Earth's Movement
What is the imaginary line called that planets rotate around?
Axis
How many constellations have been identified?
88
What are the four inner planets (in order)?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
What are the four outer planets (in order)?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What most people refer to as a "shooting star"
A meteor
How long is one full rotation of Earth?
1 day (24 hours)
What is the scientific name for the North Star?
Polaris
What is another name for the inner planets?
rocky planets
What is another name for the outer planets?
Gas Giants
Where are most asteroids found?
Asteroid belt b/w Jupiter and Mars
How long is Earth's revolution around the sun?
1 year (365 days)
What are the layers of the sun's atmosphere in order from innermost to outermost?
Photosphere, chromosphere, corona
Explain the temperature of Mercury
Hot during the day b/c close to the sun, cold at night b/c no atmosphere to trap heat
What is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
A large, round object that revolves around the sun but has not cleared the region around its orbit
What is a dwarf planet?
What shape is Earth's orbit?
Elliptical
What is the hottest part of the sun?
The core
What was the name of the first spacecraft to visit Mercury?
Mariner 10
What is Uranus’ atmosphere mostly made of?
Helium, Hydrogen, and Methane
A frozen mass of different types of ice and dust orbiting the sun
What is a comet?
Why do we have seasons?
Because of Earth's tilt; some areas receive more sunlight at a given time
Explain the two types of solar eruptions
Prominences: ribbons of glowing gas
Solar flare: eruptions of waves and particles
What was the first space craft to visit mars?
Viking I
Explain Uranus’ seasons
No change b/c of tilt; one side is always summer and daytime and the other side is always winter and nighttime.
Why is Uranus a blue-green color
Because it is so cold that the methane in the atmosphere condenses into a liquid