Astronomy Test 1 Vocab Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Astronomy Test 1 Vocab Deck (30)
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1
Q

The totality of all space, time, matter, and energy

A

Universe

2
Q

The portion of the entire universe that we can potentially see

A

Observation Universe

3
Q

The study of the universe

A

Astronomy

4
Q

The average distance between the Earth and the Sun

A

Astronomical Unit

5
Q

What is the distance between the sun and the Earth?

A

93 million miles

6
Q

The distance traveled by a beam of light in one year

A

Light Year

7
Q

How far North or South from Equator

A

Latitude

8
Q

How far East of West from Prime Meridian

A

Longitude

9
Q

Starting point of longitude

A

Prime Meridian

10
Q

A large, glowing ball of gas

A

Star

11
Q

An object that orbits a star

A

Planet

12
Q

An object that orbits a planet

A

Moon-Satellite

13
Q

A relatively small rocky object that orbits a star

A

Asteroid

14
Q

A relatively small, icy object that orbits a star

A

Comet

15
Q

When the sun is at its highest peak in the sky

A

Local Noon

16
Q

A range of longitude where a common standard time is used

A

Time Zone

17
Q

Spin about its axis

A

Rotation

18
Q

Go around the sun

A

Orbit

19
Q

Sun passes directly above equator after the winter solstice

A

Vernal Equinox

20
Q

When the sun passes above the equator after summer solstice

A

Autumnal Equinox

21
Q

When the sun is at the highest point above the equator in the northern hemisphere

A

Summer Solstice

22
Q

Wen the sun is at the lowest point above the equator in the southern hemisphere

A

Winter Solstice

23
Q

The slow wobble of the Earth’s axis due to the influence of the moon

A

Precession

24
Q

Using the sun to determine length of day

A

Solar Day

25
Q

Using the stars to determine the length of day

A

Sidereal Day

26
Q

Sections of the sky that are named for the recognizable patters of the stars in the sky

A

Constellations

27
Q

The 12 constellations along the ecliptic on star chart

A

Zodiac Constellations

28
Q

Recognizable patterns of stars that are not one of the 88 constellations

A

Asterism

29
Q

The angle of a star above the horizon

A

Altitude

30
Q

A large imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth

A

Celestial Sphere