Moon Phases & Eclipses
What phase is the Moon in when we see none of the lit side from Earth?
New moon.
What angle is responsible for seasons on Earth (tilt or no tilt)?
Tilt (Earth's axial tilt ~23.5°).
What two forces interact to keep planets in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity and inertia.
Which planet is known as the Red Planet?
Mars.
What is a meteoroid called when it enters Earth's atmosphere and produces a streak of light?
Meteor (often called a "shooting star").
What phase comes after first quarter
Waxing gibbous (sequence: new → waxing crescent → first quarter → waxing gibbous → full).
Which hemisphere has summer when Earth is tilted toward the sun?
The hemisphere tilted toward the Sun — e.g., Northern Hemisphere has summer around June when tilted toward the Sun.
Define inertia in one simple sentence.
Inertia is an object's tendency to resist changes in its motion
Name one feature that helps Earth support life that Mars lacks
thick atmosphere, liquid water, moderate surface pressure/temperature — Mars lacks substantial atmosphere and stable liquid water at surface.
Where are most asteroids in our solar system located?
The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Explain why we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth.
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, so it rotates once on its axis in the same time it orbits Earth, causing the same side to face Earth.
Explain how the tilt of Earth changes the angle of sunlight and day length during the year.
Tilt changes the angle sunlight strikes Earth: when tilted toward Sun, sunlight is more direct and days are longer, producing warmer temperatures. When tilted away, sunlight is less direct and days are shorter.
Explain why a satellite stays in orbit instead of flying off into space or falling straight down.
A satellite moves forward due to inertia while gravity pulls it toward the planet; the result is a curved path around the planet — an orbit.
Compare two planets in terms of atmosphere thickness and surface temperature — give one effect of a thick atmosphere.
Thick atmosphere effect: stronger greenhouse warming (higher surface temps) and protection from radiation.
What is one major difference between comets and asteroids in composition?
Comets are rich in ices and dust; asteroids are mostly rocky/metallic.
During which phase(s) of the Moon can a lunar eclipse occur, and why?
Lunar eclipses occur during a full moon when Earth is between the Sun and Moon and Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.
Analyze data-style: If daylight hours for a location increase from 10 hours in winter to 14 hours in summer, what season change does this indicate and why?
Increase in daylight hours indicates a move from winter toward summer (longer daylight due to tilt toward Sun).
Use numbers: If planet A has much larger mass than planet B but both are the same distance from the Sun, which feels stronger gravitational pull from the Sun? Explain.
Planet A (larger mass) experiences a stronger gravitational pull from the Sun (gravity increases with mass).
Analyze-and-interpret: Given data showing average surface temperature and atmospheric pressure of two planets, explain which is more likely to support liquid water and why.
Planet with moderate temperatures near liquid water range and sufficient atmospheric pressure is more likely to support liquid water; use temperature and pressure thresholds (e.g., above freezing and sufficient pressure).
If a telescope observes a small icy body with a long tail, what does that tell you about its composition and location relative to the Sun?
A long tail indicates ices sublimating as the comet heats up near the Sun; composition includes volatile ices and dust.
Construct-and-model: Describe how you would use a lamp (Sun), a globe (Earth), and a small ball (Moon) to demonstrate the sequence of moon phases from new to full and back.
Place lamp as Sun, globe as Earth (on tilted axis), small ball as Moon held at arm’s length; move Moon around Earth in a circle, showing lit portion by lamp to observe phases; rotate globe to show perspective from different latitudes if desired.
Develop-and-use-model: Describe a classroom model or demonstration that shows how Earth's tilt and orbit cause the seasons (list materials and the key steps).
lamp (Sun), tilted globe (Earth), marker for location; orbit globe slowly around lamp while keeping axis tilted; observe changing sunlight angle and daylight length for marked location.
: Design a classroom activity or model that demonstrates how gravity and inertia control orbits (materials and expected observations).
swing a small ball on a string to represent inertia (forward motion) while string tension represents gravity pulling inward; releasing string sends ball off tangentially; with constant inward pull the ball follows curved path—analogous to orbit
Analyze-and-interpret: Given data showing average surface temperature and atmospheric pressure of two planets, explain which is more likely to support liquid water and why.
Inner planet (Earth) more likely due to moderate temps, liquid water, atmosphere with oxygen and protective magnetosphere; outer planet (Jupiter) unlikely due to gas composition, extreme pressure/temp, no solid surface.
: Design a short investigation or research task that compares composition, origin, and hazards of comets, asteroids, and meteoroids (list one source of data or method for each).
Comets — analyze spectra for volatile ices (method: telescope spectroscopy); Asteroids — measure reflectance spectra and orbital elements (method: telescope imaging and spectroscopy); Meteoroids — analyze recovered meteorites in lab for composition and compare orbits to source regions (method: lab analysis, orbit tracking).