sci geology Flashcards
Revolution
a celestial body moving around another celestial body
Orbit
the path a celestial body moving around another celestial body. It takes Earth 365.25 days to revolve around the Sun.
- Constellation
A group of stars in specific patterns such as Orion
Polaris
The north star. Directly above the magnetic north pole. In the sky other stars seem to circle polaris.
Phase
As the moon orbits Earth the shadows change how the moon looks. There are 8 moon phases.
Waxing
phases of the moon where the sunlit part is getting bigger
Waning
phase of the moon where the sunlit part is getting smaller
Eclipse
when one celestial body casts a shadow on another.
Total solar eclipse
when the moon completely blocks the sun during the day can only be viewed from the umbra. Occurs appx 2 times a year in various places across the planet. The next one in the USA will be April 8
Annular eclipse = when the moon is aligned between the sun and Earth
but the moon has moved too far away from Earth to completely block out the Sun.
Partial solar eclipse = when only part of the sun is blocked by the moon.
lunar eclipse = when the Earth blocks the light from the sun
so the moon is in the umbra
Umbra = darkest part of the shadow
Penumbra = lighter part of the shadow
- Earth rotation: If you look down on the North Pole
Earth rotations counter clockwise. Earth rotates towards the East. (like California is always chasing FLorida).
Moon – Earth’s celestial satellite that orbits the Earth and has phases. It is 400 times smaller than the Sun
and also 400 times farther away (that is why a total solar eclipse is possible).
New Moon – The moon is between Earth and the sun. The moon is completely dark
Waxing Crescent – A thin sliver of the moon becomes visible and continues to grow.
First Quarter – From Earth’s Northern Hemisphere
the right half of the moon appears fully lit.
Waxing Gibbous – The sunlit fraction of the moon that is visible from Earth continues to grow.
Full Moon – Earth is between the moon and the sun. The entire sunlit fraction of the moon is visible from Earth.
Waning Gibbous – The sunlit fraction of the moon that is visible from Earth decreases.
Third Quarter – From Earth’s Northern Hemisphere
the left half of the moon appears fully lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of the moon becomes visible and continues to shrink.
Tidally Locked –
The time the moon takes to spin around its axis and the time it takes to orbit the Earth is the samen making it so that we can only see one side of the moon at all times.
Seasons -
one of the four periods of the year when climates change (spring summer fall winter
Star –
a massive self-luminous body of gas held together by gravity
Northern Hemisphere -
The half of Earth that is to the north of the equator
Southern Hemisphere -
The half of Earth that is to the south of the equator
Season:
a division of the year that is associated with particular weather patterns and daylight hours.
Weather:
conditions and daily temperatures at any location on Earth follow a predictable cycle throughout the year.
Spring:
In Northern Hemisphere spring begins In March. The sun moves higher across the sky and the number of daylight hours increases. Temperatures gradually rise.
Summer:
Summer is the warmest season beginning in June in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun is in the sky for a greater part of the day. Daytime is longer (14.5 hours in atlanta)
Winter:
In December the Northern Hemisphere begins its coldest season-winter. Freezing temperatures and snowfall are associated with winter months. The sun sets early in the day. Daytime is shorter (9.5 hours in Atlanta)
Fall: .
Fall begins in September in the Northern Hemisphere. The number of daylight hours decreases as the sun’s path across the sky moves lower. Temperatures are gradually cool
Equinox-
A day where there are an equal number of hours in a day and night at all locations of the earth
Earths Tilt-
Due to this axial tilt the sun shines on different latitudes at different angles throughout the year. This causes the seasons.
Latitude =
horizontal lines on globe. 0° = equator 30° = Tropic of Cancer (N) and Capricorn (S)
Longitude
vertical lines on the globe.
