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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is a galaxy? What is ours called?
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A huge cluster of stars
The Milky Way |
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Name the inner planets
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Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
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How are planets unlike stars?
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Planets do not generate their own light
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Name the two planets with no moons
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Mercury and Venus
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What are tides?
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The response of the fluid ocean surface to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun
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What is a rotation? How long does one of Earth's rotations take? What is created?
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One complete spin of Earth on its axis
Takes 24 hours Creates day and night |
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What is a revolution? How long does this take?
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One elliptical orbit around the Sun
365 1/4 days |
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Why do we have a leap year?
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To account for the 1/4 day earned each year
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Towards what does the North Pole point? What does the Earth's tilt affect?
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Toward the North Star
The amount of solar energy that different places receive during the year (causes the seasons) |
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What are the tropics? What are the polar regions?
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Tropics: Warm low latitude areas near the Equator
Polar Regions: high latitudes close to the poles (colder) |
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Which latitudes receive the most solar energy throughout the year?
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The low latitudes
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How does the tilt of the Earth's axis affect the seasons?
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It causes the seasons to change
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What is a solstice? When do they occur?
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The time that the Earth's poles point at their greatest angle toward or away from the Sun
Occur June 21 and December 21 |
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What is the Tropic of Capricorn? What is the Antarctic Circle?
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Tropic of Capricorn-23 1/2 south of the Equator
Antarctic Circle-66 1/2 degrees south of the Equator |
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What is the Arctic Circle? What is the Tropic of Cancer?
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Arctic Circle-66 1/2 degrees north of the Equator
Tropic of Cancer- 23 1/2 degrees north of the Equator |
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What is an equinox? When do they occur?
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The time when the Earth's poles are not pointed toward or away from the sun
Occurs March 21 and September 22 |
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Name the four parts of the Earth system. What does each part refer to?
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Atmosphere-the gases surrounding the Earth
Lithosphere- Earth's solid crust Hydrosphere-All of Earth's water Biosphere-All life forms of Earth |
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What is the environment?
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The biological, chemical, and physical conditions that interact and affect life.
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