The Curious Case of the Disappearing Stars
The Curious Case of the Disappearing Stars
Lily loved science, especially astronomy. Every night, she would climb onto her rooftop with her telescope and gaze at the stars. One clear evening, Lily noticed something peculiar: three of her favorite stars were missing!
A Rooftop Mystery
“That’s impossible,” she whispered, adjusting her telescope. “Stars don’t just disappear.” Determined to solve the mystery, Lily grabbed her notebook and started taking notes. She remembered learning about constellations, patterns of stars that seemed to form shapes in the sky. The missing stars were part of the Great Bear constellation, a group of stars that looked like a big dipper.
The Search Begins
Lily decided to visit her neighbor, Mr. Garcia, a retired science teacher. Mr. Garcia always had interesting stories and explanations for everything. “Mr. Garcia,” she said, “I think some stars have disappeared!”
Mr. Garcia chuckled. “Disappeared, you say? Tell me more, Lily.”
Lily explained about the missing stars in the Great Bear constellation. Mr. Garcia listened intently, stroking his chin. “Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s unlikely the stars have truly disappeared. More likely, something is blocking our view of them.”
Light Pollution
- Astronomy:
- The study of stars, planets, and space.
- Constellation:
- A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky.
- Light Pollution:
- Bright city lights that make it hard to see stars.
- peculiar:
- Strange, unusual, or unexpected.
- telescope:
- A tool shaped like a tube that makes distant objects, like stars, look bigger and closer.
- theory:
- An idea that tries to explain something and can be tested to see if it is true.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What did Lily love to do every night?
- 2What did Lily notice about the stars one evening?
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About this fiction passage for 4th Grade
“The Curious Case of the Disappearing Stars” is a fiction reading passage about Astronomy, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (419 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.