Key Terms

Question 1

Orbit

Answer 1

when something circles around an object

Question 2

Inner Planet

Answer 2

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

Question 3

Outer Planet

Answer 3

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 4

Asteroid Belt

Answer 4

the region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in which most asteroids are located

Question 5

Rocky Planet

Answer 5

a planet mostly made out of rock and ice

Question 6

Ring

Answer 6

rocks and chunks of ice orbiting a larger celestial object and look like a band around the celestial object

Question 7

Gas Planet

Answer 7

a planet made of gas

Question 8

Hydrogen

Answer 8

a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that combines chemically with oxygen to form water

Question 9

Helium

Answer 9

an inert, gaseous element present in the sun’s atmosphere and in natural gas

Question 10

“Gas Giant”

Answer 10

A nick Name for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune

Question 11

Spin

Answer 11

to turn around rapidly

Question 12

Northern Hemisphere

Answer 12

the half of the earth between the North Pole and the equator

Question 13

Polaris

Answer 13

the North Star

Question 14

Zodiac

Answer 14

the 12 constellations that appear every month

Question 15

Ursa Minor

Answer 15

a constellation, supposedly shaped like a bear, containing the Little Dipper and Polaris

Question 16

Luna

Answer 16

the Latin word for the moon

Question 17

Crater

Answer 17

the cup-shaped depression on the surface of an object

Question 18

Meteorite

Answer 18

a mass of stone or metal that has reached a planet or moon from outer space

Question 19

Gravity

Answer 19

the force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth.

Question 20

Reflect

Answer 20

to give back

Question 21

Lunar Cycle

Answer 21

the cycle of the moon

Question 22

Crescent

Answer 22

a shape resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends

Question 23

Waxing

Answer 23

growing

Question 24

Waning

Answer 24

shrinking

Question 25

Gibbous

Answer 25

swollen on one side; half the moon is lit

Question 26

Lunar Calendar

Answer 26

something that tells people what phase the moon is every day

Question 27

Southern Hemisphere

Answer 27

the half of the earth between the South Pole and the equator

Question 28

North Pole

Answer 28

the northernmost point on the Earth

Question 29

South Pole

Answer 29

the southernmost point on the Earth

Question 30

Equator

Answer 30

an imaginary line drawn right around Earth’s middle

Question 31

Tropic of Cancer

Answer 31

an imaginary line of latitude where the sun’s rays hit directly during summer in the Northern Hemisphere

Question 32

Tropic of Capricorn

Answer 32

an imaginary line of latitude where the sun’s rays hit directly during winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Question 33

Winter Solstice

Answer 33

December 21, shortest day of the year, first day of winter

Question 34

Vernal Equinox

Answer 34

March 21, entire Earth gets 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, first day of spring, chance of a equinox

Question 35

Summer Solstice

Answer 35

June 21, longest day of the year

Question 36

Autumn Equinox

Answer 36

September 22, entire earth gets 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, first day of Fall, chance of a eclipse