space Flashcards
recall the definition of latitude
a location latitude is the distance in degrees north or south of the equator, measured in degrees
- tomato
what is the latitude of the north pole?
90’ degrees N or -90’ south
what is the latitude of the equater
0’N or 0’S
what is the latitude of the south pole
-90’N or 90’s
reacall the definition in longitude
the distance in degrees east to west of the prime meridian
-orange
what is the longitude of the prime meridian and what does it go through?
0’ degrease n or east it doesn’t matter.
where does the sun rise
the east and sets in the west
what way does the earth rotate
west to east
define Zenith
point in the sky directly above viewers head
define nadir
point in the sky directly below the viewers feet.
what is a horizon plane
at any given time a viewer can only ever see half of the celestial sphere
define the celestial sphere
a model of the sky that appears like a dome overhead. at which the stars seem to be fixed.
Why does a shape on the northern hemisphere appear differently than on the southern hemisphere?
Observers in the northern hemisphere will see constellations rotated 180° compared to viewers in the southern hemisphere.
what is elevation?
the elevation is the angle of an object above the horizon (90’ would be the zenith)
What is azimuth?
azimuth (az)? It is the angle measured clockwise from the north (0’ az) on the horizon.
define rotation?
the movement of an object around its own axis is called rotation
define revolution
Revolution is the movement of an object around another object (or point in space).
What is the order of the planets and asteroid belts in our solar system?
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, the asteroid belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the Kuiper belt
what are the terrestrial planets?
Mercury, Venus, earth and Mars
What are the gas giants?
Jupiter, Saturn
What are the ice giants?
Uranus, Neptune
What are terrestrial planets?
planets that…
- made up of land and rock
- smaller than the giants
- closer to sun than giants
What are gas giants?
planets that…
- made up of gas
- large planets
What are ice giants?
planets that…
- larger than terrestrial planets but smaller than gas planets
Where is the Kuiper Belt located?
It is after Neptune.
Where is the asteroid belt located?
in between Mars and jupiter
What is a sunrise?
place rotating into sun
What is a sunset?
place rotating out of light
define orbit.
time taken for any planet to rotate once on its axis
What are constellations?
groups of fixed stars with definite names are called constellations
where do stars rise?
east and set in the west (appear to revolve around the south celestial pole clockwise or for the north pole, anticlockwise)
How long is a sidereal month, and what is it?
a sidereal month is when the moon does a full revolution around the earth, which takes 27.3 days
How long is a synodic month, and what is it?
A synodic month is when the moon lines up between the earth and the moon. it takes 29.5
what is it called when the moon is only a shadow?
new moon
What is it called when the moon has 25 percent of it covered with light from the left side?
waxing crescent
What is it called when the moon has 75 percent of it covered with light from the left side?
waxing gibous
135% through cycle
what is it called when the moon is fully covered by the sun?
full moon
What is it called when the moon has 25 percent of it covered with shadow from the left side?
wanning gibous
What is it called when the moon has 75 percent of it covered with shadow from the left side?
waning crescent
define eclipse
an eclipse is an interception of light from one celestial body by another.
define the ecliptic plane
The ecliptic plane is the imaginary 2D, which contains the earth’s orbit around the sun.
Where is the moon located in a solar eclipse?
in between the sun and the earth
Where is the moon located in a lunar eclipse?
after the sun and the earth
how do seasons occur?
The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the earth’s axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth’s axis points away, winter can be expected
What is a solstice, and when does it occur?
a day in which the daytime (summer) or nighttime (winter) is the longest of the year. this happens twice a year
- June
- December
What is an equinox, and when does it occur?
a day in which daytime and night are approximately the same. occurs twice every year in march and September.
What is the ecliptic?
The line on the celestial sphere that shows the sun through the zodiac is called the ecliptic.
what is inferior in relation with the earth and the sun?
between the earth’s orbit around the Sun.
What is superior in relation to the earth and the sun?
beyond the in-between of the earth’s obit around the sun.
what is opposite in relation to the earth and the sun?
the other side of earth
What is conjunction in relation to the earth’s orbit and the sun?
on the side of the sun from the earth.
