Space Flashcards
(20 cards)
day and night
If the axis wasn’t tilted, we wouldn’t have 12 hours of day and night
what determines the year length
the time that it takes for a planet to one revolve around the sun
How does season work?
Seasons occur because of the tilt of the Earth. When the part of the Earth you live on is tilted towards the sun, it is Summer and if you are tilted away from the sun, it is winter.
Order of planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Constellation
A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure.
Earth’s rotation
The Earth rotates from East to West (anticlockwise).
Axial tilt
23.5
Distance from the sun
The temperature of a planet is determined by how much energy they receive from the sun
Atmosphere
Atmosphere= This system relates to meteorological features and phenomena such as weather, clouds, or aerosols (particles in the air).
Biosphere
Biosphere= This system is associated with living systems such as biomes or ecosystems.
Hydrosphere
Hydrosphere= This system is associated with water in solid (ice) and liquid states
Litho/Geosphere
Litho/Geosphere= This system is associated with solid portions of the Earth.
Crust
The outer layer of the Earth made up of solidified rocky plates. This is the layer you live on. It is 8-65 km thick.
Our planet is divided up into big slabs of rock called PLATES.
Mantle
The layer of molten rock on which the crust floats
Outercore
Liquid iron and nickel
Innercore
solid iron and nickel
theory of continential drift
220 million years ago all the worlds continents were formed together to make one super continent called Pangea which slowly frifted apart over time
what were the three stages of continential drift?
Pangea, Laurasia and Gondwana, and Modern world
convection
When liquid or gas is heated, it expands, becomes less dense and rises.
The cooler liquid or gas drops down. The process then keeps going.
In Earth’s case, it’s the heating and cooling of the mantle. Hot mantle rises towards the crust while the cool mantle sinks back down to be reheated. This cycle continues
convection currents
The convection currents in the liquid mantle generated by heat from deep inside the core cause the Earth’s plates to move.
The Earth’s crust is broken up into pieces called plates
The plates can move towards, away or slide past one another
This movement is called plate tectonics and cause hazards like volcanoes and earthquakes.
