unit 3

Question 1

Asteroid

Answer 1

a small object that ranges in size. Most asteroids originate from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

Question 2

Astronomy

Answer 2

The study of what is in space beyond the Earth

Question 3

Comet

Answer 3

a object composed of rocky material, ice, and gas. Come from the Kuiper belt and Oort cloud.

Question 4

Meteoroid

Answer 4

a piece of rock moving through space

Question 5

Meteor

Answer 5

a meteoroid that hits Earth’s atmosphere and burns up

Question 6

Meteorite

Answer 6

a meteoroid that that is large enough to pass through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the ground, without being burned up.

Question 7

Moon

Answer 7

type of satellite; a celestial object that travels around a planet or dwarf planet in a closed path.

Question 8

Rotation

Answer 8

makes everything in the night sky appear to rise in the east and set in the west

Question 9

Revolution

Answer 9

allows you to see different constellations throughout the year

Question 10

Astronomical unit

Answer 10

one astronomical unit (AU) is equal to the distance between the Sun and the Earth.

Question 11

Light year

Answer 11

the distance that light travels in one year.

Question 12

Constellations

Answer 12

patterns of stars in the sky.

Question 13

Planet

Answer 13

a large, round celestial object that travels around a star

Question 14

Lunar eclipse

Answer 14

occurs when Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.

Question 15

Solar eclipse

Answer 15

when is the is lined between Earth and the Sun, it blocks the Sun from being observed from the Earth.

Question 16

A piece of rock that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere

Answer 16

Meteor

Question 17

The time it takes an object to orbit another object

Answer 17

Orbital period

Question 18

A small piece of rock that is in space

Answer 18

Meteoroid

Question 19

A rock from space that has fallen into the ground

Answer 19

Meteorite

Question 20

Gas and dust cloud in space

Answer 20

A Nebula

Question 21

Creates energy by combining lighter atoms to create heavier atoms

Answer 21

Nebula Fusion reactions

Question 22

Can cause auroras and damage satellites

Answer 22

Geomagnetic storm

Question 23

A collection of stars, planets, gas, and dust held together by gravity

Answer 23

Galaxies

Question 24

What is the difference between the geocentric and the heliocentric models of the solar system?

Answer 24

The geocentric system model that was stated that the Sun and planets in the solar system was revolving around the Earth.

The heliocentric system model that was stated that the Sun was in the center of the solar system and the planets were revolving around the sun.

Question 25

Explain why we have seasons

Answer 25

Seasons happened because of the Earth’s tilt. When a part of Earth is tilted away, it’s winter. The tilt causes different amounts of sunlight, making the seasons change.

Question 26

What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteor?

Answer 26

An asteroid is small objects that originate in the asteroid belt. They are located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. While a meteor is a meteoroid that hits Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.

Question 27

How does the fact that a ship sailing over the horizon will disappear from the bottom up imply that the surface of Earth may be curved?

Answer 27

When a ship sails over the horizon and disappears from the bottom up, it shows that the surface of the Earth is curved. This happens because as the ship moves farther away, it goes past our eyesight due to the Earth’s spherical shape.

Question 28

How does the fact that different stars appear as you travel north or south provide evidence for a curved Earth?

Answer 28

As you move farther away to the equator, your perspective changes because of the spherical shape of the Earth. Which causes you to see different stars appear as you travel north or south.

Question 29

How is it that two stars that are very far apart in space may appear close together to observers on Earth?

Answer 29

It’s all about the perspective of the stars. Two stars may look close together when we see it, but they are far apart in space. Stars are very far from us, so it looks like they are close together on Earth.

Question 30

Planets maintain approximately the same speed in their orbits. Why does a planet undergoing a retrograde motion appear to be moving backwards?

Answer 30

This happens because of the difference in orbital speeds between Earth and the other planets.

Question 31

What is the difference between a planet, a dwarf(minor) planet, and an asteroid?

Answer 31

A planet is an object that orbits one or more stars, it is spherical, and does not share its orbit with another planet

A dwarf planet is a celestial object that orbits the Sun and has a spherical shape, but does not dominate its orbit

An asteroid is a small object that ranges in size. Most asteroids come from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Question 32

Describe the currently accepted theory for the formation of our Sun and our solar system.

Answer 32

• planets orbit the sun in the same direction
• the planets are all in the same plane, with the Sun in the center
• most planets rotate in the same direction as their axis
• Terrestrial planets are closer to the Sun than the Gas Giants are.

Question 33

What planets are the terrestrial planets?

Answer 33

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Question 34

What planet are the Gas Giants?

Answer 34

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Question 35

What are the characteristics of each planet?
Name them in order from the closes to the Sun.

Answer 35

Mercury: Has no atmosphere, smallest
Venus: The hottest planet (carbon dioxide)
Earth: has living beings
Mars: Has the largest volcano
Jupiter: the largest
Saturn: has noticeable rings
Uranus: Tipped sideways
Neptune: blue colour, the coldest