Astronomy Flashcards
Which of the following best illustrates the relative positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon during a full moon?
Moon, earth, sun aligned
Which of the following best accounts for day and night on Earth?
the Earth’s rotation on its axis
Which of the following characteristics is associated with the planet Mercury?
extreme temperature variations
When is it safe for students to look directly at a lunar eclipse?
At all times
Of the following, which color star has the highest surface temperature?
Blue
Which of the following best illustrates the relative positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon during a crescent moon?
From Earth’s point of view, only a sliver of the Moon is lit by the Sun during a crescent moon. Most of the Moon appears dark, being lit only by reflected light from the Earth.
Which of the following best illustrates the relative positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon during a first-quarter moon?
From Earth’s point of view, half of the Moon is lit by the Sun during a quarter moon. This occurs when a line from the Earth to the Moon is perpendicular to a line from the Earth to the Sun.
Australia experiences which of the following seasons when the southern end of Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun?
Summer
Which of the following types of stars is a large, relatively cool star with a small core that fuses helium into carbon?
Red Giant
Michelle enjoys watching an eclipse. What caused the solar eclipse she observed today?
The moon moved directly in between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light from fully hitting the Earth.
Which of the following causes the lunar cycle as observed from Earth?
the orbit of the moon around the Earth
Which of the following describes the orientation of Earth’s axis relative to the Sun during the vernal equinox, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere?
Neither end of the axis is tilted toward the Sun.
Which of the following describes the phase of the Moon during a total solar eclipse?
New
Which of the following is primarily a result of the Earth’s tilt on its axis?
Seasons
What is the composition of 98% of the Sun?
hydrogen and helium