vocab
what is astronomy?
the study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.
which motion causes day and night?
rotation
whats the lunar eclipse?
the blocking of sun light to the moon that occurs when earth is directly between the sun and the moon.
what is a month
length of time based on the lunar cycle
what is gravity
force of attraction between two objects
what is revolution?
the movement of an object around another object.
what causes the seasons?
the axis is tilted and it revolves around the sun.
what is "Tide"?
the daily rise and fall of earths waters on its coastlines
whats a year
length of time based on one revolution of earth around the sun
whats mercury
smallest inner planet
what the axis?
the imaginary line that passes through earths center.
what two factors determine the force of gravity between two objects?
the masses of the objects and the distance between them.
whats the north star
polaris
referring to the moon
what are dwarf planets
includes pluto but its not big enough to be called a planet
what does orbit mean?
the path of an object as it revolves around another object in space.
what is an eclipse?
the partial or total blocking of one object in space by another.
what does "celestial" mean?
relating the skies or heavens, outside earths atmosphere
what is a leap year
an extra day added to the calendar every fourth year
what are astriods
they are found on the astroid belt located between the orbit of mars and jupiter
what is a solstice?
the two days of the year on which the sun reaches its greatest distance north or the equator.
what are solstices and equinoxes? how are they related to the seasons?
its a solstice when the sun is furthest north or south from the equator. its an equinox when neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun. they are related because it makes the days longer or shorter.
whats earth rotation?
it spin on its axis in counter clockwise direction when viewed from above north pole and cause day and night.
what the summer solstice
two days every year when noon sun directly overhead at neither 23.5 degrees north or south
what are comets
small rocky or metallic objects as they fall through the atmoshpere