Celestial
This is the term for all of space and time, including all the galaxies, stars, and planets.
Universe
Name the largest planet in our solar system.
Jupiter
What is the scientific name for the star commonly known as the North Star?
Polaris
what part of the a calendar is based on the Earth's orbit around the Sun?
The Year
Why are most stars invisible during the day?
The brightness of the sun washes out their faint light.
What do we call a giant ball of gas that produces its own heat and light?
Star
Which two terrestrial planets are located beside Earth in the Solar System?
Venus and Mars
Which constellation is Polaris a part of? How far apart are the stars in the constellation?
Ursa Minor (or The Little Dipper). The stars in this constellation, including Polaris, are extraordinarily distant from each other, with separations measured in light years, which equates to millions upon millions of kilometers
How long does it take for Earth to complete a full rotation?
24 hours
Which space telescope is mentioned in the workbook that orbits Earth and sends back images?
The Hubble Telescope
What is a huge collection of stars, dust, and gas held together by gravity, like the Milky Way?
Galaxy
Which planet is famous for the spectacular rings that orbit it?
Saturn
Explain why Polaris appears to stay in the same place all night while other stars move.
It is located almost directly over Earth's North Pole (on the rotational axis).
Which calendar is based on the phases of the moon?
Lunar Calendar
What kind of instrument can be use to view space objects from Earth?
Telescope
True or False: The stars that make up a constellation are actually close to each other in space.
False. They are millions upon millions of kilometers (light years) apart, only appearing close from Earth.
What is the name of the two tiny moons that orbit the planet Mars?
Phobos and Deimos
Why was the North Star historically valuable to travelers and sailors?
It always points to the North, making it a reliable navigational tool.
What is the primary cause of the change in seasons?
The tilt of the Earth's axis as it revolves around the sun.
What is a Planetarium?
A building or a dome where images of the stars, planets, and constellations are projected. It is not live!
This unit of measurement is used to describe the extraordinarily distant separation between stars, like the ones in a constellation.
Light Year
Starting from the Sun, name the first four planets in order.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
What is the famous constellation that the North Star's pointer stars do not come from?
Orion (The pointer stars are from the Big Dipper/Ursa Major).
This is the name if the day when the sun is highest or lowest in the sky, marking the start of summer or winter.
Solstice
Why is it dangerous to look at the sun, even when wearing sunglasses?
The intense light and UV radiation can cause severe and permanent eye damage/blindness.