Q: 9
Why are the names of these celestial objects misleading? Explain.
(a) Shooting star
(b) Morning star
Answers
Answer:
Shooting stars look like stars that quickly shoot across the sky, but they are not stars. A shooting star is really a small piece of rock or dust that hits Earth's atmosphere from space. It moves so fast that it heats up and glows as it moves through the atmosphere. Shooting stars are actually what astronomers call meteors. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before they reach the ground. However, once in a while a meteor is large enough than some of it survives and reaches Earth's surface. Then it is called a meteorite.
Hence, shooting star is a common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere, becoming a meteor.
Why is Venus called “the Morning Star” or “the Evening Star?” Venus shines so brightly that it is the first “star” to appear in the sky after the Sun sets, or the last to disappear before the Sun rises. Its orbital position changes, thus causing it to appear at different times of the night throughout the year.
Answer:
A celestial body can be defined as any natural body outside of the Earth's atmosphere. Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies are objects in space such as the sun, moon, planets and stars. A natural celestial object, visible in the sky, such as a star, planet, natural satellite, asteroid, comet, the Moon or the Sun.