How to write a project report

1. Find your information sources.
2. Print out the main article or section (not too many pages though!).
3. Scan the text for keywords and highlight these.
4. Mind map the main sections.
5. Mind map each of these sections with a keyword on each branch.
6. Re-write the text in sections and paragraphs, based on the mind map.
7. Check for more details and add these to the text, along with any quotations, pictures and maps.
8. Format and arrange the text and images. Add references, table of contents and cover page.
9. Proofread and check.
10. Save and print.

What is a Lunar Eclipse?

The earth casts a long shadow into space, and when this shadow passes over the moon it causes an Eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse can only happen during a full moon, when the sun is directly behind the earth. It happens only occasionally, because the orbit of the moon is slightly tilted and so the shadow misses it. Lunar eclipses can last for over 1 hour, but they do not completely black out the shadowed part of the moon. Some sunlight always filters through, making the shadow look a reddish-brown colour.

Why does the moon seem to change shape each month?

The shape of the moon alters depending on the position of the sun in relation to the moon. The sun lights up only one side of the moon. As the moon orbits the earth, we see this lit up area from different angles. When the sun is almost behind the earth, it lights up the whole of the moon (this is called a full moon). When the sun is off to one side, part of the moon is in deep shadow and all we can see is a thin slice, or crescent, of the moon's lit surface.

What is the moon?

The moon is earth's only satelite, and it hes been orbiting our planet for at least 4000 million years. It is a rocky sphere about 3476 km in diameter, which is about a quarter size of the earth. scientists believe that the moon was formed when another planet about the size of Mars collided with the earth. The collision splashed a huge mass of molten rock into space. This molten rock quickly formed into a sphere, and the moon rapidly cooled into its solid form. The moon's surface is heavily pitted by collisions with debris, such as asteroids.

Why is Europa especially interesting?

Europa is one of Jupiter's moons. In 1979 the Voyager spacecraft passed by Europa and found that it had a very smooth surface covered with ice. It has very few craters, which has led astronamers to suspect that there may be liquid water beneath the surface. In theory, there might even be a form of primitive life hidden beneath the ice, where water remains as a liquid.

What are meteorites made of?

Meteorites are made of rock or metal. They enter the earth's atmosphere at speeds of at least 11 km per second, which makes them glow brightly. Several thousand meteorites enter the earth atmosphere every year, but very few of them reach the ground. The largest known meteorite is made of iron and weighed 66 tonnes. It probably fell to the earth in prehistoric times in what is now Nambia, Southwest Africa. In general, it is hard to find meteorites. Recently, researchers have been locating them on the ice sheets in the Artic and the Antartic, where they are easier to find.

What happens when a meteorite hits the ground?

When a large meteorite hits the ground it can produce a crater. Meteorite craters are rare on earth, because the atmosphere slows the meteorite and also usually burns it up. Many ancient meteorite craters have been worn away by water and by weather over thousands of years. On planets and moons with no atmosphere, huge numbers of meteorites strike with enormous power. Our own moon is estimated to have 3000000 million meteorite craters measuring 1m or more in diameter. Some of the large geographical features on the moon and other planets and moons throughout the Solar System are probably the result of strikes by large meteors hitting their surfaces.