Study Solar System Flashcards
What does keppler’s law of
the sun is pulling at the planet in a straight line, so the planet is speeding up heading towards the sun and being pulled and slowing down while heading away from the star.
Nebular Theory
The nebular theory is an explanation for the formation of solar systems. The word “nebula” is Latin for “cloud,” and according to the explanation, stars are born from clouds of interstellar gas and dust.
causes of light and day
as the earth rotates half of the earth is lit by the sun and the other half is night.
causes of the seasons
The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis away or toward the sun as it travels through its year-long path around the sun.
why do we see phases of the moon?
half of the Moon is lit by the Sun while the other half is in darkness. The phases we see result from the angle the Moon makes with the Sun as viewed from Earth.
What is an axis?
An imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to South Pole, and includes the center Earth.
What is an Ellipse?
An ellipse is a shape that looks like an oval or a flattened circle
What is an equinox?
the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making night and day of approximately equal length all over the earth
What is insolation?
Insolation is the solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.
What is Jovian?
orbit far from the sun. These planets have no solid surfaces and are essentially large balls of gas composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
What is an Orbit?
An orbit is the path that an object takes in space when it goes around a star, a planet, or a moon.
What is rotation?
Each planet rotates, or spins, on its axis.
What is revolution?
The movement of a planet around its sun or other object. Example: Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days
What is solstice?
A solstice is a moment in the year when the Sun’s apparent path is farthest north or south from Earth’s Equator.
What is a sunspot?
A sunspot is an area of high magnetic activity, on the surface of the Sun
