Earth's Tilt/Axis
If Earth's tilt were decreased from 23.5 degrees to 0 degrees, the seasons on Earth would become this.
What is non-existent?
This term describes the phase when the Moon is fully illuminated as seen from Earth.
What is a full moon?
This term is the scientific, two-word Latin name used specifically for the northern lights.
What is Aurora Borealis?
Roughly the age of the sun in billions of years, making it about halfway through its life cycle.
What is 4.5 billion years?
This famous seven-star pattern is actually an asterism inside the Ursa Major constellation.
What is the Big Dipper?
This is the exact angle in degrees at which Earth is tilted on its rotational axis.
What is 23.5?
Meaning "growing," this adjective describes the Moon when the illuminated portion is getting larger.
What is waxing?
These charged particles from the sun, released during solar flares, travel toward Earth as "wind" and cause the lights.
What are Electrons (or Protons)?
This outermost, wispy layer of the Sun’s atmosphere translates to "crown" in Latin.
What is the corona?
The constellation Ursa Minor contains this crucial navigation star, also known as Polaris.
What is the North Star?
Earth completes one full spin on this imaginary center line every 24 hours.
What is the axis?
This 7-letter term refers to the Moon when it appears more than half lit but is not completely full.
What is gibbous?
While the Aurora Borealis is in the North, this is the name for the "Southern Lights" seen near the South Pole.
What is Aurora Australis?
The two primary gases that make up over 98% of the sun's total mass.
What are hydrogen and helium?
This is the collective term for the 12 constellations that the sun appears to pass through each year.
What is the Zodiac?
This term refers to the exact moment when the sun's most direct rays strike the equator, resulting in equal day and night hours.
What is an equinox?
These circular, hollowed-out depressions on the Moon's surface were caused by catastrophic meteoroid impacts.
What is creators?
The green and red colors in an aurora are typically caused when solar particles collide with this specific gas in Earth's atmosphere.
What is Oxygen?
Streams of charged particles flowing outward from the corona that cause the Auroras on Earth.
What is the solar wind?
The number of official identified consolations.
What is 88?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the axis conveniently points almost directly toward this celestial navigation aid, also known as the North Star.
What is Polaris?
Though it seems to shine brightly on its own, the moon actually reflects the light of this celestial body.
What is the Sun?
This northernmost U.S. state is one of the premier locations in North America for viewing the lights.
What is Alaska?
Roughly this many Earths could be packed tightly inside the volume of the Sun
What is 1.3 million?
This W-shaped constellation is named after a vain queen from Greek mythology.
What is Cassiopeia?