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What does the term "terrestrial" mean?
Earth-like in structure, similar in composition (rock/solid) and size
In spring and fall, Earth's northern and southern hemispheres get ____ amounts of light.
equal
Earth's only natural satellite:
the moon
As the moon revolves around Earth, we see different phases of the moon due to changing amounts of:
reflected light
In winter, we lean _____ from the sun causing temperatures to be _____.
In summer, we lean ____ the sun, causing temperatures to be _____.
away, cooler
towards, warmer
We have four seasons, each about ____ months long.
3
The moon's revolution is:
about 27-29 days
The four outer planets are made up of:
ice and gas
List some moon features.
- made of solid rock
- has an atmosphere
- surface --> mountains, valleys, craters
What are the 4 terrestrial (inner) planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
- located in the asteroid belt
A star made of gas & plasma, and is the center of our solar system:
the sun
Comets begin (originate) in an area called the:
Kuiper Belt (an area beyond the orbit of Neptune)
A moon, planet or man-made device that orbits a planet or star is a(n):
satellite
A small rocky or metallic body in space:
meteoroid
Earth's revolution is equal to:
about 365 days
Name the 4 outer planets.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune
(all outside the asteroid belt- a region between Mars & Jupiter)
Earth's rotation is equal to:
24 hours
Large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the sun:
comets
Small rocky objects that orbit the sun & range in size from 1m up to 1,000 km:
asteroids
A meteoroid that burns up in Earth's atmosphere is known as:
a meteor
The remains of a meteoroid that has entered Earth's atmosphere and landed on Earth:
meteorite
Seasons occur due to these TWO important factors:
1) Earth's tilt on its axis
2) Earth's revolution around the sun
Halley's comet is one of the most popular comets and is visible to Earth every ____ years.
75-79 years
Explain the difference between a planet's rotation & revolution.
Rotation- one full TURN of a planet (= its day length)
Revolution- one full ORBIT around the sun (= its year length)
To be considered a planet it must meet this criteria:
- must orbit a star (like the Earth orbits the sun)
- must be large enough to have gravity that forces it into a spherical (circle) shape
- must be large enough to clear its orbit path