Science ABC
Why Is Uranus Colder Than Neptune?
While Neptune, the most distant planet in our Solar System, is 4.5 billion kilometers away from the Sun, Uranus, the second-farthest planet, is just 2.88 billion kilometers away. Uranus is more than a billion kilometers away from...
Science ABC
Why Are Planetary Orbits Elliptical?
Planetary orbits are elliptical because gravitational interaction over time changes the delicate balance of mass, velocity and distance from the star which otherwise keeps planetary orbit circular. For a very long time, from Ptolemy to...
Science ABC
What Would Happen If Earth Rotated Faster?
An increase in Earths rotational speed could have various impacts on life: ranging from increased earthquakes and tsunamis to a shortening of the length of the day. People could be floating in central Africa while the polar ice might...
Science ABC
What Makes A Planet Habitable?
There are many planets in the universe, but very few of them have qualities to support life Taking one celestial body at a time and determining whether it supports life would be slow and inefficient. So, astronomers look for certain...
Science ABC
9 Most Important Astronomical Discoveries
From ancient civilizations to modern breakthroughs, learn about the nine most important cosmic discoveries that changed the way we look at our Sun, Moon and beyond. Learn how Copernicus challenged the status quo, Kepler unveiled the...
Science ABC
10 Things About The Solar System Your Teachers Never Told You
Remember those old space movies where spaceships had to maneuver through a bunch of asteroids scattered around and blocking the path of the ship? Well, that's not really true. The asteroid belt contains asteroids which are so far apart...
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Terrestrial planets
Also called rocky planets, the planets in our solar system composed mostly of silicate rocks, and the innermost of the eight planets in our Solar System. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using...
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Factpack: Big Bang Scientists
How did previous generations of scientists think of the Universe, and how has that understanding changed over time? Physics - Universe - Learning Points. A Twig FactPack Film. Open a discussion on what has been already learnt in a topic,...
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Planet
A self-sufficient celestial body that is in orbit around a star. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise textual definitions. Twig Science Glossary Films reinforce...
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Solar System
Our Sun and the collection of bodies that are bound to it by gravity. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise textual definitions. Twig Science Glossary Films...
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Launch window
In spaceflight, the time period within which a rocket must be launched in order to achieve the desired orbit or destination. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise...
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Chaos By Mistake
How a small error in accuracy in the 19th century led to the prediction the Universe would one day fall apart – and the development of chaos theory. How small changes in dynamic systems can lead to much greater, unpredictable events....
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Planet Hunters
Scientists suppose there could be other life-bearing planets like Earth. To find them, they are looking for 'wobbling' stars. Physics - Universe - Learning Points. When a planet orbits a star, it has just enough gravitational force to...
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Death of the Sun
The Sun is dying, getting hotter as it goes. Eventually it will shrink into a black dwarf, but life will have vanished long before. Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. The Sun is 5 billion years old and will begin to die in 5...
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Shoemaker-Levy
The collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1993 was the first collision of its kind to be witnessed by man. Physics - Universe - Learning Points. The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered orbiting Jupiter in 1993....
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The Birth of Our Solar System
The explosive reactions and forces, from gravity to nuclear fsion, which formed our Solar System. Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Our Solar System is the region of space which falls within the gravitational influence of our...
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Binary: The Alien Language
In the 1970s, launched aboard a space probe was what is considered one of the most important scientific diagrams ever created. If found by extraterrestrial life, the plaque explains details about the human race and where we are in the...
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What Are Asteroids?
How are asteroids in our Solar System formed, where are they found, and what danger do they pose to life on Earth? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Asteroids are made from rock, metal or carbon, while comets are made of rock...
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Next Stop Mars
The Sun is dying, and getting hotter as it does. As life on Earth becomes unsustainable, could we move to Mars? Physics - Universe - Learning Points. The Sun will die in approximately 5 billion years. As the Sun ages, it will get hotter,...
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Aiming for the Outer Planets
The use of direct and indirect proportion in navigating the Voyager spacecraft to the outer planets. Maths - Number A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract...
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Planet Kevin
In the hunt for new planets, scientists look for stars that wobble. Astronomy student, Kevin, used this science to discover his own planet. Physics - Universe - Learning Points. Planet hunters use powerful telescopes to examine distant...
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What is an Orbit?
How the orbit of the planets is dictated by mass and the force of gravity. Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. The curved path of one object around another is its orbit. Objects orbit due to the effects of gravity. The...
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Telescope
An optical device that uses lenses or mirrors to magnify and observe distant objects. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise textual definitions. Twig Science...
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Rocky Planets - Inner Planets
Let's take a closer look at the four rocky planets. They're called rocky planets because they're made of rock! Our universe - Space adventure - Rocky planets Learning Points There are four rocky planets in our solar system: Mercury,...