The Earth, the Moon, and the Sun

What do we call a scientist who studies the planets and stars? astronomer

How long does it take for the Earth to revolve around the sun? 365 1/4 days

How long does it take for the Earth to rotate on its axis? 24 hours

What does the tilt of the earth on its axis cause? the seasons

More direct rays from the sun cause ________. summer Slanted rays from the sun cause _______. winter

Earth is the _______ planet from the sun. third

Earth’s surface is constantly _________. changing Earth’s surface is three-fourths _______. water

What 2 things make it possible for there to be life on Earth? Water & Air

What is at the center of our solar system? SUN

How much bigger is the sun’s diameter than the Earth’s? 110 times

How far away is the sun from the Earth? 92 - 95 million miles

What is the sun made of? Hot, glowing gases

What are the dark patches visible on the sun’s surface? Sunspots

the moon What is the Earth’s only natural satellite?

How far away is the moon from the Earth? 250,000 miles

One-fourth the size of the Earth How big is the moon compared to the Earth? One-fourth the size of the Earth

The moon has extreme temperatures The moon has extreme temperatures. This means it is very ______ in the daytime and very ______ at night. hot cold

Why is it not possible for there to be life on the moon? No air & no water

Craters, mountains, and flat plains What is the moon’s surface covered with? Craters, mountains, and flat plains

We learned about the moon when: Astronauts collected rocks and soil from the moon Astronauts set up experiments on the moon

What is the moon phase when we see all of the lighted side of the moon? full

What is the moon phase when all of the lighted side of the moon is turned away from us? new

When the moon is ________ we see more of the lighted side each night. waxing When the moon is _______ we see less of the lighted side each night. waning

During which moon phase do we see only a very small part of the lighted side? Crescent

During which phase do we see almost all of the lighted side of the moon? Gibbous

During which moon phase is the moon between the Earth and the sun? New Moon

Who believed in an earth-centered solar system? Aristotle and Ptolemy

Galileo and Copernicus Who believed in a sun-centered solar system? Galileo and Copernicus

Who built the first telescope? Galileo