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34 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Astronomy |
The study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. |
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Seasons |
The four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) |
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Equinox |
The time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length |
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Solstice |
Either of the two times in the year, the summer solstice and the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon |
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Tides |
Alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun. |
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Neap tide |
A tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water. |
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Spring tide |
A tide just after a new or full moon, when there is the greatest difference between high and low water. |
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Phases of the moon |
As the moon circles the Earth, the shape of the moon appears to change; this is because different amounts of the illuminated part of the moon are facing us. |
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Waxing |
When you see the moon as a slim crescent - in the west after sunset - it's a waxing moon |
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Waning |
Waning Moon means the moon is decreasing in size, moving from the Full Moon towards the New Moon. |
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Gibbous |
Convex at both edges, as the moon when more than half full. |
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Crescent |
A crescent moon is part way between a half moon and a new moon, or between a new moon and a half moon. |
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Solar eclipse |
An eclipse in which the sun is obscured by the moon. |
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Lunar eclipse |
Aan eclipse in which the moon appears darkened as it passes into the earth's shadow. |
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Rotation |
The action of rotating around an axis or center. |
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Revolution |
An instance of revolving. |
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Axis |
an imaginary line about which a body rotates. |
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Gravitational force |
Forces of attraction. It's like the Earth pulling on you and keeping you on the ground. That pull is gravity at work. |
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satellite |
An artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to collect information or for communication. |
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Debris |
Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk and space waste, is the collection of defunct objects in orbit around Earth. |
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Astroid |
A small rocky body orbiting the sun. |
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Planet |
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star. |
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Atmosphere |
The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet. |
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Astronomical unit |
A unit of measurement equal to 149.6 million kilometers, the mean distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun. |
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Gas giants |
A large planet of relatively low density consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. |
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terrestrial planets |
The inner planets closest to the Sun. |
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Meteors |
A meteor is the flash of light that we see in the night sky when a small chunk of interplanetary debris burns up as it passes through our atmosphere. " |
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Comets |
A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun. |
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International Space Station |
The International Space Station is a large spacecraft. It orbits around Earth. It is a home where astronauts live. |
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NASA |
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. |
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Hubble telescope |
The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope in space. |
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Space probes |
An unmanned exploratory spacecraft designed to transmit information about its environment. |
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galaxies |
A system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction. |
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Solar system |
The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. |