The Moon
What is the Giant-Impact hypothesis?
A theory that says another planet, Theia, collided with Earth (4 billion years ago). Debris from Earth and Theia started to orbit Earth, and eventually cooled and coalesced into the Moon.
How hot is the surface of the Sun?
5,500°C
What causes night and day?
The Earth's rotation.
What is an eclipse?
An eclipse is when one object blocks, or gets in the way of, another object.
True or False: Earth’s movement around the Sun causes sunrises and sunsets.
FALSE! Earth’s ROTATION causes sunrises and sunsets.
Who were the 3 men on the Apollo 11 space shuttle?
Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin
How hot is the core temperature of the Sun?
15,000,000°C
How fast is Earth moving/rotating?
About 1000 miles/hour
What is an umbra?
The umbra is the central, darker part of a shadow where light is totally blocked.
True or False: Earth has seasons because its distance from the Sun changes throughout the year.
FALSE! Earth has seasons due to the tilt of Earth’s rotation axis.
When did the Apollo 11 shuttle first ORBIT the Moon?
July 19, 1969
How far from Earth is the Sun?
147 million km (closest)
152 million km (farthest)
What is the Earth's rotation axis tilted at? (What °?)
23.4°
What is a penumbra?
The penumbra is the lighter part of a shadow where light is partially blocked.
What is a rotation axis?
A rotation axis is the line on which an object rotates
How much gravity does the Moon have?
1/6 the gravity of Earth
What causes the Sun's apparent motion around the sky?
It is the Earth's rotation that causes the Sun's apparent motion around the sky.
Earth rotates from east to west so the Sun, the Moon, and stars appear to move the same way across the sky.
What month is the Earth FARTHEST from the Sun? What month is the Earth CLOSEST to the Sun?
Farthest -> July
Closest -> January
Why don't solar eclipses happen every month?
The Moon’s orbit is tilted slightly compared to Earth’s orbit. As a result, during most new moons, Earth is either above or below the Moon’s shadow.
Who was the President, in 1961, when the goal to get Americans on the Moon was made?
President John F. Kennedy (JFK)
Name ALL 8 phases of the Moon.
1.New Moon, 2.Waning Crescent, 3.Last Quarter, 4.Waning Gibbous, 5.Full Moon, 6.Waxing Gibbous, 7.First Quarter, 8. Waxing Crescent
How many Earths could fit inside the Sun?
1 million!
Why is the Earth warmer at the equator and colder at the poles?
The energy in a beam of sunlight tends to become more spread out the farther you travel from the equator.
When is the next TOTAL solar eclipse that will happen in Massachusetts?
May 1, 2079
What is the Universal Law of Gravitation?
The Universal Law of Gravitation states that the pull of gravity between 2 objects depends on the masses of the objects and the distance between them. The more mass an object has, or the closer together they are, the stronger the gravitational pull.