Choose two letter choices from the following list. Then, in 3 sentences, explain how they are different by contrasting their characteristics. (Hint: Think about their characteristics and how they are formed.) (a) Star and planet (b) Asteroid and comet (c) Meteoroid and comet (d) Galaxy and constellation. Choose (a) and (d)

Question

(write like an 8th grader)

Answer 1

(a) Stars and planets are very different in their characteristics and formation. A star is a huge ball of hot, glowing gases that generates energy through nuclear fusion, which makes it shine brightly in the sky. In contrast, a planet is a solid or gaseous body that orbits a star, like Earth orbiting the Sun, and does not produce its own light but reflects the light from its star.

(d) A galaxy and a constellation are also quite distinct from each other. A galaxy is a massive system containing billions of stars, along with gas, dust, and dark matter, all bound together by gravity—like our Milky Way. On the other hand, a constellation is just a group of stars that appear to form a pattern from our viewpoint on Earth; these stars may be light-years apart and are not physically related like the stars in a galaxy.