On April 29, Stella and I went with some friends to the Planetarium. The first exhibit we were told about, while we were taking a tour, was a replica of the Freedom 7. This was the space shuttle in which flew Astronaut Alan Shepard Jr. Now before take-off astronauts eat a breakfast consisting of Orange juice, Coffee, steak, and eggs. Alan's capsule remained stationary with, cramped, Alan Shepard, waiting inside. His wait turned out to be a six hour wait! The space engineers were waiting too. Tiny sweat beads soaked their faces. They kept on waiting, with fear of trouble swarming through their heads. They waited with the beads of sweat dripping down their faces, until an anxious call from Alan Shepard came that he had to use the bathroom. Now the idea came to them that if he came down from the shuttle, flight would be delayed. This would be a great catastrophe, so the men told Alan to go in his space suit. A few minutes later, the take-off was accomplished and 15 min. later, Alan's small capsule was floating in the water. In a later meeting held by NASA, Alan strongly suggested to have some way to use the toilet while in space. They did! The absorbent material used in disposable diapers, was manufactured. That's right! Astronauts wore diapers in space. The products were given to the public.
The next thing we were taught about was the space shuttles now used to launch equipment and people into outer space. The first thing I will highlight is the food used in outer space. Food is contained in small plastic pouches. The food is dry, but cannot contain crumbs. The crumbs could not be in food because, as you well know, there is no gravity in space; therefore, the crumbs could damage the delicate equipment. Droplets of water can also damage the highly regarded machines. This is why the means of getting water is to use the water dispenser. Every once in a while, astronauts will have need of someone to get out of the space shuttle, to perform a task. Though astronauts have many protections, when performing a task in outer space, the fact still remains that this, as all astronaut duties, is a very dangerous job. As we see the progress we have made in space exploration, we continue to raise questions. Over outer space there remains a Veil, a Veil that has not yet been uncovered, even as we discover every day.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Our First Hockey Game (by Leo and Rus)
On March 11, Taurus and I went to our first hockey game. As the spotlights flashed around the Verizon Arena, and as the lights snapped off, Taurus' eyes grew wide as saucers, while he sat unmoving in his seat. Now the reason we were in all this excitement, was because we bought a membership at the Planetarium, giving awesome benefits each month, including 5 tickets to a Monarchs hockey game! The seating, as I remember limited only the golden seats. The Monarchs played a good game, though they lost against the Worcester Sharks. Now I will give Rus' account.
Account by Taurus- "We had some giant pretzels. Now let's see... Well two boys came into the rink. Sam, the Monarchs mascot drove a tractor. Sam is ten years old. He's a little less. There were two boys in a brand new car. They came out and went to the Blue line, which had ten pucks set up on it. One boy hit 6 shots and was brought up into the harder test which he completed and received $5000,789,000 ($500) for. This last test was hitting the puck from center rink. No I'm not done. Yes I am done. Giggle! Giggle! Whoa! Whoa! Flip! Crash!! BOOM!" (No damage done.)
Account by Taurus- "We had some giant pretzels. Now let's see... Well two boys came into the rink. Sam, the Monarchs mascot drove a tractor. Sam is ten years old. He's a little less. There were two boys in a brand new car. They came out and went to the Blue line, which had ten pucks set up on it. One boy hit 6 shots and was brought up into the harder test which he completed and received $5000,789,000 ($500) for. This last test was hitting the puck from center rink. No I'm not done. Yes I am done. Giggle! Giggle! Whoa! Whoa! Flip! Crash!! BOOM!" (No damage done.)
Our Little Fairy Princess (Pictures and Captions by Stella)
I have put below some pictures of our little Fairy Princess!!
This was one of her first little bites of baby food! She loves eating about everything EXCEPT for carrots. I guess Dad gave her his carrot-hating-genes.
Fairy Princess
Our Little Prin- Puppy???
WHAT A MESS!!!
We are amused by the postures she makes, it really makes her look like a dainty little princess. She fits in perfectly in her family of crazy, wrestling, 'princely' brothers.
Prim and Proper
Filia
This was one of her first little bites of baby food! She loves eating about everything EXCEPT for carrots. I guess Dad gave her his carrot-hating-genes.
Fairy Princess
Our Little Prin- Puppy???
WHAT A MESS!!!
We are amused by the postures she makes, it really makes her look like a dainty little princess. She fits in perfectly in her family of crazy, wrestling, 'princely' brothers.
Prim and Proper
Filia
Walrus By: Stella
Lyd has recently been teaching me (Stella) how to crochet. She taught this to me as one of my very first projects. Thanks LYD!!
(It's a little walrus!!)
Planetarium Trip By: Stella
Hi All!
Yesterday we went to a fun field trip with our Co-Op to the Planetarium. I would like to tell you about it!
We went to the planetarium, were greeted by our friends, and went into the group waiting room. After everyone got there, Mrs. Foreman, (who was heading the tour) introduced us to our tour guide, Sam, who would be with us for the beginning of the program. We went to a cool display which showed a model of the Freedom 7. That was the ship that Alan Shepard had gone in. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. He was not the first person in space. The first person in space was really a Russian man. We heard a funny story about Alan Shepard.
The day that Alan Shepard was to go up to space in the tiny little cramped space shuttle, everyone was nervous. Shepard ate a big breakfast of steak, eggs, orange juice, and coffee. After having breakfast, they waited a couple of hours, and then brought him to the little space shuttle. He waited inside there for six hours, and still the people were hesitant to send him up. After six hours of waiting, there was a problem. Shepard had to go to the bathroom. The men knew that if Shepard got out of the space shuttle, then there would be no mission that day. There were all sorts of wires hooked up to him which showed his blood pressure, heart rate, etc. They unhooked those wires, told him to just go, and then they FINALLY got him up into space. After hours of waiting, the entire flight took only FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! All that for a little flight. He returned safely though, and then when he splashed down into the water, they picked up Alan Shepard. When on the ground, he told the men in a meeting, hey guys, you've got to figure out a way for astronauts to go to the bathroom!!!
The tour guide then showed us an experiment. He had two cups. He poured water from one cup into another cup, and then after a couple seconds, dumped the cup with the water. Nothing was in it!! It was really amazing. The astronauts then were instructed to use a special type of clothing, hmm... can you guess what that clothing might be? Give up? DIAPERS!! No, I'm not joking, REALLY!!! The astronauts wore diapers up to space. The material that they used to make that was so useful, that the making of them spread, and guess what? Disposable diapers are what astronauts used to wear. I know, it was crazy to me too! Well, your little baby is wearing what astronauts wore. Weird, huh?
After everyone finally believed Sam, we moved on. We watched a video where an astronaut in the International Space Station. We saw liftoff, the space craft hook to the space station, and then the guy showed us his, (LITERALLY!) standing room only bedroom. The camera couldn't even fit in there! There was only room for one person!! It was really fun. We saw all of the different rooms in the station, and the weightlessness was what was really cool. The guy just basically used the same motions that you use when you swim to get around the station. It made us kids jealous!! It looked so fun! We also saw an eating demonstration. It was really cool. They showed us the machine that astronauts use to add moisture to their food. The guy showed us the food, and would pick up a food off of the tray that held the food down, and the drinks, fish, etc. He would pick up a food, hold it up, and then just leave it in the air. The guy did all sorts of stunts with his utensils and stuff (that you could only do WITHOUT gravity). The way that they did the juice box was that they squeezed the juice box so that the drink would get out of the container, and then he would suck it out of the air with his straw. It was cool.
Then they had a thing that looked like you were flying through the space station, and you saw out of the window of the space station. Earth was so beautiful. It was amazing. Our planet is nothing like the flimsy little earth demonstrations and pictures that you see. You just have to see it in reality to take in the real beauty of our amazing planet. I think that it is so humbling to see the hugeness of our planet, our universe even, and the beauty of it all.
By: Stella
(I will leave it to Leo to tell about the rest of the field trip, as I don't want to write about everything!!)
Yesterday we went to a fun field trip with our Co-Op to the Planetarium. I would like to tell you about it!
We went to the planetarium, were greeted by our friends, and went into the group waiting room. After everyone got there, Mrs. Foreman, (who was heading the tour) introduced us to our tour guide, Sam, who would be with us for the beginning of the program. We went to a cool display which showed a model of the Freedom 7. That was the ship that Alan Shepard had gone in. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. He was not the first person in space. The first person in space was really a Russian man. We heard a funny story about Alan Shepard.
The day that Alan Shepard was to go up to space in the tiny little cramped space shuttle, everyone was nervous. Shepard ate a big breakfast of steak, eggs, orange juice, and coffee. After having breakfast, they waited a couple of hours, and then brought him to the little space shuttle. He waited inside there for six hours, and still the people were hesitant to send him up. After six hours of waiting, there was a problem. Shepard had to go to the bathroom. The men knew that if Shepard got out of the space shuttle, then there would be no mission that day. There were all sorts of wires hooked up to him which showed his blood pressure, heart rate, etc. They unhooked those wires, told him to just go, and then they FINALLY got him up into space. After hours of waiting, the entire flight took only FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! All that for a little flight. He returned safely though, and then when he splashed down into the water, they picked up Alan Shepard. When on the ground, he told the men in a meeting, hey guys, you've got to figure out a way for astronauts to go to the bathroom!!!
The tour guide then showed us an experiment. He had two cups. He poured water from one cup into another cup, and then after a couple seconds, dumped the cup with the water. Nothing was in it!! It was really amazing. The astronauts then were instructed to use a special type of clothing, hmm... can you guess what that clothing might be? Give up? DIAPERS!! No, I'm not joking, REALLY!!! The astronauts wore diapers up to space. The material that they used to make that was so useful, that the making of them spread, and guess what? Disposable diapers are what astronauts used to wear. I know, it was crazy to me too! Well, your little baby is wearing what astronauts wore. Weird, huh?
After everyone finally believed Sam, we moved on. We watched a video where an astronaut in the International Space Station. We saw liftoff, the space craft hook to the space station, and then the guy showed us his, (LITERALLY!) standing room only bedroom. The camera couldn't even fit in there! There was only room for one person!! It was really fun. We saw all of the different rooms in the station, and the weightlessness was what was really cool. The guy just basically used the same motions that you use when you swim to get around the station. It made us kids jealous!! It looked so fun! We also saw an eating demonstration. It was really cool. They showed us the machine that astronauts use to add moisture to their food. The guy showed us the food, and would pick up a food off of the tray that held the food down, and the drinks, fish, etc. He would pick up a food, hold it up, and then just leave it in the air. The guy did all sorts of stunts with his utensils and stuff (that you could only do WITHOUT gravity). The way that they did the juice box was that they squeezed the juice box so that the drink would get out of the container, and then he would suck it out of the air with his straw. It was cool.
Then they had a thing that looked like you were flying through the space station, and you saw out of the window of the space station. Earth was so beautiful. It was amazing. Our planet is nothing like the flimsy little earth demonstrations and pictures that you see. You just have to see it in reality to take in the real beauty of our amazing planet. I think that it is so humbling to see the hugeness of our planet, our universe even, and the beauty of it all.
By: Stella
(I will leave it to Leo to tell about the rest of the field trip, as I don't want to write about everything!!)
Origin of St. Patrick's Day
By: Stella
Define St. Patrick’s Day:
Shakes, leprechauns, and three leafed clovers!!
No, no, and no! This holiday has much more of a meaning than that! This holiday is used to commemorate St. Patrick. Not much is known about Patrick’s childhood. We do know that he was Scottish, and was born in a wealthy Romano-British family. At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to work as a slave. After six years, Patrick escaped, walked 200 miles, and found a ship that took him to England. He later believed that he was being called back to Ireland to share the Gospel with them, so he studied in Gaul to become a priest. The Irish practiced polytheism, (belief that there is more than one God.) It is said that Patrick used the shamrock (plant) to teach the Irish about the trinity. What a great example of showing love instead of getting back at your enemies!
Though this is the true meaning of Saint Patrick’s Day, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still have fun!! People dye the Chicago River Green every year!! We should still keep in mind, March 17 as a day when we remember a brave man who was willing to commit his life to help the people of Ireland understand God’s Word.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Shamrock Shakes!! By: Stella
Hi, Readers! I wanted to share a recipe with you that I got from my aunt. She made these delicious shakes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
¾ cup light vanilla soymilk
½ cup Breyers Double Churn Free Creamy Vanilla fat-free ice cream
1 tbsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)
1 ½ cups crushed ice (8-12 ice cubes’ worth)
Directions:
Place Coffee-mate in a glass and add 1 tbsp. very hot water. Stir until powder dissolves, and then transfer mixture to a blender. Add all other ingredients to the blender. Blend at high speed until mixed thoroughly. Sláinte! (“Cheers!” in Irish!)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Daylight Savings Time By: Stella
Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Savings Time, (YAWN!!) I’m sure that some of you wonder why we make this change to our clocks. Well, though it may not make sense nowadays, it sure did in the 18th to 19th centuries. Two people can be recognized for having a say in this. The man responsible for modern day Daylight Savings Time is George Vernon Hudson. Hudson proposed setting the clocks forward. Some people incorrectly state that William Willet started Daylight Savings Time. He went through town one day, and was dismayed to see that many Londoners slept through the summer days. He personally disliked cutting short his golfing at dusk, so he also suggested Daylight Savings time. Benjamin Franklin was also a man who had suggested to the French that they get up earlier at dusk to reduce candle usage. After all-
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!” Benjamin Franklin
A Whole Lot of Crazy Quotes
It's that time again...I have a full page of cute kids' quotes hanging on my fridge and would like to share them with you. Rus is entering a more thoughtful stage and is coming out with less funny quotes than before; however, I still find myself jotting down some of his 5 year old expressions of sweetness...
About his new, baby sister (Filia), Rus observed, "She is almost as pretty as Stella." On another occasion, he exclaimed, "She is as beautiful as a helicopter!"
"Sissy is a beautiful roommate."
"I know why Filia can't talk. It's because she doesn't have any teeth!"
"Filia is my little friend. She is my little peanut!"
"Don't tell Filia about Santa Claus because it will make her sad and hurt her feelings."
"Grandma, I wasn't happy when I was born because Daddy was still in high school (he meant college), and only Mom was a grownup and had to work for us."
"My brother has a kiddish name, but Mom has a womanish name."
"Uh-huh is just the old fashioned way to say 'yes.'"
"Mom, your dinner is like a party in my mouth."
Rus is growing in his understanding of basic theology. I love hearing his sweet insights during our Bible times. We enjoy reciting the Children's Catechism together, and I'm encouraged by how well he applies these truths to every day life; however, he still gets a bit muddled at times.
For instance, he stated quite dogmatically, "The Bible said that children must worship their parents."
When we were discussing the 10 Commandments, I asked Rus if there was anyone/anything he might be tempted to love and worship more than God, and he answered without hesitation, "Baby Filia."
When we talked about what it means to not commit adultery, Rus said, "When I'm Dad's age, I'm going to marry "R" (his sweet friend from Kindergarten) because I can't stop loving her! I wonder why I can't stop loving her? She's the one I've chosen to be my wife because she is very patient and quiet during class time." He also said, "I would NEVER break my promise to "R." She is my best friend, and I love her!"
"Mom, I want to go to Disney World to refresh my memory of when I was a baby."
"On some insects there's a distinction with legs and feelers."
Referring to a special outing when we bought T-ball stuff, Rus said, "Mom, I had a nice time with you today. Maybe I'll never forget that time." :)
Tert is becoming our resident comedian - a perpetual source of laughter for his parents and siblings.
Whenever Tert notices that I am tired or becoming discouraged, he immediately starts imitating his daddy's tone of voice. For instance, if I say that I sure could use a nap, he'll say, "Well, then get some rest, Sweetie!"
On another occasion... "You didn't wash my blanket?! Well, then WASH it, Sweetie!"
The other day, I was relishing a few uninterrupted moments to get ready in the bathroom. Tert, my only son who is NOT potty trained, began to bang loudly on the door, calling, "Can you speed it up?!"
Tert, who has informed us that he wants to be a trumpet when he grows up, has been known to blast out some shocking statements...
He particularly struggles with the forbidden phrase "shut up," and will craftily weave it into every day conversation. Then he'll remind himself, "I NOT need say "shut up." Occasionally, he'll settle with a "SHUT DOWN!"
From the potty chair..."Hey, Sissy...Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ...SHUCK (shut) UP!"
"This fridge is SELFISH! I can't find my drink!"
"You're distracting my feelings!!"
"Quiet, Leo!! No more eruptions!!!"
After his baby sister's immunization, he announced, "I need tell Daddy that the nurses did SHOOT our baby!"
"Daddy, I broke your cup. It was your AWESOME cup."
"My sicky (sippy) cup SUCKS!" (referring to the air escaping from the nozzle on his sippy cup)
"Hey, Daddy! Come look at Mommy's big bum!"
"Mama, I want to whistle (whisper) something in your ear."
"I'm sorry to bover (bother) you, Mama, but may I shoot Lydia?" (with a Nerf dart, of course)
"I love you cross my heart!"
About his new, baby sister (Filia), Rus observed, "She is almost as pretty as Stella." On another occasion, he exclaimed, "She is as beautiful as a helicopter!"
"Sissy is a beautiful roommate."
"I know why Filia can't talk. It's because she doesn't have any teeth!"
"Filia is my little friend. She is my little peanut!"
"Don't tell Filia about Santa Claus because it will make her sad and hurt her feelings."
"Grandma, I wasn't happy when I was born because Daddy was still in high school (he meant college), and only Mom was a grownup and had to work for us."
"My brother has a kiddish name, but Mom has a womanish name."
"Uh-huh is just the old fashioned way to say 'yes.'"
"Mom, your dinner is like a party in my mouth."
Rus is growing in his understanding of basic theology. I love hearing his sweet insights during our Bible times. We enjoy reciting the Children's Catechism together, and I'm encouraged by how well he applies these truths to every day life; however, he still gets a bit muddled at times.
For instance, he stated quite dogmatically, "The Bible said that children must worship their parents."
When we were discussing the 10 Commandments, I asked Rus if there was anyone/anything he might be tempted to love and worship more than God, and he answered without hesitation, "Baby Filia."
When we talked about what it means to not commit adultery, Rus said, "When I'm Dad's age, I'm going to marry "R" (his sweet friend from Kindergarten) because I can't stop loving her! I wonder why I can't stop loving her? She's the one I've chosen to be my wife because she is very patient and quiet during class time." He also said, "I would NEVER break my promise to "R." She is my best friend, and I love her!"
"Mom, I want to go to Disney World to refresh my memory of when I was a baby."
"On some insects there's a distinction with legs and feelers."
Referring to a special outing when we bought T-ball stuff, Rus said, "Mom, I had a nice time with you today. Maybe I'll never forget that time." :)
Tert is becoming our resident comedian - a perpetual source of laughter for his parents and siblings.
Whenever Tert notices that I am tired or becoming discouraged, he immediately starts imitating his daddy's tone of voice. For instance, if I say that I sure could use a nap, he'll say, "Well, then get some rest, Sweetie!"
On another occasion... "You didn't wash my blanket?! Well, then WASH it, Sweetie!"
The other day, I was relishing a few uninterrupted moments to get ready in the bathroom. Tert, my only son who is NOT potty trained, began to bang loudly on the door, calling, "Can you speed it up?!"
Tert, who has informed us that he wants to be a trumpet when he grows up, has been known to blast out some shocking statements...
He particularly struggles with the forbidden phrase "shut up," and will craftily weave it into every day conversation. Then he'll remind himself, "I NOT need say "shut up." Occasionally, he'll settle with a "SHUT DOWN!"
From the potty chair..."Hey, Sissy...Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ...SHUCK (shut) UP!"
"This fridge is SELFISH! I can't find my drink!"
"You're distracting my feelings!!"
"Quiet, Leo!! No more eruptions!!!"
After his baby sister's immunization, he announced, "I need tell Daddy that the nurses did SHOOT our baby!"
"Daddy, I broke your cup. It was your AWESOME cup."
"My sicky (sippy) cup SUCKS!" (referring to the air escaping from the nozzle on his sippy cup)
"Hey, Daddy! Come look at Mommy's big bum!"
"Mama, I want to whistle (whisper) something in your ear."
"I'm sorry to bover (bother) you, Mama, but may I shoot Lydia?" (with a Nerf dart, of course)
"I love you cross my heart!"
About Article Below...
Hi! This is Stella and I just wanted to let you know that the article that you see below is another article that I submitted to my class newsletter...
ENJOY!!
ENJOY!!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Spelling Bee Champs
This was an exciting year for Stella and Leo. They both won their individual spelling bees at our homeschool Co-Op, and Stella went on to compete at the regional level today. The words were much harder this year than last. Her first word was oolong, and nearly half of the kids were eliminated during the first round! She made it to round three and ended up coming in 8th place out of 28 kids. Needless to say, I'm very proud of her diligence.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Pluto Debate (Mater)
The kids are studying Apologia Astronomy this year. We recently learned about the ongoing debate over whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet. I assigned each of my older kids a point of view which they had to defend in an organized debate. I think that they had fun in spite of themselves. :) Stella and Leo presented their positions to their younger siblings and parents last night and did an excellent job...
Pluto Debate (Leo)
As there have been debates, complaints, and arguments as to Pluto's Planet hood, among even the most brilliant of scientists, I have decided to conclude, along with many other scientists, that Pluto is not a planet.
The first complaint I have against Pluto being a planet is against its size. Any object of this size orbiting the sun can hardly be considered a planet. Many moons in our solar system are much bigger than Pluto. These moons include Earth's moon, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan and Triton.
My second point involves the complaint against Pluto's highly elliptical orbit. Pluto's orbit is the most highly elliptical of all the other planets. It also is the only planet that intersects with another planet's orbit. In this case it changes places as the ninth planet with Neptune. Pluto is the only planet that has a diagonal orbit instead of the ''flat plain'' orbits the other planets possess. Many comets possess this "diagonal" orbit as well; therefore, if Pluto were a comet, this would be natural.
My fourth point is that Pluto is a misfit. The planets beyond the asteroid belt are all Gas Giants. If Pluto were a planet, the drastic change of weather between Neptune and Pluto should be taken into account. Another road block as to Pluto being a planet is that Pluto's moon's size. most planets are minute compared to the planets they orbit. Charon. Pluto's moon, could be a double-planet system with Pluto.
My fifth point is that Pluto looks much like a comet. A comet is a space object with ice and debris mixed in. These features describe Pluto. Pluto is also the only planet that does not have a hot inner core, and, though many objects in the Kuiper Belt are smaller than Pluto, there still remains one space object that is larger than Pluto.
Based on the facts that I have gathered about Pluto's size, Pluto's off center and inclining orbit, Charon, Pluto's moon's size, and the reasons for Pluto's looking like a comet, there is evidence to cause someone to believe that Pluto is a space object.
The first complaint I have against Pluto being a planet is against its size. Any object of this size orbiting the sun can hardly be considered a planet. Many moons in our solar system are much bigger than Pluto. These moons include Earth's moon, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan and Triton.
My second point involves the complaint against Pluto's highly elliptical orbit. Pluto's orbit is the most highly elliptical of all the other planets. It also is the only planet that intersects with another planet's orbit. In this case it changes places as the ninth planet with Neptune. Pluto is the only planet that has a diagonal orbit instead of the ''flat plain'' orbits the other planets possess. Many comets possess this "diagonal" orbit as well; therefore, if Pluto were a comet, this would be natural.
My fourth point is that Pluto is a misfit. The planets beyond the asteroid belt are all Gas Giants. If Pluto were a planet, the drastic change of weather between Neptune and Pluto should be taken into account. Another road block as to Pluto being a planet is that Pluto's moon's size. most planets are minute compared to the planets they orbit. Charon. Pluto's moon, could be a double-planet system with Pluto.
My fifth point is that Pluto looks much like a comet. A comet is a space object with ice and debris mixed in. These features describe Pluto. Pluto is also the only planet that does not have a hot inner core, and, though many objects in the Kuiper Belt are smaller than Pluto, there still remains one space object that is larger than Pluto.
Based on the facts that I have gathered about Pluto's size, Pluto's off center and inclining orbit, Charon, Pluto's moon's size, and the reasons for Pluto's looking like a comet, there is evidence to cause someone to believe that Pluto is a space object.
Pluto Debate *Stella*
Many people think that Pluto shouldn't be a planet. I think that it is only fair to bring into the light the facts, and examine them for ourselves. Many people are doing this, and it is resulting in one big debate. I have decided to go on the side of those who believe that Pluto should be a planet. I will now present my points.
Size-
Many people think Pluto shouldn't be a planet because of its size. After all, it is smaller than some of the other planet's moons. Mercury is smaller than Jupiter's moon-Ganymede. There is no debate about Mercury. So its being smaller than another planets' moon can't be used against it.
Orbit-
Pluto is the only planet that comes inside of another planet's orbit. But, crashing in to a comet could've easily changed its orbit. In fact, Mercury's orbit isn't too much different than Pluto's orbit. Some people could argue that Pluto's orbit looks like that of a comet's orbit, but given these facts, Pluto's orbit still looks much more like that of a planet. A crash with another large object could have made Pluto's orbit slanted. Pluto could have had an orbit much like the other planets a long time ago.
Pluto's Moon-
Many people use Pluto's moon as being evidence against it being a planet. Charon is bigger than Pluto. However, Charon could have gotten pulled into Pluto, just as Triton was pulled into Neptune. In 2005, two other smaller satellites were found orbiting Pluto, Nix and Hydra.
Misfit-
Misfit. This is the term people have generously given to Pluto. The other planets are gas giants. Well, there is no reason for us to say that all of the planets past the asteroid belt should be gas giants. It makes sense that the planets in the coldest part of the solar system should have planets made of ice and rock. Pluto is also past the Kuiper Belt. There could be another group of planets past the Kuiper Belt.
Comet-
Some people say that Pluto could be a comet. Well, the comets that we know make lots of changes.They form comas and burn off material. Pluto doesn't have changes like that. Another argument is that comets have changes like that because they come near the sun. Pluto doesn't come near the Sun. Well, the comet-like objects that don't come near the sun are in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is not in the Kuiper Belt.
What is a Planet?
People call a planet a-large body that orbits the Sun. What does large mean? Comets and other large objects in space could even be called planets.
Kuiper Belt Object-
Another point is that some say Pluto could be a Kuiper Belt object. Pluto is bigger than the other Kuiper Belt objects. Pluto is also not located in the Kuiper Belt, so this puts a stop to this argument.
So, we have brought the facts in. It is time for us to make a decision. My conclusion- Pluto is a planet. Now, think about all the facts and make your conclusion. Pluto is a planet to me, and to many other astronomers. To some Pluto is the new term of dwarf planet. Which one is the right answer? I guess the debate will have to go on, but let everyone decide for themselves, what do you think?
Size-
Many people think Pluto shouldn't be a planet because of its size. After all, it is smaller than some of the other planet's moons. Mercury is smaller than Jupiter's moon-Ganymede. There is no debate about Mercury. So its being smaller than another planets' moon can't be used against it.
Orbit-
Pluto is the only planet that comes inside of another planet's orbit. But, crashing in to a comet could've easily changed its orbit. In fact, Mercury's orbit isn't too much different than Pluto's orbit. Some people could argue that Pluto's orbit looks like that of a comet's orbit, but given these facts, Pluto's orbit still looks much more like that of a planet. A crash with another large object could have made Pluto's orbit slanted. Pluto could have had an orbit much like the other planets a long time ago.
Pluto's Moon-
Many people use Pluto's moon as being evidence against it being a planet. Charon is bigger than Pluto. However, Charon could have gotten pulled into Pluto, just as Triton was pulled into Neptune. In 2005, two other smaller satellites were found orbiting Pluto, Nix and Hydra.
Misfit-
Misfit. This is the term people have generously given to Pluto. The other planets are gas giants. Well, there is no reason for us to say that all of the planets past the asteroid belt should be gas giants. It makes sense that the planets in the coldest part of the solar system should have planets made of ice and rock. Pluto is also past the Kuiper Belt. There could be another group of planets past the Kuiper Belt.
Comet-
Some people say that Pluto could be a comet. Well, the comets that we know make lots of changes.They form comas and burn off material. Pluto doesn't have changes like that. Another argument is that comets have changes like that because they come near the sun. Pluto doesn't come near the Sun. Well, the comet-like objects that don't come near the sun are in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is not in the Kuiper Belt.
What is a Planet?
People call a planet a-large body that orbits the Sun. What does large mean? Comets and other large objects in space could even be called planets.
Kuiper Belt Object-
Another point is that some say Pluto could be a Kuiper Belt object. Pluto is bigger than the other Kuiper Belt objects. Pluto is also not located in the Kuiper Belt, so this puts a stop to this argument.
So, we have brought the facts in. It is time for us to make a decision. My conclusion- Pluto is a planet. Now, think about all the facts and make your conclusion. Pluto is a planet to me, and to many other astronomers. To some Pluto is the new term of dwarf planet. Which one is the right answer? I guess the debate will have to go on, but let everyone decide for themselves, what do you think?
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