Earth and Sun
How much is Earth’s axis tilted?
23.5 Degrees
What is an orbit?
An orbit is the path an object takes around another object
What is the study of stars, planets, and other space objects called?
The study of space is called astronomy
What is a solar system?
A solar system is a star and everything that orbits it
What is an AU (astronomical unit)?
One AU is equal to 150 million kilometers, and is also the distance between Earth and the sun.
What is a revolution and how long does it take?
A revolution is Earth moving around the Sun; it takes 365 days (1 year)
What is a constellation?
A constellation is a group of stars that forms a pattern
What does apparent brightness mean? What can cause it to change?
Apparent brightness is how bright a star looks from Earth
What are celestial bodies?
Celestial bodies are natural objects in space
What is a light-year?
A light-year is the distance light travels in one year
What is a rotation and how long does it take?
A rotation is Earth spinning on its axis; it takes 24 hours
Why can we only see some stars certain times of the year?
We only see some stars at certain times because Earth moves around the Sun
Why does the sun look brighter than other stars?
The Sun looks brighter because it is closer to Earth
What’s a dwarf planet?
A dwarf planet is a small planetary mass object that is in direct orbit around the sun.
What is a kilometer?
A kilometer equals 1,000 meters
What is gravity? What direction does it pull?
Gravity is the invisible pull Earth has on everything, and it pulls down.
What is the difference between a new moon and full moon?
Answers Vary
If two stars look the same size, but one is closer, which is brighter?
The closer star appears brighter
What is a comet?
A comet is a large object made of dust and ice that orbits the sun and is best known for its long tail.
What is a galaxy?
A galaxy is a large group of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity
Why do we have seasons?
We have seasons because of Earth’s 23.5° tilt and its orbit around the Sun
How can we tell (by looking at a diagram of the Earth and sun) which hemisphere is experiencing summer vs winter?
The hemisphere tilted toward the Sun has summer; tilted away has winter
What is a star?
A star is a ball of gas that produces light and heat
How many planets are in our solar system? List them in order.
There are 8 planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What would happen if you tried to jump on a planet that had weaker gravity than Earth? What about if you tried to jump on a planet with stronger gravity?
Weaker gravity = jump higher; stronger gravity = jump lower