Earth and space Flashcards
What are seasons a result of?
Earths rotation
What is the shape of Earth?
Oblate Spheroid
What are the 3 layers that Earth is made up of?
The core, the mantle and the crust
What is the shape of the Earths orbit around the sun?
An elliptical orbit
Who first described Earths orbit around the sun?
Johannes Kepler
How many degrees is the Earths axis tilted vertical?
23.5 degrees
What causes seasons on Earth?
Earths axis is tilted, either towards the sun (summer) or away from the sun (winter)
What does “goldilocks zone” mean?
The goldilocks zone is a term used to describe how earth is orbits the sun at a distance where temperatures are just right to maintain liquid water.
What is orbital speed?
Orbital speed is the required speed at which an object orbits around another bigger object/system
What is orbital period?
The time required to complete a full revolution
What is the radius of orbit?
The distance from the center of earth to the orbiting object
What is the force that keeps earth orbiting the sun?
Centripetal force
Gravity makes the moon accelerate, although its speed remains…
Constant
How many days does it take the moon to orbit earth?
27 days
What is synchronous rotation?
The rotation of an object
that always shows the same face to an object that it is
orbiting because its rotation period and orbital period are equal
