Astronomy in-class activity: active satellites

Astronomy 10 In-class activity 12 v.06.02.28, Spring Semester 2008
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Astronomy 10 learning goal Q6.4

Students find their assigned groups of three to four students, and work cooperatively on an in-class activity worksheet comparing the active geo- or hydrological processes of Io, Europa, and Triton. Students are instructed to look for patterns and entries used more than once (e.g. "tidal heating"), then to concentrate on specific differences.



The answers for each satellite are shown below.

Tidal slowing of Earth's rotation

Dinosaur Comics, by Ryan North
www.qwantz.com
July 12, 2007 (excerpt)

Astronomy 10 learning goal Q4.x

Other than the snide remarks regarding reading Professor Science's mail (T. Rex is "not" officially Professor Science), Ryan North nails the science in this comic strip.

Another result of this tidal slowing of the Earth's rotation rate is that since the total angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system must be conserved (even though rotational kinetic energy being lost due to dissipative forces), the Moon will also begin to move out away from the Earth, increasing this distance to compensate for the decreasing rotation.