| An Tòir air na Planaidean Tha sinn an dòchas gu bheil Splaoid anns na Speuran a’ còrdadh riubh uile. Bha trioblaidean nach bu bheag aig Dòmhnall Iain bochd nuair a chaidh e air chuairt timcheall nam planaidean còmhla ri sheanair. Ach cha leig sibh leas seann long-fànais a chleachdadh gus coimhead air na planaidean. Gabhaidh sia planaidean fhaicinn le ur sùilean fhèin – agus ma tha lèirsinn sònraichte math agaibh, chan eil fhios nach gabh planaid eile fhaicinn cuideachd! Mòran taing dha Magz NicLeòid aig Impact Imagz airson an deilbh àlainn de Sgrìob Chlann Uisnich bho Thràigh Gheireadha ann an Eilean Leòdhais. | Planet Gazing We hope that you’re all enjoying Splaoid anns na Speuran. Poor Dòmhnall Iain had terrible troubles when he travelled around the planets with his grandfather. But you don’t need to use an old spaceship to look at the planets. You can see six planets with only your own eyes – and if you’ve really good eyesight, you might even see another planet too! A big thank you to Magz MacLeod of Impact Imagz for this gorgeous photo of the Milky Way over Garry Beach on the Isle of Lewis. |
| Dè na planaidean a chì sinn dìreach le ar sùilean fhin? Faodaidh sinn 6 planaidean fhaicinn dìreach le ar sùilean fhèin. Tha Bheunas soilleir ri faicinn, ’s i coltach ri rionnaig àlainn a’ deàrrsadh anns na speuran, dìreach as dèidh èirigh na grèine air neo dol fodha na grèine (’s e sin, uaireannan anns a’ mhadainn agus uaireannan eile air an fheasgar). Tha Mearcair eadhan nas fhaisge air a’ ghrèin na Bheunas, agus leis cho beag ’s a tha e, chan eil e idir cho fradharcach ri Bheunas. Nuair a bhios Màrs anns na speuran air an oidhche, tha e gu math furasta aithneachadh leis cho dearg ’s a tha e. Ach chan eil Màrs an-còmhnaidh cho soilleir – tha a h-uile càil a-rèir ’s càite bheil e suidhichte an taca ris an Talamh. Tha Iupatar nas soilleire na planaid sam bith eile seach Bheunas – agus leis nach fhaicear Bheunas gu ro thric ann an dubh-dhorchadas na h-oidhche, tha Iupatar furasta aithneachadh. Ma bhios binoculars agaibh – agus deagh ghrèim orra! – chì sibh cuideachd na ceithir gealaichean (“gealaichean Ghalileo”) as motha a th’ aig Iupatar: Ìo, Euròpa, Gainimeud, and Cailisteo. Tha Satharn furasta ri fhaicinn cuideachd. Chan eil e idir cho soilleir ri Iupatar, ach dìreach coltach ris na planaidean eile, chan eil e duilich dhuinn dèanamh a-mach dè th’ ann. Eu-coltach ri solas nan rionnagan, cha bhi solas na planaidean a’ priobadh idir – ’s ann a tha an solas aca soilleir, socair, agus cunbhalach. Ach a bheil fhios agaibh dè th’ anns an t-siathamh planaid a chì sinn dìreach le ar sùilean? Sin e dìreach, An Talamh againn fhìn! Agus faodaidh sinn coimhead air a’ Ghealaich againn cuideachd. Ach an dùil am faic sibh planaid eile, planaid àireamh a seachd? Uill, ma tha sùilean uabhasach geur agaibh, ma tha a’ phlanaid anns an àite cheart anns na speuran aig an àm cheart, ann an dubh-dhorchadas na h-oidhche, agus ma tha sibh mion-eòlach air na rionnagan a bhios timcheall oirre aig an àm ud, ’s dòcha – dìreach ’s dòcha! – gun dèan sibh a-mach a’ phlanaid Urànus, 2.9 buillean cilemeatair air falbh bhon ghrèin. Ach tha an ath phlanaid a-mach bho Urànus, Neiptiun, fada ro fhada air falbh: chan fhaicear idir i ach a-mhàin le prosbaigean. Agus cuimhnichibh, tha an rionnag as fhaisge oirnn ann cuideachd: A’ Ghrian. Ach na bi a’ coimhead air a’ Ghrèin idir idir leur sùilean as aonais dòigh-dìon sònraichte agaibh! | What are the planets that we can see with our own eyes? We can see 6 planets using only our eyes. Venus is clearly visible, like a beautiful star shining in the sky, just after sunrise or sunset (that is, sometimes in the morning, other times in the evening). Mercury is even closer to the sun than Venus, and because it’s so small, it’s not at all as visible as Venus. When Mars is in the night skies, it’s easy to recognise because of its red colour. But Mars isn’t always so obvious – everything depends upon its position in relation to the Earth. Jupiter is brighter than any other planet except Venus – and because Venus isn’t often to be seen in darkness at night, Jupiter is easy to recognise. If you have binoculars – and a steady hand! – you can also see Jupiter’s four biggest moons (“the Galilean moons”): Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Saturn is also easy to recognise. Although it’s not so bright as Jupiter, like the other planets, it’s not difficult to make out what it is. Unlike starlight, planetary light doesn’t twinkle at all – the light is clear and steady. Do you know what the sixth planet is that you can see using only your eyes? That’s right, our very own Earth! And, we can look at our Moon as well. But can you see another planet, planet number seven? Well, if you’ve very sharp eyesight, if the planet is in the right place in the skies at the right time, during a dark night, and if you really know the stars around it at the time, perhaps – just perhaps! – you’ll be able to make out the planet Uranus, 2.9 billion kilometres from the sun. But the next planet out from Uranus, Neptune, is just too far away: it can only be seen with binoculars and telescopes. Remember, there’s also the closest star to us: the Sun. But don’t ever ever look at the sun without using special protection for your eyes! |
RSS Feed
