Astronomy quiz 1 unit 4 Flashcards
Solar system
planets and other bodies that orbit the sun
orbit
circular path of one object around another
what keeps the planets in orbit around the sun?
gravitational force
fusion
hydrogen gas fused together to produce helium
parts of the sun
-core (where fusion takes place, provides sun with energy)
-photosphere (where suns light originates)
-chromosphere (temperature begins to increase again)
-corona (solar atmosphere around the sun)
radiant energy
energy carried by light
what is the earths distance from the sun called and why?
the goldilocks zone because it is “just right” for the existence of life
(not to hot or cold from the sun
how does the sun help life on earth
plants need the suns energy for photosynthesis, which they create the food and oxygen that sustains life on earth
how does the sun create energy sources for humans
-wind is created by the suns thermal energy in our atmosphere; we harness the wind to create electricty through wind turbines
-solar energy can be converted to electrical energy by solar panels
-biomass can be burned to create electricity
the moon
rocky body that orbits our planet
phases of the moon
full moon, first quarter, last quarter, new moon
where did the moon come from?
when a large asteroid hit the earth and the debris clumped together and formed the moons which became trapped within the earths gravity
lunar eclipse + total eclipse
when the earth is between the sun and moon, blocking some of the sunlight that sines on the moon which makes it look like the moon disappears.
-total eclipse: when earths shadow darken almost the entire moon
solar eclipse
moon is directly between the earth and sun, blocking the suns light, making it look like the sun disappeared
why do we need the moon?
-stabilized the planets wobble on its axis, created a stable livable climate
-stabilize the earths tilt which creates different seasons
the distances between stars are measure in …
light years which is the distance that light travels in one year
how close is the closest star to earth other than the sun
4.3 light years
the sun is ___ km from the earth
150, 000, 000
distances between planets are measure in …
astronomical units (AU)
light travels __ km per second
300,000
one light year is equal to ….
about ten trillion km.
why do people say the when we look at stars that are far away, we are looking back in time
because these stars are very old and probably took years to shine their light to you
what are asteroids
-large chunks of rock
-found in a “belt” between the planets mars and jupiter
comets
-are made up of rocks, dust, and ice
-orbits the sun
