Class 6 Geography WBBSE Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Chapter Synopsis
1. The Sun in the day and numerous points of light including the moon at night, all are known as the celestial bodies.
2. All of the space and everything in it, including millions of stars, planets, galaxies, asteroids, dust, etc, together are known as the universe.
3. The branch of scientific study that concentrates on space and the universe, is known as astronomy. It is one of the oldest practices in science.
4. The cloud of gas and dust in outer space, seen in the night sky as an indistinct bright patch, is called a nebula.
5. A galaxy is a celestial system of millions and trillions of stars, dust, and gas. It is usually spiral or elliptical in shape.
6. The galaxy in which the Sun, the Earth, and other planets are located, is called the Milky Way.
7. The burning gaseous bodies in space that have their own light and heat are called stars.
8. Light in an airless state has a speed of about 3,000,000 km per second. At this speed, the distance covered in a year is called one light year.
9. constellation is a group of stars that makes an imaginary shape.
10. A planetarium is a dome-shaped theatre in which stars, planets, satellites, and other celestial objects are shown for educational and entertaining purposes.
11. The constellation with seven bright stars that are clearly visible in the summer night sky in the shape of T is called the Ursa Major.
12. The constellation formed by five stars in an ‘M’ or ‘W’ shape, located opposite the Ursa Major, is called the Cassiopeia.
13. The constellation shaped like a cruciform or a flying buck in the night sky is called the Cygnus.
14. The constellation that is clearly visible in the winter sky in the shape of a hunter is called Orion.
15. A bright star in the northern sky is called the Pole star or the Polaris.
16. A tubular instrument used to watch and study distant objects with the help of a combination of mirrors and optic lenses, is called a telescope.
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17. Observatory is a huge dome-shaped building used to view the sky with the help of a telescope.
18. The Sun is at the center of the solar system and other innumerable heavenly bodies like planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, etc. travel around the Sun.
19. The Sun, the Earth, and other Planets that we know about are parts of a galaxy called the Milky Way. Sun is one of the brightest yellow stars in the Milky way galaxy.
20. The dark spots visible in the interior of the Sun where the temperature is a little lower, are called sunspots.
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21. The outermost surface of the Sun is called Corona.
22. The solar storm is a phenomenon in which plasma, gas, energy, and dust radiate from the Sun at a furious speed due to an explosion on the corona of the Sun.
23. After sunset, one of the brightest celestial bodies is seen in the western sky. It is known as the Evening star. It is also seen in the eastern sky before sunrise. It is known as the Morning star. This is actually the planet Venus.
24. A planet is a stable, dense, heavenly body that does not have its own light and revolves around the Sun in its own specified orbit.
25. Planets that are closest to the Sun are known as the inner planets.
26. Planets that are quite far from the Sun are called outer planets.
27. A dwarf planet is a nearly spherical heavenly body that has a defined orbit but cannot clear any celestial objects in its orbit.
28. Satellites are small, heavenly bodies that orbit around planets.
29. The changes in the shape of the moon from one full moon to a new moon or one new moon to the next are called the phases of the moon.
30. The length of time from one full moon to the immediate next is called a lunar month.
31. Small, rocky celestial bodies that revolve around the Sun on their own specific orbits but are too small to be called planets, are known as asteroids.
32. A luminous celestial body with a burning bright tail is known as a comet.
33. A meteor is the visible part of a meteoroid that enters into the Earth’s atmosphere due to gravitational force. When it comes in a flock to Earth, this phenomenon is known as the meteor shower.
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34. The travel to space by rocket for research purposes is called space travel.
35. Those who travel in space by space shuttle, are known as astronauts.
36. Space suits are clothes specially made to go into space.
37. A rocket is a type of spacecraft that can easily enter space overcoming the effect of Earth’s gravity.
38. The special type of spacecraft used by astronauts to return safely to Earth from space is called a space shuttle.
39. Satellites made by human beings that are sent to space for various purposes are known as artificial satellites.
40. The spacecraft that NASA sent to Mars for research purposes in 2012 is called Curiosity.
41. ISRO is the Indian Space Research Organisation.
42. Aryabhatta is India’s first artificial satellite which had launched on 19 April 1975 from the former Soviet Union.
43. Bhaskara I and Bhaskara II are the two other India’s artificial satellites.
44. INSAT or Indian National Satellite System is a series of artificial satellites of India.
45. India’s first spacecraft that successfully landed on the moon by the initiative of ISRO is called the Chandrayana (2008).
46. The moon is covered by the Earth’s shadow on a full moon night sometimes. Then the moon is not visible from the Earth. This is called the lunar eclipse.
47. On 16 July 1969, the spacecraft sailed from the Kennedy space center in the USA for an expedition to the moon, known as Apollo II.
Class 6 Geography WBBSE Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Analytical Type Questions
Question 1 Write some of the astonishing facts about the stars.
Answer:
Some of the astonishing facts about the stars:
The heavenly bodies that produce their own light and energy are called Stars. They are usually huge spheres of glowing gas held together by their own gravity.
The following are some of the astonishing facts about the stars.
Stars twinkle: The stars are at a great distance from the Earth.
- Their light travels a great distance to reach us.
- While traveling through space, particles of light collide with the particles of space and get diverted.
- As a result, their light seems to blink or twinkle.
2. We cannot see the stars in the daytime: Stars are the thousands of bright, twinkling dots of light which we can see in the night sky.
- With the aid of a powerful telescope, we can see about 1800 million stars, and with the naked eye, about 6000.
- But during the day they are not visible. This is because of the overwhelming brightness of the Sun since it is near to us.
3. Sun is the only star in our solar system: The Sun is the only star in our solar system whose existence has been proven.
This huge, swirling ball of gas is also the brightest heavenly body in our solar system.
4. Stars that flock together: When we look up at the sky, it often seems as if some stars form a natural group—these collections of stars are called Constellations.
Early astronomers joined the brightest stars in each constellation with imaginary lines and then gave names to them based on the shape formed by these imaginary lines.
These were mostly mythological characters, people, or animals.
For instance, Orion is named after the Greek god of hunting as the lines joining the brightest stars seem to form the shape of a hunter holding a bow in one hand and a sword in the other.
Class 6 Geography WBBSE Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Short Analytical Type Questions
Question 1 How was the universe formed?
Answer:
Formation Of universe:
Scientists are not unanimous about the origin of the universe.
They have different theories. Some of them are—
Some scientists believe that a huge star came near the Sun and its gravitational force caused parts of the Sun to break away. These broken-off bits of matter then formed the planets.
Other scientists believe that the universe was once smaller than a grain of sand.
About 14000 million years ago, there was a big explosion, out of which many stars were born.
A further series of explosions on these stars caused smaller stars, planets, satellites, galaxies, nebulae, and other heavenly bodies to be formed.
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Question 2 How did the expansion of the universe occur?
Answer:
The expansion of the universe occur:
There are different opinions on how the universe expanded.
Some believe that the universe at first was a whirling nebula made up of sand-like particles of space matter.
At some point, these particles of space matter started moving inward, increasing the central density of the nebula.
The planets were formed when this space matter started concentrating towards different nuclei and then formed dense, individual spheres.
The other opinion is the Big Bang Theory, which says that as a result of a huge explosion, the universe—which in the beginning was just a pinhead—started expanding outwards and is still expanding.
Question 3. What is Astronomy?
Answer:
Astronomy:
One of the oldest subjects of scientific study is the study of space.
From ancient times man has been fascinated by the planets, stars, constellations, asteroids, galaxies, and other heavenly bodies that light up our sky.
The branch of scientific study that concentrates on space is known as Astronomy. One of the first uses of this study of space was to determine the direction of the Sun, moon, and stars.
Defining and dividing time into years, months, and days based on the repetition of patterns in the sky was also important in this study.
Devices like compasses and watches were all invented based on astronomy.
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Question 4. What is Milky Way?
Answer:
Milky Way:
Millions of stars together form a galaxy.
The galaxy in which our solar system is situated is called the Milky Way.
The Milky Way is a huge, spiral galaxy made up of almost 100 billion stars along with gas and dust particles.
All the stars that we see in the night sky are part of this galaxy.
Question 5 Write the differences between nebula and galaxy
Answer:
The differences between nebula and galaxy are:
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Question 6 What does the color of a star tell us?
Answer:
The color of a star tell us:
The color of a star indicates its temperature.
For instance—
- Red stars have the lowest temperature.
- Yellow stars are a little hotter.
- Blue stars are very hot and bright.
- White stars are the hottest and also the largest in size. So we can see all these white stars with our naked eyes.
Question 7 What do you mean by constellation?
Answer:
Constellation:
When we look up at the sky, it often seems as if some stars form natural group-these collections of stars called constellations.
Early astronomers joined the brightest stars in each constellation with imaginary lines and then gave names to them based on the shape formed by these imaginary lines.
These were mostly mythological characters, people, or animals.
For instance, Orion is named after the Greek God of hunting as the lines joining the brightest stars seem to form the shape of a hunter holding a bow and an arrow in his hands.
Some other examples are Cassiopeia, Ursa Minor, etc.
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In such a way that from the Earth it appears as a hunter with a bow and an arrow in his hands and is wearing a belt.
It also seems that there is a sword hanging from his belt.
This constellation has seven bright stars forming a distinctive hourglass-shaped pattern in the night sky.
Question 8 What is Ursa Major?
Answer:
Ursa Major:
Ursa Major is a constellation of seven stars.
This constellation is visible in the north sky usually from February to October.
When the seven stars of this constellation are joined with an imaginary line, it takes the shape of a question mark (?).
As there are seven major stars in this constellation, it is also called Saptarshi Mandal.
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The main stars of this constellation are Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid.
Question 9 Write a short note on Orion.
Answer:
Orion:
The constellation that is imagined to form the shape of a hunter-warrior is called Orion.
In January-February, it is seen in the southeast part of the night sky.
If the brightest stars are joined with an imaginary line, this constellation takes the shape of a hunter.
The stars are aligned In such a way that from the Earth it appears as a hunter with a bow and an arrow in his hands and is wearing a belt.
It also seems that there is a sword hanging from his belt. This constellation has seven bright stars forming a distinctive hourglass-shaped pattern in the night sky.
Another constellation near Orion is Canis Major. The bright bluish star visible in this is called Sirius. It is assumed as the pet dog of the hunter as per common belief.
Question 10 Write a note on the telescope.
Answer:
Telescope:
A telescope is a tube-shaped instrument fitted with lenses to make distant objects appear bigger and nearer when we look through it.
Huge telescopes are used to study the heavenly bodies. The word is derived from the Greek word ‘Tele1 meaning ‘distant’ and ‘Skopein’ meaning ‘to see’.
So, the literal meaning of a telescope is the instrument used to study distant objects. For each telescope, a giant-dome-shaped structure has to be built which is called an observatory.
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Today’s telescopes allow astronomers to study heavenly bodies that are 2 billion light years away. Galileo Galilei was the first known person to use a telescope to study the stars and other celestial objects.
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1 What is the universe?
Answer:
Universe:
All of space and everything in it, including stars, planets, and galaxies, is called the Universe. It is thought to be at least 10 billion light years in diameter and about 13 billion years old.
Question 2 What is space?
Answer:
Space:
The billions of galaxies, nebulae, stars, planets, satellites, dust, and gases exist in the infinite vacant called space.
Question 3 What is the sky?
Answer:
Sky:
The sky is part of the atmosphere and outer space that we can see from our Earth. The Sun during the day, and the moon, the stars, and constellations like Orion and Cassiopeia in the night make up our sky.
Question 4 What are luminaries?
Answer:
Luminaries:
The many heavenly bodies that light up the night sky are called luminaries.
Question 5 What is a nebula?
Answer:
Nebula:
A cloud of gas and dust in outer space, seen in the night sky as an indistinct bright patch, is called a nebula. A nebula is mainly composed of hydrogen, helium, and grains of sand. Example: Cat’s Eye.
Question 6 What is a star?
Answer:
Star:
The heavenly bodies that produce their own light and energy are called Stars. They are usually huge spheres of glowing gas held together by their own gravity. Sun, Proxima Centauri, Betelgeus etc. are some stars.
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Question 7 What is a light year?
Answer:
Light year:
A light year is a unit used to measure distances in space that are too large to be measured by our ordinary earthly units. This is the distance light travels in one year. 1 light year = 9.46 trillion kilometers.
For instance, Proxima Centauri is 4.2 light years away from the Earth.
Question 8 What is Cassiopeia?
Answer:
Cassiopeia:
The constellation formed by five stars in an ‘M’ or ‘W’ shape, located opposite Ursa Major, is called Cassiopeia.
Question 9 Why are the stars not seen in the daytime?
Answer:
Stars are the thousands of bright, twinkling dots of light which we can see in the night sky. With the aid of a powerful telescope, we can see about 1800 million stars, and with the naked eye, about 6000.
But during the day they are not visible. This is because of the overwhelming brightness of the Sun since it is near to us. When it is day and one part of the Earth faces the Sun, the brightness of the Sun makes other distant stars invisible.
Question 10 What is an Observatory?
Answer:
Observatory:
Observatory is a dome-shaped space research center. A huge telescope is used in the observatory to examine the stars and other heavenly bodies in space. Example: Hanle in Ladakh is the highest observatory in the world.
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1. The endless firmament surrounding the earth is called—
- Sky
- Outer space
- Universe
Answer: 2. Outer space
Question 2. The numerous twinkling dots of light that are visible in the night sky are—
- Stars
- Planets
- Satellites
Answer: 1. Stars
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Question 3. The expansion of the universe began almost—
- 15 Billion years ago
- 16 Billion years ago
- 14 Billion years ago
Answer: 3. 14 Billion years ago
Question 4. The bright dots and objects that exist in space are called—
- Luminaries
- Nebula
- Asteroids
Answer: 1. Luminaries
Question 5. The milky way is a huge, spiral—
- Nebula
- Galaxy
- Asteroid belt
Answer: 2. Galaxy
Question 6. The approximate number of stars in a milky way is—
- 200 Thousand billion
- 100 Thousand billion
- 300 Thousand billion
Answer: 2. 200 Thousand billion
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Question 7. The speed of light is—
- 0.45 million km/s
- 0.8 million km/s
- 0.3 million km/s
Answer: 3. 0.3 million km/s
Question 8. The time taken by light from the sun to reach the earth is—
- 8 Minutes 20 seconds
- 10 Minutes 10 seconds
- 15 Minutes 15 seconds
Answer: 1. 8 Minutes 20 seconds
Question 9. The brightest star in the northern sky is—
- Venus
- Pole star
- Hadley’s octant
Answer: 2. Pole star
Question 10. The approximate number of stars that is visible to the naked eye is—
- 5000
- 3000
- 6000
Answer: 3. 6000
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Question 11. The constellation visible in the winter night sky is—
- Orion
- Big dipper
- Cassiopeia
Answer: 1. Orion
Question 12. With a powerful telescope, one can see stars that are billion light years away.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Answer: 2. 2
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Fill In The Blanks
Question 1. The universe was formed about __________ billion years ago.
Answer: 14
Question 2. Stars are born from __________
Answer: Nebula
Question 3. Millions of stars together make up a __________
Answer: Galaxy
Question 4. The Milky Way is a huge, spiral __________
Answer: Galaxy
Question 5. Small red stars have the __________ temperature.
Answer: Least
Question 6. __________stars are the brightest and hottest.
Answer: White
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Question 7. The star closest to the Earth is the __________
Answer: Sun
Question 8. The star nearest to the Sun is __________
Answer: Proxima Centauri
Question 9. Light travels at almost __________ km/s.
Answer: 3000,000
Question 10. Proxima Centauri is at a distance of __________ light years from the Earth.
Answer: 4.2
Question 11. Cassiopeia is a __________
Answer: Constellation
Question 12. The bright star visible in the northern sky is called __________
Answer: Pole Star
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Write True or False
Question 1. After the Sun, the star nearest to the Earth is Proxima Centauri.
Answer: True
Question 2. Another name for the Pole Star is the Evening Star.
Answer: False
Question 3. A Galaxy includes thousands of millions of Planets.
Answer: False
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Question 4. We can find the direction with the help of Pole Star.
Answer: True
Question 5. We can measure huge distances in space by the unit called Light Year.
Answer: True
Question 6. Oil Ursa Major is also known as Saptarshimandal.
Answer: True
Question 7. The ‘M’-shaped constellation is called Cygnus.
Answer: False
Question 8. The Earth is enveloped by the atmosphere.
Answer: True
Question 9. The distance of Proxima Centauri from the Earth is about 4.2 light years.
Answer: True
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Match The Columns
Answer: A-2,B-3,C-5,C-1,E-4
Chapter 1 The Sun The Stars In The Sky Topic A The Universe Answer In One Or Two Words
Question 1. What is a nebula?
Answer: A gigantic celestial cloud of Hydrogen, Helium, and dust particles.
Question 2. From which celestial body stars are born?
Answer: Nebulae.
Question 3. What is the name of our galaxy?
Answer: Milky way.
Question 4. Which is the brightest star in the night sky?
Answer: Sirius.
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Question 5. Write the name of the star closest to the Earth.
Answer: Sun.
Question 6. What is the speed of light?
Answer: 3,000,000 km/s.
Question 7. What is the name of the hunter-shaped constellation?
Answer: Orion.
Question 8. Which constellation is visible in the winter night sky?
Answer: Orion.
Question 9. What is the name of the dome-shaped space research center?
Answer: Observatory.