Vocab 1
What is an axis?
An axis is an imaginary straight line around which an object, such as a planet, rotates or spins.
What is rotation?
the spinning of an object, such as Earth, around its own internal axis.
What is revolution (orbit & revolve)
the motion of an object as it moves around another object in a path.
What is hemisphere (season reversal)
The hemisphere season reversal refers to the phenomenon where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience opposite seasons at the same time.
What is gravity?
Gravity is an invisible, universal force of attraction that pulls any two objects with mass toward each other.
what is the gravitational forces
Gravitational force is an invisible, attractive force that acts between all objects with mass or energy, pulling them toward each other.
what is a rotational period
the rotational period is defined as the amount of time it takes for a celestial body (like a planet, moon, or star) to complete one full 360-degree spin around its own axis
What are seasons
Seasons are the four yearly periods—spring, summer, fall, and winter—characterized by distinct weather patterns, temperatures, and daylight hours.
What are the spring tides
Spring tides are exceptionally high and low tides that occur twice a month during new and full moons, when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned.
What is a neap tides
Neap tides are weak, moderate tides occurring twice a month during the moon’s first and third-quarter phases, when the sun and moon are at a 90-degree angle to Earth.
What is a moon phase
Moon phases are the changing shapes of the sunlit portion of the Moon as it orbits Earth, occurring in a 29.5-day cycle.
what is direct sunlight
direct sunlight (or direct rays) refers to solar radiation that hits the Earth's surface or a plant directly, without being scattered, filtered, or blocked by clouds, trees, or window glass
What is indirect sunlight
Indirect sunlight is light that reaches an object or area after being scattered, reflected, or filtered by clouds, dust, trees, or buildings, rather than coming directly from the sun in a straight line.
What is the elliptical
elliptical orbit refers to the oval-shaped, stretched-out, or "squashed" path that planets, moons, and satellites follow as they revolve around a larger body, such as the Sun or Earth.