This astronomer knew the sun was in the center of the solar system, but thought the shape of the planetary orbit was a perfect circle.
Who is Copernicus?
100
The spinning of an object on its axis.
What is rotation?
100
The path an object follows as it revolves around another object.
What is an orbit?
100
These are the different shapes the moon seems to have when it is viewed from Earth.
What are moon phases?
100
Name of Mars probe that was sent up prior to Curiosity?
What is the Pathfinder?
200
The name of Ptolemy's book, which also means "the greatest."
What is Almagest?
200
The length of time a planet takes to complete one revolution around the sun.
What is a year?
200
The phase that shows half the moon's lighted face while it is waxing.
What is the first quarter?
200
This means hunchback.
What is gibbous?
200
365 1/4 days.
What is the actual length of one year on Earth?
300
As it approaches the sun, heat may turn some of its frozen matter into gas. Energy from sunlight causes the gas to glow, and pressure from particulars that are given off by the sun pushes the glowing gas, thus producing a tail.
What is a comet?
300
In the year 2000 A.D., this was officially the North Star.
What is Polaris?
300
A particle of rock that is smaller than an asteroid and orbits the sun.
What is a meteoroid?
300
There are 60 of these known to exist at this point in time.
What are moons?
300
Rotation causes a planet to have this.
What are seasons?
400
This measures distances from Earth to the sun.
What is an astronomical unit?
400
This measures in at 23.5 degrees.
What is Earth's Axial Tilt?
400
This planet has the shortest year (in length of Earth days).
What is Mercury?
400
In 1609, this astronomer showed that Venus also goes through phases.
Who is Galileo?
400
This planet has extreme axial tilt.
What is Uranus?
500
This measures in at 5.9 million million miles.
What is a light year?
500
The sun is closest to Earth at this time of year.
What is winter?
500
This planet has an atmosphere that consists of mostly methane gas.
What is Pluto?
500
If you see a new moon, what is the next phase you see?
What is the waxing crescent phase?
500
What two hemispheres have opposite seasons from one another?