Astrono-me?
What is the study of outer space called?
Astronomy
Name the closest planet to the Sun.
Mercury
What is the name of the galaxy we live in?
Milky Way
What is the term used to describe moon phases with a GROWING lit area?
waxing
What is the term for a moon phase that appears more than half illuminated?
Gibbous
How long does it take for the moon to orbit the earth?
about one month (29.5 days)
Name the moon phase that is the beginning of the cycle.
new moon
What do we call the collection of rocks between the inner and outer planets?
Asteroid Belt
The outer planets are also known as _______ Giants.
Gas
Name the planet that is missing from this list:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Mars
How long does it take for the earth to orbit around the sun?
one year (365 days)
What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Mercury
What is the category we use to describe the inner planets?
terrestrial or rocky
What fraction of the moon's sphere is always in shadow?
HALF
The sun has a ________ field around it that protects us from solar radiation.
magnetic
How long does it take for the earth to rotate once on its axis?
about one day (24 hours)
Name the largest planet in our solar system.
Jupiter
What do we call a system containing a star and the objects that orbit it?
a solar system
What is the term for stars connected in recognizable patterns?
constellations
Moon light really comes from the ______.
sun
What is the moon's gravitational effect on Earth's oceans called.
TIDES
What is the term we use for the natural satellite that orbits around Earth?
the MOON
Name the force that keeps planets orbiting the sun.
gravity
Name the term used to describe the moon phases with a SHRINKING lit area.
waning
What is the term for a moon phase appears less than half illuminated?
Crescent