planets
What is the planet that is closest to the Sun?
Mercury
The Sun is the center of what system?
the Solar System
What is the name of the shape of light on the Moon as seen from Earth?
(lunar) phases
What do we call the lunar phase when the dark side of the Moon faces Earth?
new moon
What is the 3rd planet from the Sun?
Earth
What do we call a ball of gas that gives off heat and light? (for example, the Sun)
a star
True or False: every planet in the Solar System has moons
False
What kind of eclipse happens when the Earth creates a shadow that completely covers the Moon?
lunar eclipse
Name something all the planets have in common.
[many answers possible]
What event takes Earth 365 days to complete?
Revolve (orbit) around the Sun
What is the effect of the Moon's gravity on Earth's oceans called?
tides
These two things cause the earth to experience seasons.
What is the tilt of the earth and its revolution around the sun?
Name the terrestrial planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars (inner planets)
How long does Earth take to complete one rotation on itself?
one day or 24 hours
What is the Moon's effect on Earth during a solar eclipse?
the Moon creates a small shadow on Earth
What are the two scientific words for the light growing and shrinking on the Moon?
waxing and waning
Name the four gas giants.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Earth has liquid water because it is revolving at a perfect distance away from the Sun. What do we call this perfect distance from the Sun?
The Goldilocks Zone
Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?
the Moon completely rotates on its axis and revolves around Earth at the same rate/speed
Why do the planets in the Solar System stay in orbit around the Sun?
the Sun's gravitational force