1. What makes gravity a vital factor within our universe?

How does it
influence the universe?

Gravity is a vital factor within our universe because it regulates orbits

and other rotational aspects such as seasons and tides.

2. It is summer and your friend Michelle, who lives in Michigan, tells you
that she is a morning person and functions best when the sun wakes
her up early in the morning. She is looking to take a vacation to a
location where the sun rises earlier in the day. Where (with respect to
Michigan) should she be looking? Explain why she should look in this
area, by explaining how the tilt of the Earth’s axis affects the
seasons. Finally, suggest two specific locations that would meet
Michelle’s needs.

She should be looking farther north of her location because of the

way the earth is tilted. The North is generally tilted towards the sun,
causing the sun to rise at earlier times. Two towns she could go to
are Longyearbyen and Ny-Alesund.

3. Consider the Earth, Moon, and the Sun as a system. Which of the
three is the strongest force in this system? Support and explain your
answer.
 The sun is the strongest force in the system. While the moon does
orbit around earth, the earth rotates around the sun. Due to the orbit
of all the other planets around the sun as well, the sun is essentially
the center of the system, affecting life on earth specifically.

4. You are standing outside when the sky goes dark. You are
experiencing some type of eclipse but aren’t sure which kind. What
information would you look for to determine whether or not you are
in the middle of a lunar or a solar eclipse? In your answer, be sure to
mention each type of lunar and solar eclipse and how to differentiate
between them.

The eclipse is most likely a solar eclipse because the whole sky went
dark. While both types of eclipses involve the sun and the moon, one
of them is the sun being blocked by the moon, and the other is the
sun being blocked by the earth. In a lunar eclipse, the sky does not
get dark, but rather the moon becomes quite orange and red in color
(at night). Both solar and lunar eclipses have partial and full eclipses,
with varying degrees of partial.

5. Which one of the theories about the Moon's creation do you most
agree with? Why?

I personally most agree with the Capture Theory. Even though it is

widely rejected, I personally think it makes more sense than the
impact theory, as that would have left disfiguration on Earth. The
Earth may have had a stronger gravitational pull at some point,
allowing it to bring in bigger rocky objects.