Vocabulary
Define "rotation" in one sentence as it relates to Earth.
Earth spinning once on its axis (about 24 hours).
What is a group of stars that make up a shape called?
Constellation
How long does it take for Earth to do one complete spin?
24 hours.
What causes day and night on Earth?
Day and night are caused by Earth rotating so different parts face toward or away from the Sun.
What is "orbit"?
The path one object takes around another due to gravity (e.g., Moon around Earth).
Name of the constellation that has 3 stars representing a belt.
Orion
The sun rises in the ____ and sets in the ____.
East, West
It is closer to Earth so appears bigger and brighter.
Earth pulls objects toward the center with _____.
Gravity
True or False: Constellations change shape every night because the stars move quickly.
False
At noon, is your shadow usually longest, shortest, or medium length? Explain.
Shortest — around noon is when the Sun is highest in the sky.
True or False: All stars (except the sun) are outside of our solar system.
True.
A unit of measurement to measure distance light travels to Earth in a year.
Light-year
Explain why some constellations are visible only during certain seasons.
Because as Earth orbits the Sun, our night-side faces different directions in space so different constellations appear at different seasons.
True of False: There are no stars in the sky during the daytime. Explain your answer.
False. The stars are still there, they are just not visible because the sun is too bright.
We face the sun in _____ and we face away from the sun in ______.
Daytime, nighttime
A tool used to observe stars.
Telescope
Describe how constellations help astronomers or navigators.
Uses: navigation, telling time/season, identifying regions of the sky for study.
Same, same
How long does it take for the Earth to orbit the sun?
1 year.