Moon phases/ Eclipses/Tides
What causes the moon's phases?
Changes in how much of the sunlit side of the moon faces Earth
The 3 criteria to be considered a planet
Spherical shape, revolve around a star, and clear its orbital path/neighborhood
What is the next life cycle stage of our star (the Sun)?
Red giant stage
Which direction does a comets tail always face and why?
Away from the sun because of solar wind.
One astronomical unit (AU) average about how many km?
150 million km
When would we see a solar eclipse?
When the moon is directly between the sun and the earth (sun-moon-earth).
Terrestrial (inner) planets all have what kind of surface?
A hard, rocky surface
When is a star thought to be born?
When a protostar reaches a temperature high enough for nuclear fusion to begin
What is the name of our galaxy?
The Milky Way
Seasons are caused by what?
The Earth's tilted axis
Where can viewers on Earth experience a partial solar eclipse?
In the moon's penumbra
Outer (jovial) planets all have what speed of rotation compared to the inner planets ?
faster rotations
A Hertzsprung-Russel diagram shows the relationship between what?
A star's temperature and luminosity
Where are meteors found?
Burning up in the atmosphere
What are seasonal stars only visible during certain times of the year?
Their visibility depends on Earth's position relative to the sun.
During what phase of the moon would Earth experience a neap tide?
1st and 3rd quarter moon
Which planet has the hottest surface temperature and is referred to as Earth twin because of its size?
Venus
Where does nuclear fusion take place in the sun?
The core
Objects made of ice, gas, and dust that orbit the sun are called?
Comets
What is a science phenomenon?
Celestial objects that appear to move in distinct patterns from Earth.
What tide occurs when the moon, sun, and Earth are in a straight line?
Spring tide
Why is Pluto considered a dwarf planet?
It has not cleared its orbit around its neighborhood. It is found in the Kuiper Belt.
What are the layers of the sun from outside to inside?
Corona, chromosphere, photosphere, convective zone, radiative zone, core.
Galaxies that are redshifted are moving where?
Moving away from us
Why do the planets remain in orbit around the sun?
Gravity and inertia