Jupiter!

     Hello everyone, and welcome to... Meapz4Science! Today we will be talking about the biggest planet in our solar system. We will talk about... Jupiter! We will talk about all its REALLY cool facts Jupiter has to offer.

     Alright, first we will talk abut how Jupiter got its name. Jupiter was given its name by the Roman who named it after the King of the gods (because they thought of it as the king of the planets) and also the Roman god of sky and thunder. Jupiter the god is sort of similar to the Greek god Zeus.

     

      Now we will talk about some of the things that makes it a really cool planet. To help me I have Science Cat! "Hello, Emma The Meap! I would be happy to help you instruct people about the gassiest giant in our solar system!" Okay then! First we will talk about its atmosphere. See all those swirling gases on Jupiter? That is really its atmosphere. "It gets extra points for being really pretty." Okay, Science Cat! I know you like Jupiter, but stick to the facts! "It is a fact that it's pretty!" Ugh. Anyways, the atmosphere contains of mostly hydrogen and helium. "Does that sound familiar? Could you have heard that when we talked about stars?" You are correct, Science Cat! Some also think that Jupiter has liquid on its surface and a solid core.

     Jupiter has 63 known moons! "Four was just enough for people of Galileo's time. He was the person to discover four moons." Those are Europa, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. "Some interesting facts about Europa..." I was getting to that. Europa might possibly have life on it. Why would that be, Science Cat? " Europa has ICE on it. Ice is made of frozen water! therefore, there might be water underneath the ice, containing LIFE!" Thank you, Science Cat! Next we will talk about the thing that makes Jupiter unique.

     Next, we will talk about The Great Red Spot! "What is the Great Red Spot?" The Great Red Spot is actually a GIANT storm raging in Jupiter's atmosphere. You can fit THREE Earths in the Spot comfortably. "It is basically like a giant hurricane." It has also been around for at least 300 years- " because that's when the first person noticed the Spot up there." Thank you for INTERRUPTING me! Oh well. Moving on!

     Next we will talk about the differences between Jupiter and the inner planets. "For starters, it is a LOT colder, with the highest temperature being about -234 degrees Fahrenheit!" It is also a lot bigger. "This also means a much stronger gravity. If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you weigh around 235 pounds on Jupiter! Man, you would be fat!" Science Cat, you can stop talking now. It also is like a magnet for meteors. It most of the time will attract large asteroids to it instead of them coming to Earth.

Now, here are five fun facts about Jupiter:

1) A day on Jupiter is 9.9 hours long.

2) Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, is larger than Mercury.

3) Jupiter has a diameter equivalent to 11 Earths.

4) Jupiter is bigger than all the planets except Saturn combined.

5) Io, another moon, has the most volcanic activity than any other object in the Solar System.

     I hope you all enjoyed my post. I'm Emma the Meap, and I will see you next time. PEACE!!!

For more info on The Red Spot, Click Here! 

Want more info on Europa? Click here! 

Check out Science Cat's blog by clicking here! 

Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors!

     Hello everyone, and welcome to... Meapz4Science! Today, we will compare a bunch of objects in our solar system! What I'm talking about are Comets(my personal favorite), asteroids, and meteors! We will compare and contrast all three. Let's get started!

     Okay, now that we are started, let's first talk about how they are all similar. They all are in space-"Like DUH!" Science meap, what are you doing here? "I am here to save the world! To teach about ROCKS in SPACE!" Okay... as long as you are going to help. "Okay, sure." Okay. Let's keep going.

     As I was saying, They are all in our Solar System. They all can either get close to the Earth's atmosphere, or can go throught the atmosphere and hit Earth. "Pick me! Pick me!" What, Science Meap? "When a meteor is not in our atmosphere, it is a Meteoroid. When it passes through the atmosphere, it is a meteor." Well, what happens then? "Most meteors burn up when they it the atmosphere. If they don't, and they hit the ground, they are a meteorite." Is that why most meteorites are small? "Yep." Cool, thank you Science Meap. "No problem." Let's move on. They all have at least some rock or dust in them. Now Let's move on to comets. "I like comets!" I know you do.

     Let's talk about how comets are different from asteroids and meteors. First, they contain ice in them. None of the others do. "They also are called 'Dirty Snowballs' because they have ice and dirt in them." Thank you. They also have a tail. "Do they chase it?" Wha..Th... No! They aren't dogs! "I'm only trying to help. Jeez." Actually, you made me think of something about their tail. "I TOLD you they chase it!" Not that! When they orbit the sun, the tail always points away from the sun because of solar wind. "Can I fly a kite with the wind?" No! Why do I even bother? " I don't know! I'm not a mind reader." *Sigh* Anyways, let's move on to asteroids.

     Asteroids are big chunks of rocks that float about in space. "They can also contain minerals." There are three categories of asteroids- "also known as meteoroids"- Based on what they are made of. Will you tell us, Science Meap? "I'd be glad to ! They are stony, iron, and stony-iron. Guess which one has iron in it?" The iron one. Anyways, the stony asteroid contains mostly rock and stone, - "The iron contains, well, iron," and the stony-iron have both in them.

     Next on our list is... "Meteors!" Darn it, Science meap! I was going to say it! Anyways, meteors are essentially asteroids that have entered the Earth's atmosphere. "They are a LOT smaller though." Many meteors just burn up immediately when they hit the Earth's atmosphere. "But sometimes they do hit the Earth. And when they do, it is a meteorite." Thank you. Anyways, we hope you all enjoyed. I'm Emma The Meap, "And I'm Science Meap," And we will see you next time. PEACE!!!

Want some extra info? Check out these links below!

Asteroids

Comets

Meteors

Also, check out science Meap's blog post below!

Science meap's Blog!

Meapz4Science News!

     Hello everyone, and welcome to another Meapz4Science News! Today, we will be going over an article called "King of Gore" by Janet Raloff. We will go to the paleontologists to find out their new discovery about dinosaurs! Apparently the think this new species is more menacing than the T-Rex.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/03/135024274/dinosaur-boneheads-one-mans-search-for-t-rex

     About 90 million years ago, two-footed meat-eating dinosaurs were starting to undergo big changes. They were adapting to conditions in what is now the western United States.The best known of these types of beasts would be the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex. But some of its ancestors also would have been a

terror throughout the countryside. What I'm talking about is the Lythronax argestes, a new found addition to the T-Rex family, and it’s the "oldest" of the bunch. If you aren't terrified already, its Greek name says it all: Gore King of the Southwest. How is THAT not horrifying?

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/king-gore

     The fossil they found of Lythronax in southern Utah is a juvenile, and is roughly 24 feet from snout to tail. That is already big. Not big enough for you? Here's some more size. Lythronax adults could have topped out at around 35 feet long according to the scientists. That would make it about 80 to 85 percent as big as a T. Rex. THAT is BIG! Lythronax can also help scientists determine more about dinosaurs. I have a feeling this might lead to more discoveries and new species.

  https://student.societyforscience.org/article/king-gore 

     Alright, I hope you all enjoyed another Meapz4Science News! I will be doing more of these later. I think this article is very interesting. I'm always eager to learn more about life's past and its secrets. Well, that's all for today. I'm Emma The Meap, and I will see you next time. PEACE!!!

Link for article:  https://student.societyforscience.org/article/king-gore