a pattern or group of stars that people imagined to represent a figure, animal, or object
constellation
100
The first day of spring is called the ____________ ____________ (this day has the same length as its night).
vernal equinox
100
this force attracts all objects toward each other
gravity
100
list the moons phases in order
new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter (half moon), waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter (half moon), waning crescent...repeat
100
A tide with the least difference between high and low tides (since the moon and sun are pulling at right angles to the Earth)
neap tide
200
Compare the length of one Earth rotation and revolution.
rotation = 24 hours; revolution = 1 year
200
Is it summer when the Earth is closest to the sun? (Include the northern or southern hemisphere in your answer.)
Not in the Northern hemisphere (but actually yes during the Southern hemisphere summer). it is really the tilt of the Earth towards or away from the summer that causes the seasons to occur.
200
2 factors that affect the strength of gravity between 2 objects are:
distance and mass
200
during an eclipse, the darkest part of the moons shadow is called the
umbra
200
dark, flat areas of hardened rock formed from huge lava flows on the moon
maria
300
Name the term for when day and night are each about 12 hours long, they occur twice during the year on March 21 and September 22.
equinox
300
Why do we not see some constellations throughout the year?
Since the Earth revolves around the sun, we have a different view of the stars at different times of year.
300
compare mass and weight
Mass is how much matter is in something while weight is the measure of the force of gravity on an object
300
Explain why we see different phases of the moon.
As the moon revolves around the Earth, we see different portions of the light half of the moon. It takes about 29.5 days for an entire cycle of phases to be seen from Earth (1 revolution of the moon around the Earth)
300
What causes tides?
Tides are caused by differences in how the moon and sun pull on different parts of Earth. The Earth Rotates every 24 hours. The gravitational attraction of the moon pulls the water towards it as the Earth rotates each day. The moon also revolves around the Earth, so the time when the moon is by each portion of the Earth shifts a little each day, causing the tides to creep throughout the month.
400
What are "shooting stars"?
a streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in the Earth's atmosphere (they are called meteoroids when they are in space, meteors as they are burning, and meteorites when they hit the Earth's surface)
400
Explain why it is warmer near the equator and cooler near the poles.
The suns rays hit the Earth most directly at the equator, so those areas get the warmest. As the sun reaches the poles, the rays are at more of an angle and spread out over a larger area, so less heat is transferred to the land in these parts.
400
What 2 factors keep a planet in orbit around the sun? Explain
gravity and inertia--gravity attracts a planet towards the sun while inertia keeps the planet moving in its path. Together these 2 forces keep a planet in a stable orbit around the sun.
400
why is it more common to see a total lunar eclipse than a total solar eclipse?
The moon is in the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse. The Earth is much bigger than the moon, so it casts a bigger shadow for the moon to be eclipsed. During a solar eclipse, the moon shadows the Earth (the moon comes directly between the sun and the Earth). Since the moon is much smaller than the Earth, it casts a shadow on a smaller part of the Earth and only a relatively small area of the Earth is in total shadow.
400
Why is temperature variation greater on the moon than on Earth?
Because the moon has no atmosphere, temperatures can vary from 130C during the "day" and -170C during the lunar "night".
500
Explain how day and night occur.
The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hrs. The part of the Earth that faces the sun experiences "day" while the part facing away from the sun experiences "night".
500
How would the seasons be different if Earth were not tilted on its axis? Explain.
There would be no seasonal variation in weather. Temperatures would remain mostly constant year round; temperatures would be hotter by the equator and cooler as you travel towards the poles. Both hemisphere would receive the same amount of sunlight throughout the year.
500
What does Newton's first law of motion state? Give an example
an object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion with constant speed and direction unless acted on by a force. ex: if you are not wearing your seatbelt and the driver steps on the brakes suddenly, you might stay in motion and fly right out of the car (thanks to inertia...wear your seat belt please!!!)
500
Why do we see the same side of the moon?
The moon rotates once in the amount of times it takes for exactly one revolution of the moon around the Earth. Therefore, the same side of the moon always faces the Earth.
500
draw a diagram to explain how and where high and low tides occur.