L3 Flashcards
How long does it take for the moon to orbit the Earth once?
28 days, roughly a month.
What is a satellite?
An object which orbits a planet.
What is a man-made satellite?
These are spacecrafts (such as the ISS or International Space Station) with a crew of astronauts and cosmonauts which help find evidence of life and evidence that means we can live on other planets.
What is a natural satellite?
An object which is naturally orbiting a planet, Earth’s natural satellite is the moon.
What does the word ‘waxing’ mean?
When the light on the moon appears to grow, it is moving towards a full moon.
What does the word ‘waning’ mean?
When the light on the moon appears to shrink, it is moving towards a new moon.
What does the word ‘gibbous’ mean?
When the light on the moon appears to be bulging outwards.
What does the word ‘crescent’ mean?
When the light on the moon appears to be a curved shape like a banana.
What is an eclipse?
An eclipse occurs any time something passes in front of the sun, blocking its light. This can be the Earth or moon.
What is a total eclipse?
When the sun’s light is fully blocked by the Earth or the moon.
What is a partial eclipse?
When the sun’s light is partially blocked by the Earth or the moon.
How does a partial solar eclipse occur?
When the moon blocks part of the sun’s light, it casts a partial shadow on the Earth, causing the sun to go partially dark.
How does a total lunar eclipse occur?
When the Earth blocks the sun’s light at a specific alignment, it casts a shadow on the Earth, causing the moon to go dark red.
How does a total lunar eclipse occur?
When the Earth blocks the sun’s light, it casts a shadow on the Earth, causing the moon to go dark red.
How does a partial lunar eclipse occur?
When the Earth blocks part of the sun’s light, it casts a partial shadow on the moon, causing the moon to go partially dark red.
