Space Vocabulary Created by Mrs. Ceolho
revolve (revolution)
to move in a circle or ellipse around a center; orbit Ex: Earth revolves around the sun, the moon revolves around Earth
rotate (rotation)
the spinning of an object on its axis Ex: Earth rotates on it’s axis – 1 full rotation is 24 hours
orbit
the path one body in space follows as it goes around another body; one complete path around a body Ex: moon orbits Earth; planets orbit the sun
axis
a line through the center of an object on which that object turns Ex: Earth rotates fully on it’s axis once a day
gravity
the force that pulls objects toward each other
satellite
an object that orbits a planet Satellite: an object that orbits a planet Ex: a planet’s natural satellite is it’s moon(s)
atmosphere
a mixture of gases that surround a planet Ex: Earth, moon, & sun all have atmospheres, but Earth has the only one sustainable to human life.
moon phases
the different ways we see the moon appear in the sky as it orbits Earth
crater
a bowl-shaped landform on a planet or moon
solar
about the sun
lunar
about the moon
solar eclipse
the partial or total blocking of sunlight on Earth by the moon; this occurs when the Earth passes through a new moon’s shadow Earth moon sun
lunar eclipse
the partial or total blocking of sunlight on the moon by the Earth; this occurs when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow moon Earth sun
star
an object in space that produces its own heat and light
sunspot
dark spots on the sun that are cooler than the rest
planet
a large body that goes around (orbits) the sun
comet
chunk of ice and dust that orbits the sun
asteroid
rocky and metallic objects that orbit the sun that are too small to be considered planets
model
a small object that looks like the real one, but in a smaller size
scale
a way to show the relationship between distance on a map and real distance
absorb
to take in and hold
reflection
when light rays bounce off of an object
refraction
when light rays bend
telescope
something used to make far away things look close
Moon Phase?
New Moon When we see the New Moon, the lighted side of the Moon faces away from the Earth. The Moon is between the Earth and Sun. We don’t’ see the Moon because the sunlight falls on the side of the Moon which is turned away from us.
Moon Phase?
Waxing Crescent “Wax On” = moon on right side; Crescent = small When we see the Waxing Crescent, a small part of the Moon appears lighted and it appears to be getting larger each day. The Waxing Crescent Moon is a narrow crescent, lit on the right side.
Moon Phase?
First Quarter When we see the First Quarter, the right half of the Moon appears lighted, with the lighted part growing larger on the following days. The First Quarter Moon is 7 or 8 days after the New Moon.
Moon Phase?
Waxing Gibbous “Wax On” = moon on right side; Gibbous = fat/hump Gibbous means hump. When we see the Waxing Gibbous Moon, more than half of the Moon appears lighted. When more than half of the Moon is lit on the right side, it is a Waxing Gibbous Moon.
Moon Phase?
Full Moon Two weeks after the New Moon (14 days), the Full Moon appears. When we see the Full Moon, the lighted side of the Moon faces toward Earth. It is opposite the Sun in the sky.
Moon Phase?
Waning Gibbous “Waning Goodbye” = moon on LEFT; Gibbous = fat/hump When we see the Waning Gibbous Moon, more than half of the Moon appears lighted. When the Moon is waning, it appears to be getting smaller. When more than half of the Moon is lit on the left side, it is a Waning Gibbous Moon.
Moon Phase?
Third or Last Quarter When we see the Third or Last Quarter, the left half of the Moon appears lighted. The Third or Last Quarter Moon looks like a half-moon lit on the left side.
Moon Phase?
Waning Crescent “Waning Goodbye” = moon lit on LEFT; Crescent = small When you see the Waning Crescent Moon, a small part of the lighted Moon is visible. It becomes a narrow crescent lit on the left side. It follows the Sun ever more closely, until after 29 1/2 days, we have the New Moon again and the whole cycle starts over again.
Name all 8 moon phases – starting with new moon