Show:
Northern Lights
Solar Eclipse
Lunar Eclipse
Meteor Shower
Random
100
What is the "aurora australis"?
The Southern Lights.
100
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a eclipse when which the moon covers the sunlight seen on earth.
100
What colour does the Moon appear to look on Earth during a Lunar eclipse?
A coppery/brownish-red.
100
What is a Meteor Shower?
A Meteor Shower happens when earth passes through the path of a comet.
100
When the northern lights occur, when do the southern lights occur?
At the same time.
200
What surrounds Earth and protects us from solar wind?
Earth's magnetic field.
200
What is a umbra?
Umbra is the innermost and darkest part of the moon's shadow.
200
Describe the alignment of Earth, Sun and Moon during a lunar eclipse.
Sun-Earth-Moon
200
When does Meteor Shower occur?
Meteor showers can be predicted and occur at the same time every year.
200
What is the most common auroral colour.
Green.
300
Energized particles break off from the Sun's corona and are sent through space as ? (Hint: This reacts with Earth's atmosphere to produce emissions of light)
Solar Wind or Solar Storm.
300
What is a Partial Solar Eclipse?
A Partial Solar Eclipse happens when the moon does not completely cover the sun. The sun looks like the moon has taken a bite out of it.
300
A lunar eclipse can only occur at the phase of a ? (Extra points if anyone can explain why.)
A lunar eclipse can only occur at a full moon. (This is because a full moon can only be seen from behind the Earth, which can create the alignment of Sun-Earth-Moon, satisfying one of the conditions in order for a lunar eclipse to occur).
300
How does a comet break down?
Meteor showers can be predicted and occur at the same time every year. As the comet gets closer and closer to the sun, the icy surface starts to boil off and release lots of particles of dust and rock which is called Debris.
300
What is a Penumbra?
The outermost and lightest part of the moon's shadow. Only parts are covered in places on earth where the penumbra takes place.
400
How are colours of the aurora created?
Solar wind particles react with Earth's atmospheric atoms. The electrons are excited and release energy in different wavelengths of light that create different colours when they return to their ground state.
400
Why doesn't the solar eclipse happen every month even though there is a New Moon?
A Solar Eclipse are very rare because the moon orbits the earth in a angle, it is approximately 5 degrees. The moon's shadow usually passes either above or below earth, so it doesn't occurs every month.
400
In the six stages of a total lunar eclipse, does the penumbral phase occur first or last?
(Trick question) The penumbral phase occurs both first and last. The pattern of a total lunar eclipse when it starts, is the same as when it ends.
400
What happens to meteoroids when they enter earth's atmosphere?
They are small, they are small enough to quickly burn up in our atmosphere. There is an unlikely chance any can hit earth's surface.
400
What is an Astronomical Phenomenon?
An Astronomical Phenomenon is a rare or significant facts or event observed in space.
500
Why do auroral displays only happen at the North and South poles?
Solar winds travelling toward the Earth become influenced by, and follow, the lines of magnetic force created by Earth’s magnetic field, that lead to both the North and South poles.
500
How long can a Solar Eclipse last?
The longest it can last is 7 minutes and 31 seconds.
500
Why does the Moon take on a reddish hue during a total lunar eclipse instead of disappearing all together?
As sunlight travels through Earth's dense atmosphere (full of dust particles and clouds) shorter wavelengths of light are scattered. Red has the longest wavelength of light, so it tends to make it through the atmosphere easier, and therefore bathes the moon in a reddish colour when it lies in Earth's shadow.
500
What are Meteor Shower named after?
They are named after constellation because the direction of the shower seems to lie in the sky in the same direction as a constellation. Ex. Meteor Shower- Persied is named after Constellation Perseus they both lie in the northern hemisphere.
500
How do we see colours of the aurora? (Hint: How do we see colour with our eyes? -has something to do with wavelengths of light)
Answered orally.