Definitions
A natural or artificial body orbiting a planet or star
Satellite
True or False: Terrestrial planets have planetary rings
False
True or False: Sunspots move as the sun rotates on its axis
True; when a scientist identifies one that disappears on the western edge, it reappears on the eastern edge about 2 weeks later
True or False: Artificial Satellites in orbit can see better than telescopes on Earth
True; satellites do not have to contend with atmospheric material
True or False: A comet's tail faces away from the sun
True; as a comet's orbit brings it closer to the sun, the increased temperature will melt the ice on a comet, leaving a trail of dust and gas behind it
Atmosphere is the __________ layer surrounding Earth or another heavenly body
gaseous
An extrasolar planet is a planet that:
is found outside of our solar system
What part of the sun is still visible during a solar eclipse?
The corona
True or False: Artificial Satellites, like the Moon, are considered technology
False; the Moon is not an artificial satellite - it is natural
What are the differences between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites?
Meteoroid - orbiting in space
Meteor - entering Earth's atmosphere
Meteorite - crashing on Earth's surface
Friction is the action of one surface, material, or object _________ against another
rubbing
True or False: Jovian planets are larger in size and more dense than terrestrial planets
False
What are features of the sun that can extend millions of miles from the sun (and affect our atmosphere)?
Solar flares
What makes a gnomon into a sundial?
When numbers are added to the dial
True or False: Comets have tails at any point in their orbit around the sun
False; comets DO NOT have tails when it is far away from the sun in its orbit
Gravity is the force of _____________ between two bodies
attraction
An albedo is what?
The amount of light/radiation reflected by a surface (typically of a planet or moon)
How hot is the surface temperature of the sun?
Roughly 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit
Telescopes help reflect/refract light that give us wavelengths of visible light. Name one of these wavelengths
ROYGBIV - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
At what distance range do most meteors enter and disintegrate in the earth's atmosphere?
Between 100 - 80 kilometers
Astronomy is the branch of science that deals with the physical __________ beyond the Earth's ________________.
universe, atmosphere
How do astronomers best identify exoplanets?
By watching the brightness of a star as the planet passes in front of it and interferes with its gravitational force
How far away is the sun from Earth?
1 AU
What 2 types of math do astronomers use to calculate star distances from the Earth?
Trigonometry and Geometry
A galaxy is an organized system of millions of billions of stars, gas, solar systems, and dust that are held together by ______________ _________________
Gravitational attraction