Astronomy Chapter 1

Earth, Moon and Sun

Earth in Space
Section 1

Vocabulary
Astronomy:

the study of the moon, stars and

other objects in space
Axis: The imaginary line that passes through
Earths center and the North and South poles
Rotation: Earths spinning on its axis
Revolution: The movement of one object around
another object
Orbit: Earths path around the sun
Latitude: the measurement of distance from the
equator expressed in degrees north or south

Vocabulary
Solstice:

The day when the noon sun is directly

overhead. (there is a winter and a summer
solstice)
Equinox: when nighttime and daytime are about
the same
Vernal equinox: the spring equinox that occurs
around March 21 and marks the beginning of
spring in the Northern Hemisphere
Autumnal equinox: the fall equinox that occurs
around September 23 and marks the beginning
of fall in the Northern Hemisphere

Main Ideas
Earths rotation

on its axis causes day and

night
Earth has seasons because its axis is
tilted as it moves around the sun
Earths axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5
degrees
It is warm near the equator because
sunlight hits Earths surface directly and is
less spread out

Guiding Questions
Why

do the sun and moon seem to move each

day?
Explain the process that causes day and night
What two factors cause the cycle of the
seasons?
Compare rotation and revolution
What do the words solstice and equinox mean?
How are they related to the position of Earths
axis?

Phases, Eclipses, and Tides

Section 2

Vocabulary

Phases: The different shapes of the moon you see from

Earth
Eclipse: occurs when an object in space comes between
the sun and a third object, and cases a shadow on that
object.
Solar eclipse: occurs when the moon passes between
Earth and the sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching
Earth
Lunar eclipse: occurs at a full moon when Earth is
directly between the moon and the sun.
Umbra: the darkest part of the moons shadow
Penumbra: the larger part of the shadow of the sun that
is visible from Earth

Vocabulary
Tides:

the rise and fall of water very 12.5

hours or so
Gravity: a natural force that pulls the moon
and earth toward each other.
Spring tide: the combined forces produce
a tide with the greatest difference between
low and high tide
Neap tide: a tide that is produced with the
least difference between low and high tide

Main Ideas
The

positions of the moon, Earth, and the sun

cause the phases of the moon, eclipses, and
tides
The phase of the moon you see depends on how
much of the sunlit side of the moon faces Earth
When the moons shadow hits Earth or Earths
shadow hits the moon, an eclipse occurs
Tides occur mainly because of differences in how
much the moon pulls on different parts of Earth

Guiding Questions
How

many days does it take the moon to

revolve once around Earth?
Since the moon does not produce light,
how can you see it?
Why are a day and a year on the moon
the same length?
Why are there two high tides and two low
tides each day?

Rockets and Satellites

Section 3

Vocabulary
Satellite:

any natural or artificial object that

revolves around an object in space, just as
the moon revolves around Earth
Geosynchronous orbits: orbits that revolve
around Earth at the same rate that Earth
rotates

Main Ideas
A rocket

moves forward when gases expelled

from the rear of the rocket push it in the opposite
direction
Satellites and space stations are used for
communications, navigation, collecting weather
data, and research
Multistage rockets have three states or sections.
Each of the first two stages burns all its fuel and
then drops off. The next stage then takes over.
Only part of the third stage reaches the rockets
destination.

Guiding Questions
How

does a rocket work?

Describe three uses of satellites and
space stations
Which stage of multistage rocket reaches
the final destination?

Earths Moon
Section 4

Vocabulary
Telescope:

a device built to study distant

objects by making them appear closer
Crater: a round pit on the moons surface
Maria: Dark, flat regions on the moons
surface

Main Ideas
Features,

on the moons surface include

craters, highlands, and maria
Much of what scientists have learned
about the moon came from detailed study
of the moon rocks

Guiding Questions
Name

three kinds of features that Galileo

saw on the moons surface
What did the Apollo astronauts do on the
moon?
How did the craters form on the moon?