Godwin Science Unit Test Sun, Earth, and Moon
Waning
"Waning" means shrinking. When the the Moon is said to be waning, we see a little less of the Moon each day until it completely disappears when the Moon is New. In the Northern Hemisphere when the white part of the moon is on its left, its waning. (Opposite for Southern Hemisphere)
Waxing
"Waxing" means growing and refers to the size of the illuminated part of the moon that is increasing. In the Northern Hemisphere when the white part of the moon is on its right, its waxing. (Opposite for Southern Hemisphere)
Lunar Eclipse
-Can occur only during a full moon -When Earth comes between the Sun and Moon and casts a shadow on the Moon -makes the moon turn dark and orange in color -This eclipse casts the earths shadow on the moon
Solar Eclipse
-Can occur only during a new moon -When the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow on parts of Earth -This shadow casts the moons shadow on the earth -This eclipse blocks out the light from the sun when we view it from earth
What is the position of the Earth and Sun to get the longest shadows during Solar Noon?
-Earth pointing away from the sun -Solar noon closer to the horizon
What is the position of the Earth and Sun to get the shortest shadows during Solar Noon?
-Earth pointing towards from the sun -Solar noon farther from the horizon
Spring Tide
-When the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned -Highest high tide and lowest low tide -largest tidal range bc it has the greatest difference between high and low water
Neap Tide
-When the Sun, Moon, and Earth are at a right angle -Highest low tide and lowest high tide -Smallest tidal range bc it has the least difference between high and low water
How many tides occur in 6 hours?
1
One rotation on Earths axis=
1 day
one revolution of Earth on its orbit around the sun=
1 year
What are the 2 most important factors that change with the seasons?
1. Gradual change in the # of daylight hours 2. Variations in the angle of the Sun above the horizon
Name the Moon Phases
1. New Moon 2. Waxing Crescent 3. First Quarter 4. Waxing Gibbous 5. Full Moon 6. Waning Gibbous 7. Third Quarter 8. Waning Crescent
What is the result of sunspots and solar storms on Earth?
1. Solar wind particles race away from the sun and run into anything in its path 2. Solar wind is partially deflected by Earths magnetic field, but some of the particles get in and can damage power grids, satellite communication, and cell phone service
The summer months are associated with what conditions?
1. Sun high in sky 2. Long days
The winter months are associated with what conditions?
1. Sun low in sky 2. Shorter days
What causes moon phases?
1. The moon orbits the earth. 2. Half of the moon and earth is always illuminated by the sun (That is the side that is facing the sun.) 3. As the moon orbits earth, we see different parts of the illuminated side.
How much of the moon is always illuminated by the sun?
1/2
At which angle above the horizon do the Suns rays pass through the greatest thickness of Earth's atmosphere?
10 degrees
How many high and low tides are there in one day?
2 high tides and 2 low tides because on tide occurs every 6 hours.
What is the angle of earths tilt?
23 1/2
How long does it take for the Moon to go through one set of phases?
29.5 days which is how long the Moon takes to orbit around the Earth once
About how much does each moon phase last?
3 1/2 days
How many days in a year?
365 1/4
How old is Earth?
4.5 billion years old
The Sun is ___ times larger than the moon but the moon is ___ times closer than the sun.
400, 400
The Sun
A star that is the largest body in the solar system and is the only star in our solar system
Annular Eclipse
A type of solar eclipse in which the Moon is too far from Earth to cover the Sun completely, so the outer edge of the Sun is seen as a ring.
Leap year
A year occurring every 4 years that has 366 days. This accounts for the 1/4 day.
What is and where is the land of the midnight sun?
Alaska is known as the land of the midnight sun because during the summer, in the very northern parts of Alaska, the sun never sets, or at least never gets dark. This is due to the Northern hemisphere pointing towards the Sun, so the closer you are to the north pole, the more of the sun you are exposed to in the 24 hr period of earths rotation.
The Anasazi
Ancient people who lived in Southwest Arizona 1000 years ago. The had no calendars and they counted time by tracking the sun by watching spirals on rocks and watching the sunlight hitting it. They also used natural markers, ex: sunrise, sunset. In 1054 light exploded from a star and the Anasazi recorded it, 200 years later they abandoned Chaco Canyon.
Shadow Cone
Are casted by planetary bodies and contain both an umbra and a penumbra
Why do the stars seen in the Northern hemisphere appear to circle around Polaris?
As Earth rotates on its axis, the stars in the night sky seem to move in a circle because they are fixed relative to earth. But the North Star remains in one spot in the Northern Hemisphere sky and the stars seem to rotate around it.
When do the longest shadows occur?
At sunrise and sunset because the sun is closest to the horizon.
Why do both sides of Earth experience high tide at the same time?
Bc high tides will always occur on the invisible line connecting the Earth and Moon
Why does the Sun look as if it rises above the horizon?
Because Earth rotates.
Why does the sun appear to move higher in the sky during the summer?
Because during summer earth is tilted towards the sun so the apparent path seems to move higher in the sky.
Why when a hemisphere it tilted away from the Sun, it experiences winter?
Because less of the hemisphere is in the suns light.
Why are the suns rays dim when we observe the sun at sunrise or sunset?
Because many of the rays have been scattered or absorbed by the multiple thickness of the atmosphere on their journey to Earth.
Why when a hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, it experiences summer?
Because more of the hemisphere is in the suns light.
Why do the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size?
Because the Sun is larger but farther away and the Moon is closer but smaller. The Moon is 400x smaller but 400x closer.
Why do we only see part of the illuminated side of the moon?
Because the moon orbits around Earth
Why does this pattern of high and low tides exist?
Because there are two tidal bulges on the opposite sides of earth. The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours so it moves away from each bulge every 12 hours.
How are tides determined?
By the position of the Moon, Earth, and Sun (So are the moon phases)
Which way does the Earth spin?
Counter clockwise because the shadows move left to right when the earth is spinning
When does the Winter Solstice take place?
December 21-22
Seasons are the result of...
Different amounts of sunlight falling on a hemisphere at different times of the year.
Which factor is least significant in causing seasonal temperature variations?
Distance variations between the Sun and Earth
Third Quarter
During a Last Quarter Moon we can see exactly 1/2 of the Moon's lighted surface.
First Quarter
During first quarter, 1/2 of the moon is visible for the first half of the evening, and then goes down, leaving the sky very dark.
How does the apparent path of the sun change with the seasons?
During summer the sun rises early and sets late. During the winter the sun rises later and sets earlier.
Why do rays from a rising or setting Sun relatively dim?
During the winter, the suns lower in the sky which results in rays that are more spread out.
Waxing Crescent
During this phase, part of the Moon is beginning to show. This lunar sliver can be seen each evening for a few minutes just after sunset. We say that the Moon is "waxing" because each night a little bit more is visible for a little bit longer.
What does the Moon orbit?
Earth
What causes seasons?
Earth is tilted as it moves around the Sun. The more the hemisphere that is exposed to the Sun, the greater hours of daylight. This increases temperature in that hemisphere- causing warming. The opposite happens when there is greater amounts of night than daylight, as the hemisphere loses more energy than it gains. This causes cooling of the hemisphere.
Why does the Moon appear to rise and set like the Sun?
Earth rotating
How often does a Spring tide occur?
Every 14 days bc it happens after every full or new moon
How often does a Neap tide occur?
Every 14 days bc it happens after the first and third quarters
Waning Crescent
Finally, during a Waning Crescent Moon, observers on Earth can only see a small sliver of the Moon, and only just before morning. Each night less of the Moon is visible for less time.
What happens to the angle of the Suns noon rays as you move away from the Tropic of Cancer?
Gets smaller and the sun appears to be lower in the sky
Earth has a _______ mass than the moon
Greater mass, its about 6x larger mass and about 4x larger in diameter
How could you see a partial solar eclipse from earth?
If you ware within the penumbra shadow on earth.
Why does the time everyday that high and low tides occur differ from day to day?
It changes about 50 minutes each day due to the Moons orbit around the Earth. By the time the Earth spins one time around in 24 hours, the moon has moved ahead just a little bit, so the Earth has to "catch up" to the moon to get the next high tide.
Which way does the sun move?
It moves from West to East, so the shadows move from east to west.
When does the Summer Solstice take place?
June 21-22
Auroras
Light display that occurs mostly near the poles when gases in Earth's atmosphere glow when hit by charged particles carried by solar winds.
Waning Gibbous
Like the Waxing Gibbous Moon, during this phase, we can see all but a sliver of the Moon. The difference is that instead of seeing more of the Moon each night, we begin to see less and less of the Moon each night. This is what the word "waning" means.
What causes sunspots?
Magnetic storms on the surface of the sun (photosphere) 1. Plasma of the sun is pulled up and along the magnetic field, creating solar flares 2. The surface is depressed and cooler at each end, creating what appears to be a spot on the surface- a sunspot
When does the Spring Equinox take place?
March 21-22
How did the earth form?
Masses swelled into a glowing molten ball
What are models used for?
Models can be used in science to show relationships among sets of objects.
Order them from smallest to largest: Moon, Sun, Earth
Moon, Earth, Sun
Does earths tilt change direction as it moves around the sun?
No
Is the atmosphere actually thicker at the poles?
No its the angle at which the radiation passes that creates the difference.
If the Earth were not tilted on a 23.5 degrees tilt, would Earth experience a change of seasons? Why or why not?
No there wouldn't be any seasons. It would always be the temperature/weather of what we experience during the equinox.
Does the sun always rise and set in the exact location?
No, it depends on the tilt of earth.
Eclipse
Occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align at a time when the Moon crosses the plane of the ecliptic
Rotation VS Revolution
Revolution and orbit mean the same thing. Revolution means the movement of one object around the center of another object. Rotation is the revolving of an object around an axis or center.
What are the 2 types of motion that the earth experiences?
Rotation and Revolution
What causes a day?
Rotation of earths axis
Scaling
Scaling is a way to compare the sizes and distances of different objects.
When does the Fall Equinox take place?
September 21-22
What do shadows reveal?
Shadows reveal relationships between time of day and the apparent position of the Sun in the sky.
What causes the Northern Lights (Auroras)?
Solar wind rides along the magnetic field lines and enters at the poles. The excited electrons turn atmospheric gases into light. This is why it only happens at the very high Northern and Southern latitudes.
What is the main theory of how the moon formed?
Something crashed into earth while the earth was forming and some debris flew off and got caught on the orbit of the earth. This was the moon, it has many similar materials as the earth.
During which season and at which time of day might a post cast little or no shadow?
Summer during solar noon
What does Earth orbit?
Sun
Shadows change during the day as the ___ position in the sky changes
Suns
Shadows change according to...
TIME OF DAY and TIME OF YEAR
Why does the Earth experience seasons?
The Earth experiences seasons because of the result of uneven heating of the surface and amount of solar energy that reaches the horizon.
Where on Earth is there always the same season?
The Equator
How far away from the earth are the sun and moon?
The Moon in 30 Diameters away and the Sun is 109 diameters- MORE THAN 3X THE DISTANCE
What does the Moon do with the light the Sun emits?
The Moon reflects the light from the sun and does not give off its own light
What causes the tidal bulges?
The Moons pull generates tides and created the bulges
The Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere of Earth is the half that is north of the equator.
The Period of Revolution equals...
The Period of Rotation
The Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere of Earth is the half that is south of the equator.
How does the amount of atmosphere change the amount of radiation that the earth receives?
The angle at which the sun strikes the earth determines the thickness of the atmosphere.
The apparent path of the sun is _______ in the sky during summer, ______ during winter.
The apparent path of the sun is highest in the sky during summer, lowest during winter.
The closer the Suns angle is to 90 degrees, the ____ intense solar rays at Earths surface.
The closer the Suns angle is to 90 degrees, the more intense solar rays at Earths surface.
The closer the Suns angle is to 90 degrees, the ____ the path of the solar rays through the atmosphere.
The closer the Suns angle is to 90 degrees, the shorter the path of the solar rays through the atmosphere.
How does the angle of the sun with respect to the earth change the amount of radiation that the earth receives?
The closer the suns angle is to 90 degrees, the more intense the solar rays.
What causes the Moon to change its apparent shape throughout the month?
The earth rotating
Which location has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness every day?
The equator
Full Moon
The full moon occurs when the Moon lies on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. The moon as seen from the surface of the earth is fully illuminated by the sun at this time, presenting a "full" round disc to viewers on earth. As always, only half the total surface of the moon is illuminated.
What 2 forces cause tides?
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun or the rise and fall of the ocean sea level. (Gravity and Inertia)
The closer you are to the North or South poles...
The greater variation in daylight length
The closer you are to the equator...
The less variation you experience in length of day.
Why do lunar eclipses not occur every full moon? Why do solar eclipses not occur every new moon?
The moon orbits the Earth on a slight tilt, so it only crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in 28 days and it would have to be aligned just right to have the Sun in the correct place to cause it to cast a shadow on Earth or to be blocked by the Moon.
Path of Totality
The path of the shadow caused by an eclipse. Only if you are in the Path of Totality can you see a solar eclipse.
Tide
The periodic rise and fall of the ocean sea level and other large water bodies
Solar Noon
The point in which the Sun is highest in the sky and shadows are the shortest
What helps us to understand seasons, phases of the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, and tides?
The relative size, position, and distance of the planets, sun and moons
New Moon
The side of the moon facing the Earth is not illuminated. Additionally, the moon is up through out the day, and down through out the night. For these reasons we can not see the moon during this phase.
Nuclear Fusion
The source of the Suns energy. Hydrogen atoms smash into each other to form helium- and energy is given off in this process in the form of light and heat.
Where does the energy that drives Earths weather and climate come from?
The sun
Does the sun move across the sky? If not, why does it appear this way?
The sun does not move across the sky. The earth rotates on it's axis, so it seems like the sun is moving. The sun is stationary and we on earth are moving past the sun.
In order to experience a total eclipse on earth, you must be in the path of?
The umbra and the path of totality
Blue Moon
There are also months with two full moons. The second full moon in a month is known as a Blue Moon, because this happens infrequently, it has resulted in the expression "once in a blue moon."
How did ancient people explain what they observed about the Sun and Moon as seen from the earth?
They used myths and legends
What affects the length of daylight in any area?
Tilt of earth
What two variables impact shadows?
Time of Day and Year. In the winter, the sun is lower in the sky; during summer, the sun is higher. This is because the apparent path of the sun is closer to the horizon in winter and moves farther from the horizon in summer.
In what direction do shadows in the southern hemisphere point at solar noon?
Towards the S pole
Waxing Gibbous
When most of the Moon is visible we say it is a Gibbous Moon. During this phase, the Moon remains in the sky most of the night.
High Tide
When ocean water swells to its highest point
Low Tide
When water sinks to its lowest level
When do the longest shadows occur?
Winter during sunrise or sunset
Do we always see the same side of the moon?
Yes because the moon rotates on its axis one time in 28 days- the same amount of time as it takes the moon to orbit the Earth. The moons face is always facing earth.
If the Earth had no moon, would we still have tides?
Yes, because we still have the gravitational force from the Sun, the tides just wouldn't be as high or as forceful.
Do the hours of daylight change with latitude?
Yes- due to earths tilt. This is the reason we have seasons. Each hemisphere absorbs different amount of radiation from the sun, then emits it into Earths atmosphere to warm it. The more warmth, the warmer the seasons.
Centrifugal force
a force that acts outward on a body moving around a center, arising from the body's inertia.
Greenhouse effect
process of the earth absorbing energy that is released as heat and trapped in the atmosphere to keep the earth at a habitable temperature.
Both the Sun and Moon ______ on their axes
rotate
The amount of heat energy Earth sends back into atmosphere determines the...
temperature
Radiation
the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
umbra
the inner, darker part of the shadow
penumbra
the light, outer part of a shadow cone