Astronomy Basics
The study of space and celestial objects.
What is astronomy?
The phase of the Moon when it is completely illuminated.
What is a full moon?
This planet is known as the Red Planet.
The first human to walk on the Moon.
Who is Neil Armstrong?
The star at the center of our solar system.
What is the Sun?
The force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun.
What is gravity?
The Moon takes about this many days to orbit Earth.
What is 27-28 days?
The largest Planet in our solar system.
What is Jupiter?
NASA’s telescope that has provided deep images of space since 1990.
What is the Hubble Space Telescope?
The galaxy that contains our solar system.
What is the Milky Way?
The measure of a star’s brightness as seen from Earth.
What is apparent magnitude?
Solar energy reaches Earth in the form of this type of radiation.
What is light or electromagnetic radiation?
This plant has a prominent ring system.
What is Saturn?
The spacecraft that carried humans to the Moon.
What is Apollo 11?
A massive explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s life.
What is a supernova?
The apparent change in position of a nearby star compared to distant stars.
What is parallax?
A phenomenon that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
What is a solar eclipse?
The planet closest to the Sun.
What is Mercury?
The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth.
What is Sputnik 1?
The term for a star system that includes billions of stars, dust, and gas.
What is a galaxy?
The boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing can escape.
What is the event horizon?
The point in Earth’s orbit when it is farthest from the Sun.
What is aphelion?
This planet rotates on its side.
The rover that explored Mars and discovered signs of ancient water.
What is Curiosity?
This type of star is small, dense, and often the remnant of a supernova.
What is a neutron star?