LESSON 1
What is the name for the path a planet follows around the Sun?
An orbit
What is a small rocky object that orbits the Sun, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter?
An asteroid.
Which model places Earth at the center of the universe?
The geocentric theory.
What is the point in a planet's orbit closest to the Sun called?
Perihelion
What is the name for the star at the center of our Solar System?
What are the four planets closest to the Sun called?
Terrestrial planets.
What is the region beyond Neptune that contains many icy objects called?
The Kuiper Belt.
Which model states that Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun?
The heliocentric theory.
What is the point in a planet's orbit farthest from the Sun called?
Aphelion
What is the name of the law that describes the gravitational attraction between objects with mass?
Newton's law of universal gravitation
What shape is a planet's orbit according to Kepler's first law?
An ellipse.
What is a small piece of rock or metal traveling through space called?
A meteoroid.
What instrument uses lenses to gather and focus light?
A refracting telescope.
What unit is based on the average distance between Earth and the Sun?
An astronomical unit (AU).
What are the four outer planets, often called gas giants in introductory science?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity
What is the difference between a meteorite and a meteor?
A meteorite reaches Earth's surface; a meteor is the streak of light produced as an object travels through the atmosphere
What type of telescope uses mirrors to gather and focus light?
A reflecting telescope.
What are the two fixed points used to define an ellipse called?
Foci
What is the name for a telescope that detects forms of radiation other than visible light?
A nonoptical telescope
According to Kepler's laws, what happens to a planet's orbital speed as it gets closer to the Sun?
It moves faster.
What is the main difference between a comet and an asteroid?
Comets contain substantial ice and can form a coma and tail near the Sun; asteroids are mostly rocky or metallic.
What uncrewed spacecraft travels through space to investigate planets and other objects?
A space probe.
What is the apparent backward motion of a planet against the background stars called?
Retrograde motion
From a Christian worldview, what can the order and patterns of the Solar System encourage people to reflect on?
God's design and plan in Creation