Solar System Flashcards
What is it called when the earth has made one full orbit around the sun?
A revolution
What is the path that the earth takes as it moves around the sun?
An orbit
How many days does it take the earth to make one full revolution around the sun?
About 365 days (one year)
What causes the earth to have seasons?
It revolves around the sun on a tilted axis
What gives the earth day and night?
The rotation of the earth as it travels around the sun
Why does the sun appear to rise and set?
The rotation of the earth on its axis
How long does it take the earth to complete one full rotation?
24 hours
How many days does it take the moon to revolve around the earth?
About one month
Why does the moon look different throughout the month?
The positions of the earth and moon change throughout the month
What is earth’s moon?
A small rocky satellite (rock and rock fragments)
How large is earth’s moon compared to earth?
It’s about one-fourth (1/4) the diameter of the earth and one-eightieth (1/80) it’s mass
What is the moon like?
Extremes of temperature
No atmosphere
No life
No water
Why do the moon and sun appear to be about the same size?
Because the sun is so much farther away
What is the sun made of?
hot gases
What does the sun look like?
An average sized yellow star
How large is the sun compared to the earth?
About 110 times the diameter of the earth
How old is the sun?
Approximantly 4.6 billion years
What is our solar systems natural sorce of heat?
The sun
How many planets are in our solar system and revolve around the sun?
Eight
Why do the planets and their moons orbit the sun in our solar system?
The sun exerts a gravitational pull on the planets
List the planets in the correct order, moving away from the sun?
Mercury Venus earth mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
If our nine planets are grouped as inner outer planets what position is earth?
The third inner planet
Who far is earth from the sun?
150 kilometers
What is earth like?
A geologically active planet with a surface that is constantly changing a rocky inner panel
What is earth’s atmosphere like?
Large amounts of life supporting water oxygen rich atmosphere
How does earths atmosphere protect earth?
It blocks out most of the suns damaging rays
Why is earth different from other planets?
It has air water soil and life
What belief did ptolemy and aristotle, early astronomers have about the solar system?
The earth centered model
What was the earth centered model?
The sun revolved around the earth
What is the corectt model of our solar system?
The sun centered model
What is the sun center model?
The planets that revolve around the sun
Which scientist invented the sun centered model?
Nicolas Copernicus
Which two scientists believed in the sun centered model?
Nicolas Copernicus and galileo galili
Who used the first telescope to study the planets and confirm the sun centered model?
Galileo galili
What added to our understanding of the moon?
The NASA Apollo missions
What is the name of the first tool that is used for making observations in orbit?
Hubble telescope
What does our understanding of the sun, moon, and the solar system continue to change
New scientific discoveries
Who was the first human to walk on the moon?
Neil Armstrong
Why are space shuttles better than earlier space vehicles?
Space shuttles can be used many times
