Term
| Why do we experience day and night? |
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Definition
| the earth rotates towards and away from the sun |
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Term
| What is rotation as related to space science? |
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Definition
| when an object spins on its axis |
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Term
| What is revolution as related to space science? |
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Definition
when an object travels around another object |
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Term
| Describe the Moon's period of rotation and revolution: |
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Definition
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Term
Describe the relative size and distance relationships among the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
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Definition
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The Earth is 4x bigger than the moon
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109 Earths fit across the sun
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the moon is 30 Earth's away
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Sun is 400xs larger than the moon
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Term
| Why can the Moon appear as large as the Sun even though we know the Moon is much smaller than the sun? |
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Definition
| The sun is 400xs larger than the moon but 400x farther. This makes the them appear equal in size |
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Term
| Why do shadows change during the day? You may draw a pictire to show changes in shadow length relative to the Sun's position in the sky. |
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Definition
longest - sunrise and sunset (sun is close to the horizon)
shortest - solar noon (sun is at the highest point in the sky)
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Term
| Explain why shadows lengths change throughout the year. |
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Definition
In the summer, shadows are shorter because the sun is high in the sky.
In the winter, shadows are longer because the sun is low in the sky.
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Term
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Definition
The earth is tilted on its axis.
As the Earth revolves, it is tilted on its axis. At certain times during its revolution, a part of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun. The part tilted towards the sun is experiencing summer and the other hemishpere tilted away from the sun is experiencing winter. |
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Term
| What factors (other than the Earth's tilted axis) affect how hot or cold it is in any one place on Earth? |
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Definition
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weather (atmosphere)
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sunspots
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length of day
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surface composition
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Term
| Looking at the Moon from space, how much of the Moon always receives light from the Sun? (explain) |
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Definition
| the moon is always half lit from the Sun |
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Term
| Why don't we have eclipses every month? |
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Definition
| The Moon's orbit is tilted and the Sun, Earth, and Moon do not directly align every month - the moon's shadow falls either above or below the earth most months |
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Term
| What is the source of energy for the Earth? |
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Definition
| the sun radiation (light & heat) |
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Term
| What can you conclude from your observation of sunspots? |
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Definition
| the sun is a sphere of gas that rotates |
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Term
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Definition
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new noon (see nothing)
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waxing crescent (backwards C)
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first quarter moon (half moon)
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waxing gibbous (almost full)
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full moon (all)
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waning gibbous (almost full other side)
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last quarter moon (other half of the moon)
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waning crescent (looks like a C)
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Term
| Why do solar and lunar eclipses occur? |
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Definition
due to the moon revolving around the Earth, sometimes all 3 bodies will align
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Term
| During which phase of the moon does a solar eclipse occur? |
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Definition
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Term
| During which phase of the moon does a lunar eclipse occur? |
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Definition
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Term
| How is Earth protected from receiving too much solar radiation? |
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Definition
| the magnetosphere & atmosphere |
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Term
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Definition
| conditions from the sun that ultimately affect the Earth |
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Term
| How does space weather affect Earth, including its space environment? |
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Definition
affects space craft electronics
affects human health, auroras, and navigation |
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Term
| What are the auroras and how do they form? |
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Definition
| form when gases from the Earth's atmoshpere interact with charged particles from solar winds. They cause color lights in the sky at the poles. |
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