Earth's Rotation
True or false?
When you watch a sunset, the sun is really moving across the sky.
True or false?
All constellations can be seen every month of the year.
False, you can only see certain parts of the night sky during certain seasons.
Name the star closest to the Earth.
The Sun is the star closest to the Earth.
True or false?
The moon produces its own light.
False, the moon reflects the sun's light.
Gravity is a force that pulls ________.
Gravity is a force that pulls down.
In ancient times, what type of weather would be the best for telling time?
What is responsible for the pattern you see in the constellations? Earth's rotation (spinning) or Earth's orbit (path around the sun)?
Earth’s orbit is the reason for the constellation pattern because they change over the year.
What are the two things that stars produce?
Stars produce heat and light.
Which is closest to the Earth? The sun, the moon, Mars, or Venus?
The moon is closest to the Earth.
Venus. It is a larger planet than Mercury, so it has a stronger pull of gravity.
From Sunday evening to Friday evening, how many complete spins does Earth make?
From Sunday evening to Friday evening, the Earth makes five complete spins.
During what season is the sun highest in the sky?
The sun is highest in the sky during summer.
What is the name for the unit of measurement we use to measure the distance light travels in a year?
Lightyear
What makes the sun and moon look like they are the same size?
The moon is smaller than the sun, but it is also 400 times closer. That makes it seem like it is the same size as the sun.
There are currently ____ planets in our solar system.
There are currently eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
What causes the length of shadows to change over the course of a day?
The length of a shadow is determined by where the sun appears to be in the sky. If the sun is close to the horizon, a shadow will be long. If the sun is directly overhead, the shadow will be very short.
It is five o'clock in the evening and the sun has already set. What season is it?
It is winter. You know this because the sun sets earlier.
What makes our sun special?
It is the right distance away from Earth to give it the perfect conditions for supporting life.
What causes the moon to look like it is changing shape?
As the moon orbits the earth, the sun always shines on half of it, but from Earth we may only see part of that illuminated surface. The phase we see depends on where the moon is in its orbit around the Earth.
If you are standing at the South Pole, would you fall off the earth? Why or why not?
No, you would not fall off Earth at the South Pole. Gravity always pulls towards the center of the Earth.