Rotation Basics
What is a rotation?
When Earth spins around its own axis.
What is a revolution?
When an object moves or orbits around another object.
What is at the center of our solar system?
The Sun
What is the force of attraction that keeps planets orbiting the Sun?
Gravity.
The Sun appears much brighter and larger than all other stars in the night sky for this reason.
What is because it is much closer to Earth?
About how long does one complete rotation of Earth take?
About 24 hours (or 1 day).
What is it called when the Earth travels in a complete path around the Sun?
A revolution (or orbit).
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Mercury.
About how long does it take the Moon to revolve around the Earth?
About 28 days/1 month
The Sun is classified as this type of celestial object located at the center of our solar system.
What is a Star?
What major event on Earth is caused by its rotation?
Day and night.
How long does it take Earth to make one complete revolution around the Sun?
About 365 and 1/4 days (1 year).
Which is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
This early timekeeping device uses the changing position and length of shadows to tell the time of day.
What is a Sundial?
This force keeps all planets, asteroids, and comets in orbit around the Sun.
What is Gravity?
Which direction does the Earth rotate on its axis?
From west to east (counter-clockwise).
What two things work together to give Earth its seasons?
Earth's revolution around the Sun and the tilt of its axis.
What are the four inner rocky planets in order from the Sun?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
The Moon does not make its own light; we can only see it because it reflects light from this object.
What is the Sun?
This star, also known as the North Star, stays in almost the exact same position in the northern night sky as Earth rotates.
What is Polaris?
True or False: Earth rotates around the Sun.
False (Earth revolves around the Sun; it rotates on its own axis).
Because Earth spins from west to east, the Sun appears to rise in this direction every morning.
What is East?
Unlike the inner planets made of rock and metal, the outer planets are mainly made of these two gases.
What are Hydrogen and Helium?
At sunrise and sunset, a flagpole's shadow will be in this state compared to midday because the Sun is low on the horizon.
What is at its longest?
These small, icy objects orbit the Sun and form glowing tails of gas and dust when they get close to the Sun's heat.
What are Comets?