Terms

Question 1

Absolute Magnitude

Answer 1

how bright a star really is

Question 2

Apparent Magnitude

Answer 2

how bright a star appears in our sky

Question 3

A.M.

Answer 3

Ante Meridiem, meaning before the middle of the day

Question 4

Arctic Circle

Answer 4

the latitude line where the sun doesn’t set on the summer solstice

Question 5

Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes

Answer 5

the two days of the year when the sun rises and sets on the celestial equator, making and equal amount of daylight and nighttime

Question 6

Axis

Answer 6

the line around which a planetary body rotates

Question 7

Day

Answer 7

the amount of time if takes for the earth to spin on its own axis one time

Question 8

Galilean Moons

Answer 8

Jupiter’s four largest moons:
Europa
Io
Calisto
Ganymede

Question 9

Geocentric Model

Answer 9

a model of the universe where earth is at the center and everything revolves around it

Question 10

Horizon

Answer 10

from your perspective, the place where the sky meets the land

Question 11

Jupiter

Answer 11

a planet named after the king-god of the Romans; with more moons than any other planet

Question 12

Land of the Midnight Sun

Answer 12

a name for the region north of the arctic circle because the sun doesn’t set during the summer months

Question 13

Light Year

Answer 13

the distance light travels in a year: about 5.8 trillion miles

Question 14

Meridian

Answer 14

a line going from due south, strait over your head through the zenith, to due north; means “middle of the day”

Question 15

Milky Way

Answer 15

a cloudy band circling the celestial sphere which is actually about 100 billion distant stars in our Milky Way Galaxy

Question 16

Planet

Answer 16

a word meaning “wandering star;” the five classical planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

Question 17

P.M.

Answer 17

Post Meridiem, meaning after the middle of the day

Question 18

Polar Night

Answer 18

the phenomenon where the sun doesn’t rise north of the arctic circle during the winter months

Question 19

Retrograde Motion

Answer 19

when a planet stops going eastward against the background stars, turns around, and starts moving westward

Question 20

Saturn

Answer 20

a planet named after the Roman god of agriculture and wealth; known for its rings

Question 21

Summer Solstice

Answer 21

from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, the day of the year when the sun rises and sets at the northernmost place on the horizon

Question 22

Terminator

Answer 22

the line on the surface of the globe where the night side of the earth meets the day side

Question 23

Terminator

Answer 23

the line on the surface of the globe where the night side of the earth meets the day side

Question 24

Titan

Answer 24

the largest moon of Saturn, known for its atmosphere and liquid lakes

Question 25

Tropic of Cancer

Answer 25

the latitude line where the sun is at the zenith at high noon on the summer solstice

Question 26

Tropic of Capricorn

Answer 26

the latitude line where the sun is at the zenith at high noon on the winter solstice

Question 27

Tropics

Answer 27

the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

Question 28

Winter Solstice

Answer 28

from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, the day of the year when the sun rises and sets at the southernmost place on the horizon

Question 29

Zenith

Answer 29

from your perspective, the part of the celestial sphere that is right over your head