Earth's Sky
What is a falling star?
A meteor
Why does the sun seem to be our biggest and brightest star?
The sun is the closest star to Earth.
At what time during the day does the sun not cause shadows to form on Earth's surface?
At night
Why is the Earth a cause of changes to the seasons?
Earth revolves around the sun.
The pull of Earth's gravity can be compared to a _______________ attraction to objects.
Magnet's
What do you call a group of stars that form a pattern?
A constellation
How does the Earth contribute to the cause of day and night cycles?
The Earth rotates on its axis.
What causes shadows on Earth to change in length?
The apparent movement of the sun or the changing position of the sun in the sky.
Why do the northern and southern hemispheres not receive equal amounts of sunlight during most of the year?
The Earth is tilted (or slanted)
Which "stars" does Earth's gravity attract?
Falling or shooting stars
Why do some stars seem brighter than others?
Some stars are more DISTANT from Earth than others.
The sun appears to set in which direction?
West
Besides length, what other part of a shadow changes throughout a day?
Its angle or direction.
During which time of the year do we experience the most daylight hours?
The summer solstice
The farther an object is, the _____________ gravity is.
Weaker
Where can we see the star named "Polaris"?
At the North Pole
At what time during a day does the sun appear to be at its highest point in the sky?
Around 12:00 PM (Noon)
At which two times during the day should you expect to see the longest shadows?
During sunrise and sunset
During which two seasons do the equinoxes occur?
Fall and Spring
The larger the _______________, the greater the gravitational pull.
Mass or weight
Why does Polaris (north star) appear to not move?
Polaris is directly above the north axis and the north pole.
What causes us to see different shapes of the moon throughout a month?
The reflection of the sun's light on the moon's surface.
Where does the sun need to be positioned in the sky for shadows to be at their shortest length?
The sun needs to be positioned at its highest point, or directly above an object.
Which hemisphere experiences the most daylight hours during the equinoxes? The northern or southern hemisphere?
Both hemispheres experience equal amounts of daylight hours.
Gravity is a natural phenomenon that applies to anything with ________________.
Mass or weight