Earth and Moon
What causes the sun's rays to hit Earth's surface in different angles?
Earth's axial tilt
What tidal ranges are associated with full and new moons?
Highest tidal ranges
What is the size of the sun compared to Earth?
110 times the diameter of Earth
What is the sun described as?
an average size yellow star.
What planet is closest to the sun? Describe it.
Mercury - small, heavily cratered, looks like our moon, thin atmosphere, and smallest planet in our solar system.
The earth's tilt causes direct rays in some locations. This causes those locations to have?
Higher temperatures
What happens during highest tidal ranges?
Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned
What is the moon described as?
A small, rocky satellite
How old is our solar system?
It is ancient
What planet is the second planet from the sun? Describe it.
Venus - similar to earth in size and mass, has a permanent blanket of clouds that traps thermal energy causing high surface temperatures,
What causes phases of the moon?
Its position relative to Earth and the sun and the reflection of sunlight off the moon's surface.
What tidal ranges are associated with first and last quarter?
Smallest tidal range
What is the size of the moon?
one quarter the diameter of Earth and one eightieth its mass.
How many planets are there? Name them.
Eight
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
What is the third planet from sun? How does it support life?.
Earth - It's atmosphere , liquid water, and distance from the sun
What are the phases of the moon?
New, First Quarter, Full, and Third Quarter
What happens during the smallest tidal ranges?
The Earth, Moon, and Sun are at right angles.
What makes Earth different from the other three inner planets?
It's surface is constantly changing.
What are the terrestrial planets and what are the gas giant planets?
Terrestrial - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
Gas Giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
The interactions and orientations of the sun, Earth, and moon lead to patterns that are evident in?
seasons, eclipses, and phases of the moon
Describe Earth's atmosphere,
large amounts of life supporting water and oxygen rich atmosphere. It's protective atmosphere blocks out most of the sun's damaging rays.
What did early astronomers believe about Earth and what do we know now?
They believed Earth was the center of the universe and all other heavenly bodies orbited around Earth. We now know that our sun is the center of our solar system and the planets revolve around the sun.