The Earth
What shape is the Earth?
A sphere (more precisely, an oblate spheroid).
What shape do we sometimes see when the Moon looks like a banana?
A crescent moon.
Is the Sun a planet or a star?
A star.
Which season comes after summer in Australia?
Autumn.
What do astronauts wear to protect them in space?
A space suit
How long does it take for the Earth to make one rotation on its axis?
24 hours.
About how long does it take the Moon to orbit Earth once?
Around 27 days.
What kind of energy does the Sun give us that helps plants grow?
Light energy.
Which force causes ocean tides on Earth?
Gravity from the Moon (and Sun).
What was the first animal sent into orbit around Earth?
Laika the dog (1957).
Why do we have day and night on Earth?
Because Earth rotates on its axis.
Why do we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth?
Because the Moon rotates once on its axis in the same time it orbits Earth (synchronous rotation).
What is the approximate surface temperature of the Sun?
About 5,500°C.
When the Northern Hemisphere has summer, what season does the Southern Hemisphere have?
Winter.
Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?
Neil Armstrong in 1969.
What is the tilt of Earth’s axis in degrees?
23.5°.
What is the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a lunar eclipse?
Sun → Earth → Moon.
What type of radiation from the Sun can cause sunburn?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
What are spring tides, and when do they occur?
Very high tides that occur during full and new moons.
What is the name of the largest telescope in space today?
The James Webb Space Telescope.
What effect does Earth’s axial tilt have on our planet?
It causes the seasons.
Why don’t we get a solar or lunar eclipse every month?
Because the Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5° compared to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
How does the Sun’s gravity affect the movement of planets in our solar system?
It keeps them in orbit around the Sun.
Why are Australia’s seasons opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere?
Because the hemispheres tilt toward or away from the Sun at opposite times of the year.
Why is Mars considered a potential planet for future colonisation?
It has day length, seasons, and water in frozen form, making it somewhat similar to Earth.