Space Vocabulary
The sun, eight planets, and thousands of smaller bodies that orbit the sun together form this.
What is the solar system?
Earth spinning once on its axis causes this daily cycle.
What is day and night?
The first day of spring or fall is called this.
What is an equinox?
The Moon does not make its own light; it does this with sunlight.
What is reflect (or reflects)?
Rotation takes about this many hours.
What is 24 hours?
The path a planet or moon travels around a larger body.
What is an orbit?
Earth goes all the way around this once per year.
What is the sun?
The first day of summer or winter is called this.
What is a solstice?
Which type of sunlight causes warmer temperatures?
What is direct sunlight?
Revolution takes about this many days."
What is 365 days (or about 365 and 1/4 days)?
The layer of gases surrounding Earth that helps hold in heat and blocks harmful UV rays.
What is the atmosphere?
Earth’s axis tilt in degrees.
What is 23.5 degrees?
This motion, combined with Earth's tilt, is responsible for the seasons.
What is revolution?
Which type of sunlight leads to cooler temperatures?
What is slanted sunlight (or indirect sunlight)?
Because a year is about 365.25 days, we add this every four years.
What is a leap year?
A day added every four years to keep our calendar aligned with Earth's orbit.
What is a leap year?
The term that describes Earth spinning once on its axis.
What is rotation?
On this day there are the most or fewest hours of sunlight in a year.
What is a solstice?
This layer of gases around Earth helps trap heat and protect life from harmful ultraviolet rays.
What is the atmosphere?
Rotation = Earth spinning once on its ____.
What is axis?
The day when day and night are about the same length everywhere on Earth.
What is an equinox?
The term that describes Earth traveling once around the sun .
What is revolution?
When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, it experiences this season.
What is summer?
The atmosphere protects living things from this type of harmful radiation from the sun.
What is ultraviolet (UV) rays?
Revolution = Earth going all the way around the ____.
What is sun?