History of Astronomy
Who was the first person to say the Earth goes around the Sun?
Copernicus
Name the 8 planets in order.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What two factors work together to cause seasons?
Earth's tilt and revolution
Why does the Moon look different throughout the month?
Because sunlight shines on different parts of the Moon as it orbits Earth.
What are the two main types of eclipses?
Solar and Lunar
It challenged common beliefs and religious teachings that earth was the center of the universe.
Which planet is known as the "Red Planet"?
Mars
How are solstices and equinoxes different?
Solstices- longest/shortest days; Equinoxes- equal day and night
If you see the right half of the Moon lit up, what phase is it?
First Quarter
What is the darkest part of the shadow during an eclipse called?
Umbra
Compare the tools ancient astronomers used to study space with the tools we use today.
They used their naked eyes; today we use telescopes.
What force keeps planets orbiting the Sun?
Gravity
If the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, what season is it there, and what season is it in the Southern Hemisphere?
Winter in the north, summer in the south.
A student says a lunar cycle is the same as a year. How would you correct them? What would you tell them?
A lunar cycle is about 29 days; a year is 365 days.
How do partial eclipses happen?
When only part of the Sun or Moon is covered by the penumbra (lighter shadow).
Explain one piece of evidence Galileo saw through his telescope that supported the heliocentric model.
He saw moons orbiting Jupiter, proving not everything revolves around the Earth
What are the small rocky objects between Mars and Jupiter Called?
Asteroid Belt
Name the season in order. Starting with the month January
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
What is the difference between waxing and waning?
Waxing = moon appears to grow; Waning = moon appears to shrink.
Compare the Sun, Earth, and Moon’s positions during solar vs. lunar eclipses.
Solar: Sun–Moon–Earth; Lunar: Sun–Earth–Moon.
Which astronomer discovered that planets move in oval-shaped orbits (ellipses)?
Kepler
What is the difference between rotation and revolution?
Rotation- spinning on an axis (24 hours) & Revolution- orbiting or revolving around another object (365 days)
Why is it winter in the Southern Hemisphere when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere?
Because Earth’s tilt makes one hemisphere receive less sunlight while the other receives more.
Say the moon phases in order starting with Full Moon.
(You only have one chance, if you mess up your team loses the points)
Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, Waning Crescent, New moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Wanning Gibbous
Which eclipse can be seen by more people: solar or lunar? Why?
Lunar, because Earth’s shadow is large and covers the Moon.