let us know if you can find an answer to your question using this link to a very good solar system site. You are our explorers - let us know what you find out !

Javier: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 10:58AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Have you ever been to outerspace?

Enedina-Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:00AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How are volcanoes formed in planets?

carlos : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:01AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tim have you ever been to oter space.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:01AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Gabriel - here is an example of the type of answer you can find online - you asked about gasses around Uranus - pronounced YOOR a nus : Uranus is composed primarily of rock and various ices, with only about 15% hydrogen and a little helium (in contrast to Jupiter and Saturn which are mostly hydrogen). Uranus (and Neptune) are in many ways similar to the cores of Jupiter and Saturn minus the massive liquid metallic hydrogen envelope. It appears that Uranus does not have a rocky core like Jupiter and Saturn but rather that its material is more or less uniformly distributed.................. Uranus's atmosphere is abut 83% hydrogen, 15% helium and 2% methane. .............. I found this by going to button and looking under the planet's name.

Priscilla,Diana,Janet fromOro Grand: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:01AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. fuller why do some planets have stormes?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:02AM PST (-0800 GMT)
(no name) - Material sucked into a black hole cannot be seen from outside the black hole, so we can't say for sure what is happening inside. Theories suggest that the matter in a black hole collapses to a singularity (a point), and other theories suggest that the black hole can spin, dragging space and time in a vortex around it. There is also a theory that black holes evaporate! (But very slowly.) Do you have a theory about what happens to matter sucked into a black hole? Can you figure out how to test your theory? Keep thinking about it, and some day you may come up with the answer!

Kathy-Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:02AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What causes a Meteor Shower?

monroe elamentary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:03AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Why is Neptune somtime further away then Pluto?

Omar 5th,Frank6th,Alex 6thOro grande : . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:03AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Does the black hole move to different galaxies?

Tiffany 6th Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:04AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, why do different planets have different gravity?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:05AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Students - Mr. Fuller asked you how many of the planets in our solar systems have rings - please hunt down the answer online at button or button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:06AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Did anyone see the Leonid Meteor shower last month ?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:07AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy - Considering that Mars and Earth have very similar tilts of their rotational axis with respect to their orbital axis, I'm not sure what to make of their theory. If they suggest a shift, then they must provide for a force in their theory to support the idea of a shift taking place. Perhaps we could discuss this further at a later time, if you are interested.

Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:07AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom Fuller,Why does each planet have different tempeture?

Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:10AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What are all the stars called in Oryans Belt?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:13AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi, my name is Madeline and I am a 6th grader at Jefferson Middle School in Indio, Ca. We have been studying the temperature of the sun, and how stars are formed in ourscience class. I don't understand how you can get the temperature of the sun when you can't get close to it. could you explain this for me. Thank-you.

Kathy-Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:19AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Why do the planets have diffrent gases?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:21AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Yohana 6th from Oro Grande Elementary - So you want a detailed inventory of the gas on each extraterrestrial planet in the solar system? I'll list the major component, and leave the remaining constituents for you to find out with a little research. When you find out, please let me know! Mercury - essentially none Venus - carbon dioxide Mars - carbon dioxide Jupiter - hydrogen Saturn - hydrogen Uranus - hydrogen Neptune - hydrogen Pluto - possibly methane

Kathy-Oro Grande: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:22AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Is there a specific temperature on Pluto?

: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:22AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I'm Sharon also at Jefferson Middle. We learned how stars are born, but could you explain how they die?

Mrs. Glenn Oro Grande Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mr. Fuller, Thank you for your expertise this morning. The students are now taking a quiz over the material that you provided for us. Thank you also for giving us your time and attention.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy - I became involved in astronomy as a child. I looked at the sky at night, sometimes using my father's binoculars or small telescope. I looked at the moon, stars, nebulae, comets. In high school I had the opportunity to use the 16 inch telescope at Westmont college. That telescope is still in use, and can be visited by the public generally on the third friday of each month, due to the efforts of the Museum of Natural History's astronomy club, the Astronomical Unit. Soon after high school I helped build a small telescope with a friend. We have shared its use over the years. Much later I decided to study astronomy more seriously, and eventually began helping make observations with a professor using the 3 meter telescope at Lick Observatory, and eventually worked with archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Basically, the key is to have a consistent interest in the subject and pursue whatever options are available to you. It helps a lot to study seriously, and enjoy learning new things.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mrs. Glenn 6th Oro Grande Elementary - I'm happy you enjoyed the images! I remember sending them to you. I hope they were useful.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
garrett - The largest star in the galaxy I believe is called the "Pistol Star". It is so large it has a hard time holding onto itself. It boils off large amounts of itself. There are a number of web sites about it listed at: button

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Twyla 6th Oro Grande Elem. - The difference beween a nebula and a comet... A comet is a like a dirty snowball that orbits our Sun. When it gets closer to the Sun, it boils off a whispy cloud that is stretched out by the solar wind. Nebula is a general term to describe a whispy, cloud-like object in the night sky, and may include a planetary nebula from a small star giving off a shell of gas near the end of its lifetime, or a large cloud of gas and dust from a larger star ending its life in a supernova explosion. Earlier in history, when galaxies were unknown, they were called nebulae, just from their appearance as dim clouds.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:46AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Today we have been having students online from Oak View School, Ventura; Oro Grande School in Oro Grande; Jefferson middle School in Indio; Indio Middle in Indio; and James Monroe in Bermuda Dunes - and our Trail Guide is from UC Santa Barbara, while the Camp staff works from the Santa Ynez Valley ---- we are linking together learners and experts from across Southern California -- all thanks to the Internet ...... Speaking of UCSB, thirty years ago one of the first sites where the Internet started sending packets of data was UCSB ... and now it is the home of the RAAP telescope that takes pictures of the stars and delivers them via the Internet to your computer !! This is a great application for the Internet and we invite all of our classrooms to take advantage of the RAAP telescope. Here is the link again to learn about RAAP .....button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:47AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom - can you please tell us a little about the conference going on in your Dept this week - who is attending and what are they researching ?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 11:51AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Gabriel from Oro Grande - I don't know of any naming of the new planets yet. I think they are simply referred to by the name of the star and the mass of the planet. Take a look at the web page at button for more information.

Mr. Kraemer Victoria Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:03AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Victoria Elementary is here also. We are just reading today.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:04AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Nolan - There are a number of ways to determine distance within our galaxy. One is based on the size of Earth's orbit, and is called parallax. If you imagine the Sun as a small dot on your forehead, between your eyes, and that your eyes are at opposite sides of Earth's orbit, you can simulate observations of parallax. If you look at an object not too far away, such as a tree trunk, and close one eye, notice where the edge of the trunk blocks out background objects much farther away. Now imagine that the Earth has travelled in its orbit for 6 months to the other side of the orbit. Simulate this by closing the first eye and opening the other. Now notice how the tree trunk blocks out a slightly shifted place in the background. By measuring the angle of the shift we can tell how far away the tree is. This is the same as we do to tell parallactic distance to a star. Another method to determine distance is to compare the apparent brightness of a certain kind of star (a Cepheid variable) with how bright it is expected to be for its period of variability.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:07AM PST (-0800 GMT)
LAURA - Our galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter, and we are about two thirds of the way from the center to the rim. How far do you think light travels in a year?

Monroe Elementary: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:09AM PST (-0800 GMT)
how long is it from earth to pluto

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:13AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Nolan - Yes, I like my job very much. Some parts I like better than others, but I enjoy learning about new things all the time. Some of the new things are in astronomy, some in computer technology and robotics, some in education, and still others in business practices and organization. Life never stands still. There are constantly new things to learn, often in areas you had no idea existed, or that you had no previous interest in. It helps to look at each new problem as an opportunity to learn something new.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:14AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Megan - I don't know how big the largest star is, so I'll leave it to you to find out from the web site I suggested earlier. When you find out, perhaps you could let the rest of us know in this chat room. Thanks!

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
jeremy - The size of a planet can be determined by measuring the amount of wobble it produces in the movement of its host star. A detailed explanation is found at button It's probably a bit more technical than you want, so don't hesitate to ask people questions until you understand what you want to know. Just be sure to think about each answer before asking the next. The thinking is when you really learn something.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:39AM PST (-0800 GMT)
monroe elamentary - I don't know which is the largest star I've seen, but it's likely to have been a red giant. Can you find a red star in the sky tonight? Stars are thought to form from clouds of gas and dust. Some of this gas and dust came from the begining of the universe, but more recently is likely to have come from old large stars having blown up as a supernova.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School - The Milky Way is likely to have formed from a very large cloud of hydrogen and helium that originated at the beginning of the universe. Not being perfectly smooth, there would have been places where the density of gas was higher than others. This is where stars and galaxies would form. The places of increased density would attract additional nearby gas, coming together to eventually create a hot ball of gas. When this ball of gas was hot and dense enough in its center, a nuclear fusion reaction started, releasing much more heat and pushing against further contraction. Eventually this heat reaches the surface of the star and makes the star shine, so we can see it.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:49AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Omar Oro grande 5th - Storms on planets are likely to be similar to those on Earth. Winds are a flow of atmosphere from high to low pressure, and a planets rotation will cause the winds to swirl around in a circle. The pressure differences are caused by differences in heating of the surface and the air near that surface. This heating could be caused by light from a host star, or from volcanic activity. The volcanic activity might be caused by tidal distortion of the planet or by radioactive decay within the planet's core.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Leah & Dee - Most of the planets were named in ancient times. The names we use now are based on Greek and Latin mythology. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were named in more modern times, following the same theme. Can you identify the figures after whom the planets are named?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:55AM PST (-0800 GMT)
james monroe - To my knowledge no one has directly seen a planet outside of this solar system.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 12:59AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Nolan - Fortunately, a large part of our galaxy is transparent, so we can see great distances within it. For those parts obscured by clouds of dust, we have to make educated guesses based on all the facts we do know. We also continue to develop new instruments to let us see farther. As an example, infrared cameras now allow us to see into dusty regions, showing us very young stars as they just begin their life.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:13PM PST (-0800 GMT)
LAURA - Space is full of mysteries! That's what makes it fun! Anything we don't understand is another mystery, and the great part is that every time we figure out an explanation for one mystery, we find more interesting, mysterious things. The most important tool we have for making sense of things is the scientific method. We observe a phenomenon, make a guess or theory of why it is so, then test that theory by experiment, trying to disprove it. If the theory withstands the test, we keep using it, until we find it to be untrue. For this to work, all the theories must not disagree with each other. If they do, it's another mystery to solve! When a theory has survived being strongly tested, we use it to support the formation of other theories. It's a never ending cycle that builds new information on old.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:17PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Michael 6th from Oro Grande Elementary - Why does Earth have one moon, while other planets have more? It depends on how moons are acquired. Some planets don't have any moons. Some moons may have evolved out of the same dust cloud as the planets. Some moons may be "captured" bodies that came from somewhere else. It's sort of like asking why some kids have more marbles in their pocket than others. Some bought them, some played marbles and won them from others. There may be many explanations. Can you think of others than I've suggested?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:21PM PST (-0800 GMT)
jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School - Volcanoes don't exist by themselves in space. They are a phenomenon that occurs on planets and moons. If the inside of the planet or moon is hot enough to melt the substance inside that body, and if that molten material finds a path to the surface where it spills out, then a volcano is formed. Do you know where the biggest volcanoe in the solar system is? (Hint: It's not on Earth!)

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:22PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tom - I think we will extract your excellent and thought provoking questions from the chat archive and send them to all of the classes as assignments .. thanks for taking time with us all today - this has been an excellent learning opportuntiy and will be available in the Camp archive soon for everyone to read anytime. To the seven classrooms who came online today - thank YOU for addressing some very interesting questions for us all to learn from !

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:27PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande - I don't know why Saturn has the biggest rings. There might be an explanation based on the size of the host planet and the likelihood of moons or asteroids finding their way to what we might call the "ring zone", but I don't know of it. That sounds like an interesting research project for you to figure out. If you can't find a reasonable explanation from someone with expertise in that area, you may someday become famous for figuring it out.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:36PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mrs. Glenn 6th Oro Grande Elementary - Meteorites are actually the fragments of meteoroids that have survived passage through Earth's atmosphere, and are found on the surface. Meteoroids traveling through space are usually extremely small, so even when illuminated by the Sun, they are so dim that they can't be seen. They also travel quickly, so telescope cameras would need to follow them very precisely for a long time, in order to get an image. This makes them virtually invisible until they get to Earth's atmosphere. As the meteoroid enters the atmosphere, it is travelling so fast that it gets very hot, glows brightly, and most just vaporize. If the meteoroid survives, it quickly slows down and cools below the temperature at which it glows, becoming "invisible" again. It becomes a dark object in a dark sky, and drops to Earth.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:42PM PST (-0800 GMT)
jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School - I've found a figure of 50 degrees Kelvin for Pluto. Can you figure out what that is in Centigrade and Fahrenheit?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:46PM PST (-0800 GMT)
jason,lizeth,Kimberly from Oro Grande Elem School - I've already talked about storms in general, but storms on Mars are usually dust storms. These are wind patterns as I discussed, but when the wind is strong enough, dust particles are rolled along the surface and lifted into the air. If the wind is strong enough, the particles remain suspended in the air. When enough dust has been suspended in the Martian atmosphere so we see it, we call it a dust storm. Eventually the winds die down, and the dust settles to the surface.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:49PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Ana Rosa 6th Oro Grande Elementary - Most of Mars is solid, not gas. I'm sure that if you go to a NASA web site for one of the Mars missions, you can find detailed information on the geology of Mars as currently understood. Those web sites should also be able to tell you about the composition of Mars' atmosphere. Most of it is carbon dioxide. Can you find out what other compounds are in Mars' atmosphere?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:52PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Alisha 6th from Oro Grande Elementary - I've taken pictures of Mars, but none that show enough detail to identify a volcanoe. It's not a very easy thing to do. That's why the Hubble Space Telescope and other space observatories are so important. They are able to see much more clearly without having to look through Earth's turbulent atmosphere.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 1:56PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande - If I remember correctly, our Sun is about halfway through its 10 billion year life as the star you live with today. About 5 billion years from now, it will run out of the hydrogen "fuel" it converts to helium in its center, and it will expand to become a red giant, enveloping Earths orbit. Earth, of course, will become uninhabitable, but there's a long time to figure out where to move to before then! Where do you think we should go?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:00PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Alfredo 5th,Cameron 5th Oro Grande - Which two planets have the same number of moons? That's a tricky question, since new moons keep getting discovered. But, I think you mean Earth and Pluto, which are each known to have one moon apiece at this time. Can you name all the moons in the solar system?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:03PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Michael 6th from Oro Grande Elementary - The biggest valley I know of in the solar system is Valles Marinaris on Mars. I'm sure there are other valleys on Mars and on other planets. Where would you expect to find valleys?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:04PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Nolan - I can remember first being interested in our solar system and space travel when I was 6 years old. When did you start?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:12PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Tiffany 6th Oro Grande Elementary - Planets have different temperatures for many reasons. You have to consider what causes heat, and what influences the movement of heat from one place to another. The Sun heats the planets with its light. The farther away from the Sun the planet is, the less heat it receives from the Sun. Radioactive decay in the core of a planet can be a source of heat, and this will depend on the amount of material that is radioactive. Tidal force can be a source of heat, such as on Earth and Jupiter's moon Io. Planets with no atmosphere allow radiation from the Sun to directly strike the surface, heating it up, but also allow the heat to be released easily from the dark side of the planet. An atmosphere can trap the heat to varying degrees. Venus' atmosphere traps heat well. It's very hot there. Earth's atmospher traps some heat, but we like it here. How do you expect the temperature of a comet to change as it comes from beyond the orbit of Pluto, and passes near the Sun?

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:18PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Alisha 6th from Oro Grande Elementary - We really don't know what Black Holes are made of. We believe that matter from stars, planets, gas and dust pass into Black Holes from its gravitational attraction, but once that matter passes through the "event horizon", the gravity is so strong, even light can't get out. The result is that we can't get information about what is going on inside the black hole. The gravitational field is so strong inside that it is beyond our experience to predict the behavior of matter.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:20PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande - Planet X was at one time thought to exist, as an explanation for some abnormalities in Neptune's orbit. I believe the abnormalities have since been explained away, and it is no longer believed that there is a Planet X.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:23PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Gabriel Regina from Oro Grande - Stars have so much mass that their internal pressure causes hydrogen to be converted into helium, a nuclear fusion reaction that releases a large amount of energy. We see this energy as light. Planets are much less massive, do not generally support fusion, and are found orbiting a star system.

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:25PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Bailey & Javier - My favorite planet is Earth! I hope we can take care of it, so it will last us a long time!

Tom Fuller: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:32PM PST (-0800 GMT)
All - I think I've pretty much covered all the questions. I know I haven't answered each one specifically, but the answers I have given should be close for those unanswered questions too. Please visit our website at button Here is an example of what our telescope can do. This is a false-color image of M-51, a galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major!

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Dec 7, 2:35PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Thank you Tom - you really tackled some 'simple' sounding but hard-to-answer questions. The students will now have this dialog as part of their astronomy resources to refer back to - and we hope ANSWER the questions you have sent them back ! Excellent spirit of inquiry. It has been appreciated !