What is the difference between revolution and rotation?
Revolution - an object orbiting another along a path
Rotation - an object spinning around an axis that goes through itself
300
Explain the difference between a lunar and a solar eclipse
Lunar - the earth is between the sun and the moon, causing the moon to be in the Earth's shadow
Solar - the moon is between the earth and the sun, causing the shadow of the moon to fall on the Earth
300
Even though Venus is further than Mercury from the Sun, why is it hotter?
Venus has an atmosphere, allowing it to trap heat.
300
Describe the Sun using the following words:
sunspots, photosphere, and solar winds
(be sure to define those words too)
The Sun is a star made of gas. The surface of the sun is called the photosphere. Darker spots that have a strong magnetic field on the photosphere are called sunspots. These spots are cooler than the rest of the photosphere. When there are complex sunspots, they can ejecte streams of charged particles called solar winds, which hit the Earth and can cause damage to electrical power networks.
300
Is a shooting star a star? What is it?
Meteor
300
What is the difference between a meteor, meteorite, and a meteroid?
meteor - meteoroid that burns up after colliding with Earth's atmosphere
meteoroid - piece of rock moving through space
meteorite - meteoroid large enough to pass through Earth and lands on ground without burning up.
400
Explain how tides on Earth are affected by the Moon.
The difference in the force of gravity on the sides of the Earth causes a tidal force.
400
Explain why Pluto is no longer a planet. What is it called now?
Its orbit is inconsistent and intersects with the orbit of Neptune. Now called a dwarf planet
400
What is the main sequence?
The central band of stars in the H-R diagram that makes up 90% of hte stars that we see on Earth
400
People say that you can see the whole moon from Earth. Is that true? Explain.
No. Dark side of the moon we never see because it is constantly rotating as it is revolving around the Earth
400
Define galaxy, open cluster, and globular cluster
galaxy - a huge collection of stars, planets, gas & dust held by gravity
open cluster - collection of stars along the main band of milky way
globular cluster - collection of stars (bigger) with spherical shape
500
Why was recording the movement of stars in the night sky important to early sky watchers?
Allows them to predict weather patterns, location of herds, and use for navigation
500
Explain the difference between a comet and an asteroid
Comet - made of rocky material, ice & gas, originate from Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud
Asteroid - small objects that range in size, asteroid belt between Mars & Jupiter
500
Explain the solar nebula theory and the pieces of evidence that proves this theory.
begins a as a protostar, as it spins, tiny grains begin to collect and collide with one another, forming our planets.
1) craters on the Moon due to collisions
2) Flat rotating disk - solar system mainly on the same plane
3) Extrasolar planets - there are other planets that orbit other stars
500
Some people think that all stars look the same because they're the same distance from the Earth. Is that true? Why or why not?
lightyears away - absolute magnitude vs apparent magnitude measurement.
500
Name and explain one of Canada's space contributions.