Unit E Space Exploration: Section 1.0 Flashcards
What did the First Nations believe about the sky?
the night sky was a pattern on a blanket. The blanket, they believed, was held up by a spinning “world pole,” the bottom of which rested on the chest of a woman underground named Stone Ribs
When does the summer solstice occur in the northern hemisphere?
June 21
What does the summer solstice mark?
The longest period of daylight in the year and represents the start of summer.
When does the winter solstice occur in the northern hemisphere?
December 21
What does the winter solstice mark?
The shortest period of daylight in the year and represents the start of winter.
When does the spring equinox take place?
March 21
When does the fall equinox take place?
September 22
What happens on an equinox?
Day and night are equal
What did the ancient Mayans build to signify the equinox?
pyramids and other monuments to align with the seasonal position of certain stars.
Who created the Geocentric model?
Greek philosopher Aristotle
Explain the geocentric model
Earth was at the center. Surrounded by a series of
concentric spheres that represented the paths of the Sun, Moon, and five planets known at the time
How many planets were known at the time of the geocentric model?
5
Why did the stars not move in the geocentric model?
They were attached firmly to the outermost sphere
Who proposed the heliocentric model?
Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus
Explain the heliocentric model
The Sun was at the centre and Earth and the other planets revolved in orbits around it
What did scientists figure out about the orbits of planets?
They were ellipses and not circles.
What was stonehenge used to predict?
Solstices
What were sundials used for?
To measure the passage of time
What was a Merkhet used for?
To chart astronomical positions and predict the movement of stars
What was a quadrant used for?
To measure a star’s height above the horizon.
What was an astrolabe used for?
To make accurate charts of star positions
What was a cross staff used for?
To measure the angle between the Moon and any given star
What is the Astronomical Unit used for measuring?
Used for measuring “local” distances, those inside our solar system.
What is one astronomical unit used for measuring?
the average distance from the center of Earth to the center of the Sun, 149 599 000 km
