Astronomy Test 1 Vocab Flashcards
The totality of all space, time, matter, and energy
Universe
The portion of the entire universe that we can potentially see
Observation Universe
The study of the universe
Astronomy
The average distance between the Earth and the Sun
Astronomical Unit
What is the distance between the sun and the Earth?
93 million miles
The distance traveled by a beam of light in one year
Light Year
How far North or South from Equator
Latitude
How far East of West from Prime Meridian
Longitude
Starting point of longitude
Prime Meridian
A large, glowing ball of gas
Star
An object that orbits a star
Planet
An object that orbits a planet
Moon-Satellite
A relatively small rocky object that orbits a star
Asteroid
A relatively small, icy object that orbits a star
Comet
When the sun is at its highest peak in the sky
Local Noon
A range of longitude where a common standard time is used
Time Zone
Spin about its axis
Rotation
Go around the sun
Orbit
Sun passes directly above equator after the winter solstice
Vernal Equinox
When the sun passes above the equator after summer solstice
Autumnal Equinox
When the sun is at the highest point above the equator in the northern hemisphere
Summer Solstice
Wen the sun is at the lowest point above the equator in the southern hemisphere
Winter Solstice
The slow wobble of the Earth’s axis due to the influence of the moon
Precession
Using the sun to determine length of day
Solar Day
Using the stars to determine the length of day
Sidereal Day
Sections of the sky that are named for the recognizable patters of the stars in the sky
Constellations
The 12 constellations along the ecliptic on star chart
Zodiac Constellations
Recognizable patterns of stars that are not one of the 88 constellations
Asterism
The angle of a star above the horizon
Altitude
A large imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth
Celestial Sphere
