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Prologue and Chapter 1
questions
33
Astronomy
12th Grade
12/15/2012

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Term
people long ago made connection between the brightest stars called _____.
Definition
constellations
Term
a canopy of stars like an astronomical painting on a vast heavenly ceiling
Definition
celestial sphere
Term
celestial analog of latitude
Definition
declination
Term
celestial analog of longitude
Definition
right ascension
Term
24 hours; our basic social time unit
Definition
solar day
Term
a day measured by the stars
Definition
sidereal day
Term
which is longer: solar day or sidereal?
Definition
solar
Term
The point on the ecliptic where the Sun is at its northernmost point above the celestial equator: _____.
Definition
summer solstice
Term
When the sun is at its southernmost point below the celestial equoator, or Earth's North Pole is oriented fartheset from the Sun:
Definition
winter solstice
Term
The tilt of earth's rotation axis relative to the ecliptic is responsible for the ____.
Definition
seasons
Term
The two points where the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator--that is where EArth's rotation axis is perpendicular to ht eline joining earth to the Sun:____.
Definition
equinoxes
Term
precession
Definition
Term
What are the three lunar phases?
Definition
new moon, quarter moon, full moon
Term
During _____, the Moon appears to wax (grow) a little each night and is visible as a growing crescent.
Definition
new moon
Term
What happens during quarter moon?
Definition
half of the lunar disk can be seen
Term
What happens duirng the gibbous phase?
Definition
more than half of the lunar disk is visible
Term
What happens during full moon?
Definition
the whole moon is seen
Term
stages of the moon:
Definition
new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent, back to new moon
Term
When the sun and moon are in exactly opposite directions as seen from the Earth, EArth's shadow sweeps across teh Moon, temporarily blocking the Sun's light and darkening the Moon: ____.
Definition
lunar eclipse
Term
The Moon passes directly in front of the sun, briefly turning day into night: ____.
Definition
solar eclipse
Term
used to measure the distance to faraway objects
Definition
triangulation
Term
the appartent shift of a foregrowund object relative to the background as the observer's location changes:
Definition
parallax
Term
the backwards/westward motion of a planet
Definition
retrograde motion
Term
the distance between earth and sun
Definition
astronomical unit
Term
newton's first law
Definition
an object at rest remains at rest, and a moving object continues to move forever in a straight line with constant speed, unless some force changes the sate of the motion
Term
newton's second law of motion
Definition
the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net applied force and inversely proportional inversely proportional to the objects mass
Term
newton's third law of motion
Definition
to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
Term
What did Aristarchus contribute?
Definition
he proposed that all planets revolve around the Sun and earth rotates on its axis once a day
Term
What did nicholas copernicus contribute?
Definition
he rediscovered articarchus's heliocentric model and asserted that earth spins on its axis and all planets orbit the sun. And that earth is not at the center of the universe
Term
What did Galileo discover using his telescope?
Definition
the moon has mountains, valleys, craters; the sun has imperfections--dark blemishes now known as sunspots; the sun rotates onces a month; foru small points of light orbit Jupiter (moons); venus shows a complete cycle of phases similar to the moon
Term
Kepler contributed three laws. what were they?
Definition
the oribital paths of the planets are elliptical; an imaginary line connecting the sun to any planet sweeps out equal areas of the ellipse in equal intervals of time; the square of a planets orbital period is proportional to the cube of its semimajor axis
Term
what did tycho brahe do
Definition
accurate astronimcal and planetary observations that eventually helped kepler
Term
What did newton do
Definition
developed a deeper understanding of the way all objects move and interact with one another through his laws
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