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Earth and Space Science > Earth-Sun-Moon System > Flashcards

Earth-Sun-Moon System Flashcards

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1
Q

Why do we have seasons?

A

Because of the tilt of the Earth’s axis. The Earth is not straight up or down so the sun’s rays hit the hemispheres either directly or at an angle, depending on where the earth is in its revolution.

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2
Q

What is the degree of the angle of Earth’s tilt?

A

23.5 degrees

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3
Q

True or False: In the Summer, the Sun’s rays hit the Earth directly while in the Winter, the rays reach earth at a greater angle.

A

True

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4
Q

Why does the angle of the Sun’s rays matter in terms of seasons?

A

If they’re coming in at an angle, they have a greater surface area to hit. This causes the energy within the rays to be split between more space, decreasing the overall temperature.

I.e. When the surface of the Earth is angled away from the Sun, the rays hit at an angle, causing the temperature to be cooler (Winter).

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5
Q

True or False: The two hemispheres always have opposite seasons.

A

True

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6
Q

Why are the poles always so cold?

A

Because they receive less direct sunlight throughout the entire year.

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7
Q

Why is the equator always so warm?

A

Because it receives a large amount of direct sunlight throughout the entire year.

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8
Q

True or False: The word Moon is related to the word Month in old English.

A

True.
The word month was chosen based on the root, which literally means that a month is a period of time correlated to the phases of the moon.

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9
Q

Natural Satellite

A

A naturally occurring body that orbits a planet.

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10
Q

What is moonlight?

A

Sunlight being reflected off the moon’s surface

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11
Q

What’s another name for a moon phase?

A

Lunar phase

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12
Q

How long does it take the moon to revolve around the Earth?

A

About 27 days

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13
Q

How long does it take the Moon to rotate fully around its axis?

A

About 27 days

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14
Q

Why is the same side of the moon always facing us?

A

Because it takes the same amount of time for the moon to rotate around its axis as it does to revolve around the earth.

It’s rotating and revolving at the same rate.

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15
Q

True or False: The part of the moon that is always facing is is the same part that is always being lit up by the sun.

A

False.

If it was true, then we would constantly have a full moon. The part of the moon being lit by the sun varies, that’s how we have moon phases.

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16
Q

What is a new moon?

A

When the lit side of the moon is facing the sun, we have a dark side (unlit) facing the earth.

It looks like the moon has disappeared (or there’s a tiny sliver)

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17
Q

What is the difference between waxing and waning?

A

When the lit part of the moon gets bigger every day (preparing for a full moon) it is waxing.

When the lit part of the moon gets smaller every day (preparing for a new moon) it is waning.

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18
Q

Why can we still sometimes see the unlit part of the moon?

A

Because the earth reflects sunlight back up to the moon. It’s not as bright as the sunlit part of the moon though.

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19
Q

Why is it called a quarter moon?

A

The moon forms a right angle with the earth and the sun during this phase, and has traveled 90 degrees (or a quarter of a full revolution) around the earth.

Also, we can only ever see half of the half portion (a quarter) of the moon that is currently being lit by the sun.

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20
Q

What are the main phases of the moon?

A

New moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter moon, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter moon, waning crescent.

Repeat

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21
Q

What does the word “gibbous” come from?

A

The Latin word meaning hunchback.

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22
Q

At what phase is the moon the farthest from the sun?

A

The full moon

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23
Q

At what phase is the moon the closest to the sun?

A

New moon

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24
Q

How far into its revolution is the moon when it is a full moon?

A

Halfway done.

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25
Q

Why is it called the 3rd quarter moon?

A

Because it’s 3/4 of the way through it’s cycle and is forming another right angle with the sun and the earth.

You can still see a quarter of the moon being lit.

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26
Q

What is the first moon of the cycle?

A

The new moon

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27
Q

True or False: The lunar phases correspond exactly to the 27 days it takes for the moon to orbit around the earth.

A

False.

28
Q

How long does it take for a full lunar phase cycle to complete?

A

roughly 29.5 days

29
Q

Why does it take a little longer for the moon to go through its phases than it does for a full revolution around the earth?

A

If the earth was stationary, it would take exactly 27 days, but because the earth is also orbiting around the sun, the moon has to take a little longer to catch up.

30
Q

True or False: The moon controls ALL water tides on earth, including rivers and lakes.

A

True

31
Q

True or False: The moon helps keep the earth’s axis stable

A

True

32
Q

How does the moon keep earth’s axis stable?

A

The moon’s gravitational pull acts like training wheels on the earth. It keeps earth’s axis pointed towards a specific angle.

33
Q

What would happen to the earth without the moon?

A

The tides wouldn’t exist, so tidal power and tidal pools wouldn’t exist.

The earth’s axis would also wobble more dramatically over time, which would change the weather and the seasons.

34
Q

What does the term “eclipse” mean?

A

It comes from the Greek meaning, “To leave”

It basically means something disappears or appears to leave, like the moon. The moon appears to disappear in the sky temporarily.

35
Q

What is a lunar eclipse?

A

The moon goes dark because it is completely covered by earth’s shadow.

36
Q

True or False: A lunar eclipse always happens during a full moon phase.

A

True.

The moon has to be furthest away from the sun in its cycle, and the earth is lined up with the sun and the moon in such a way that it blocks all of the sun’s light from reaching the moon.

37
Q

True or False: You can see a lunar eclipse from anywhere on the night side of the earth.

A

True

38
Q

What are the two types of lunar eclipses?

A

Total and partial

39
Q

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A

Earth’s shadow completely covers the moon, but the moon is still visible due to indirect sunlight being bent around the earth as it travels through the earth’s atmosphere.

Most of the light that is bent this way is red or orange, so the moon appears to be colored that way.

40
Q

What is a partial lunar eclipse?

A

Some of the sun’s light is still directly reaching the moon, the earth only blocks part of it.

41
Q

Why isn’t there a lunar eclipse during every full moon?

A

Because the moon’s orbit around the earth is tilted compared to the earth’s orbit around the sun. So the three are not always completely in line.

During a full moon, the moon often passes just above or just below the earth’s shadow.

42
Q

What is a solar eclipse?

A

When the sun, moon, and earth all line up so that the moon gets in the way of the sun and blocks its light, creating a shadow on earth.

43
Q

True or False: Both light and energy are blocked by the moon during a solar eclipse.

A

True

44
Q

What is a total solar eclipse?

A

When you stand right in the center of the moon’s shadow, the moon appears to completely black out the sun.

45
Q

What are the three main types of solar eclipses?

A

Total, partial, annular

46
Q

What is an annular solar eclipse?

A

When the moon blocks the sun, but the moon is at (or near) its farthest point from earth. The moon at this point is too small to completely cover the sun, leaving a glowing ring on the outside of the eclipse where the sun’s light can still shine through.

47
Q

What is a partial solar eclipse?

A

When you’re not in the center of the moon’s shadow, the moon appears to block only part of the sun’s light.

48
Q

What is the outer most layer of the sun’s atmosphere? (the glowy wispy bits?)

A

The corona

49
Q

True or False: During a solar eclipse, you can see the sun’s corona

A

True

50
Q

True or False: Outside of a solar eclipse, on a normal day, you can see the sun’s corona.

A

False

51
Q

Why can’t you see the corona of the sun?

A

Because we can’t see past the bright light of the sun’s surface.

52
Q

What kind of glasses can you use to watch a solar eclipse or look at the sun?

A

UV ray blocking glasses

53
Q

What is the average temperature drop during the average total solar eclipse?

A

5.5 degrees C
10 F

54
Q

Why does the temperature drop during a solar eclipse?

A

Because the moon is also blocking the energy from the sun.

55
Q

How long does a solar eclipse last?

A

Only a few minutes

56
Q

How many moons could fit inside the sun?

A

64.3 million moons

57
Q

What is the only point in a moon’s orbit that it is directly between the sun and earth?

A

New moon.

58
Q

At what point in the moon’s orbit does a total solar eclipse happen?

A

New moon

59
Q

Why isn’t there a solar eclipse with every new moon?

A

Because the orbit of the moon is not parallel to the orbit of the earth around the sun. So the moon is usually not in perfect line with the sun and earth; it usually falls either slightly too high or too low from being in perfect line.

60
Q

True or False: The orbit of the moon is gradually getting bigger.

A

True

61
Q

How far does the moon’s orbit away from earth grow every year?

A

About 4 cm.

62
Q

When will earth stop receiving total solar eclipses?

A

In about 600 million years.

63
Q

What kind of eclipse will we see from earth when the moon gets too far away for total solar eclipses?

A

Annular eclipses. The moon will appear too small in the sky and will not completely block out the sun, leaving a ring around the outer edge that still shines through.

64
Q

How far ahead can scientists calculate the next solar eclipse?

A

Centuries ahead

65
Q
A

Earth and Space Science (4 decks)

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