Vocabulary
100: This term means “the dark area formed when an object blocks light.”
Shadow
Why is half the Earth in the dark?
The other half of Earth is blocking the Sun.
The full cycle of Moon phases lasts about this long.
One month
Earth’s spinning on its axis causes this...
Day and night
A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern in the sky.
A constellation
The path a planet takes as it moves around the Sun.
Orbit or Revolution
At noon, shadows are this length.
It is the shortest
This is the phase when we can’t see any of the Moon lit up.
New Moon
What causes different seasons on Earth?
Earth's revolution around the Sun
This star always shows the direction of north.
The North Star
This word means “to light up.”
Illuminate
If your shadow faces northeast, the Sun must be in this direction.
Southwest
This phase occurs when half the Moon is visible and growing.
First quarter
Earth completes one rotation in about this amount of time.
24 hours
Why do we see different constellations throughout the year?
Earth revolves (orbits) the Sun.
The layers of gases surrounding a planet are called this.
Atmosphere
In the morning, shadows point this direction.
East
When most of the moon is visible it is a...
Full Moon
Earth orbits the Sun in this direction when viewed from above the North Pole.
Counterclockwise
Why does the Sun appear the biggest?
It is the closest star to Earth
This imaginary line is what Earth rotates around once every 24 hours.
Axis
In the evening, shadows point this direction.
East
What causes the moon phases? (why is part of the moon dark?)
The Earth is blocking the Sun
The side of Earth facing away from the Sun experiences this.
Nighttime
What causes a baseball to fall back down to Earth after being thrown up?
Gravity