Space Flashcards
What defines a day on earth?
One full rotation
How long does the earth take to complete 1 full rotation?
24 hours
How does a year on Earth relate to the Sun?
One orbit of the Earth around the Sun equals a year
How do the axis and tilt of Earth contribute to the seasons?
The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane
What is the orbital period of the Moon around Earth?
Around one month (27.9 days)
What are the different phases the moon undergoes during its orbit?
new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent
What is the far side of the moon?
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth
What is the near side of the moon?
The near side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces towards Earth
Name and describe some features of the moon’s surface?
Highlands, Maria and craters
What’s the difference between rocky planets and gas giants?
Gas giants do not have a well defined surface
What’s the difference between mass and weight
Mass is a measure of how much matter there is in an object, while weight is a measure of the size of the pull of gravity on the object.
How can you calculate your weight on different planets
Gravitational field strength x your weight
State a fundamental characteristic of the path of light?
Reflection
How can you measure the focal length of a convex lens?
Measure focus point to actual length of laser
What’s the difference between concave and convex?
Convex are thicker at the center, Concave is thinner on the center
how can you trace the path of light through convex or concave lenses?
Using a ray diagram
what is wavelength?
The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave
what is frequency?
Frequency is the number of waves that pass a given point in one second
State the law of reflection
The law of reflection states that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the surface of the mirror all lie in the same plane.
whats the concept of the habitable zone?
The definition of “habitable zone” is the distance from a star at which liquid water could exist on orbiting planets’ surfaces.
How does our sun compare to other suns in the universe?
Our Sun is an average sized star: there are smaller stars and larger stars, even up to 100 times larger.
Define the composition of a star?
approximately 74 percent hydrogen, 24 percent helium, and 2 percent other elements
Whats the primary fuel source of a star?
Nuclear fusion of hydrogen
Explain the birth of a star
hydrogen is converted to helium deep inside the star
What happens when a star dies
Massive stars transform into supernovae, neutron stars and black holes while average stars like the sun, end life as a white dwarf surrounded by a disappearing planetary nebula.
Where did the period table element originate?
Forged inside ancient stars
What is a black hole?
a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape
What’s the significance of the event horizon
There is no return once you reach it
What is our galaxy called?
The Milky Way
How does our galaxy compare to others in the universe?
Our galaxy is average sized compared to others, we have a complex evolutional history
How big is our universe?
Our universe is estimated to have a radius of 46.5 billion light years and is constantly expanding
What is a light year?
a unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year
How big is our universe estimated to be?
13.7 billion years
What are the basics of the Big Bang theory?
all of the current and past matter in the Universe came into existence at the same time
