earth's rotation (spinning) on its axis every 24 hours
Identify 3 characteristics that are shared among the inner planets? also known as the terrestrial planets?
(1) rocky with metallic core (2) smaller in size compared to outer, gas planets (3) warmer and closer to the Sun (4) thin atmosphere compared to outer planets
describe the 3 types of galaxies
irregular, spiral, and elliptical
what is a light year? why is it used?
the distance that light travels in a year. It's used to measure distances beyond the solar system
what is the difference between equinoxes and solstices?
summer and winter solstices are when the poles are tilted toward or away from the Sun; equinoxes are when the poles receives similar amounts of sunlight
What will you find beyond neptune but still within the solar system?
Oort cloud, kuiper belt
Name 3 key characteristics of a comet in our solar system.
(1) made of ice and rock (2) long tail (3) highly elliptical orbit
what role does Earth's tilted axis play in causing seasons?
if tilted towards the Sun, it gets more direct and concentrated sunlight which causes warmer climates. if tilted away, it causes colder climates.
what causes a lunar eclipse? Explain the position of the 3 celestial bodies and during which moon phase it can happen.
the moon is blocked by the Earth when they align on the same orbital plane. The order is sun, earth, moon
if the moon was a waning gibbous tonight, what would you see in about one week?
waning crescent (it would pass the third quarter and continue to wane or get smaller)
what causes a solar eclipse? Explain the position of the 3 celestial bodies and during which moon phase it can happen.
the sun is blocked by the moon when they align on the same orbital plane. The order is sun, moon, earth
Identify 3 characteristics that are shared among the outer planets. also known as the gas giants
(1) gas with an icy core (2) larger in size compared to inner planets (3) colder and farther from the Sun (4) very thick atmosphere (5) longer revolution, etc
how long is each quarter of the moon phase?
1 week for each quarter
What unit of measurement is used to compare objects in our solar system and WHY? (why not miles or km)
making it easier to understand and compare planetary distances without dealing with extremely large numbers in kilometers or mile
explain the relationship between mass and gravity (when it comes to objects in outer space). In other words, how does mass affect gravity?
all matter has gravity which means bigger mass= higher gravitational force; smaller mass = lower gravitational force
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