Download Name

Name_____________________________
Science 8._____
Date________________
Astronomy Unit Study Guide
Describe the following astronomers’ theories:
Pythagoras - ____________________________________________________________________________
Aristotle - ______________________________________________________________________________
Ptolemy - ______________________________________________________________________________
Copernicus - ___________________________________________________________________________
Brahe - ________________________________________________________________________________
Kepler - _______________________________________________________________________________
----------------Astronomy - __________________________________________________________________
Day - ____________________________________________________________________
Month - ________________________________________________________________
Year - __________________________________________________________________
Period of Revolution - __________________________________________________________
What is the relationship between the gravitational pull on an object and its period of revolution? (Example, if a
planet is experiencing more gravitational pull acting on it from the Sun, will it have a slower or faster period of
revolution?) Give an example of this in our solar system.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Reason for the Seasons
1.
How many hours does it take Earth to rotate once? _______________________
2. How many days does it take Earth to revolve once? _______________________
3. What is the tilt of Earth’s axis (in degrees) and where does the axis always point?
_______________________________________
________________________________________
4. What is the name of the shortest day of the year? When does this occur in the Northern hemisphere?
_______________________________________
____________________________________________
5. What is the name of the longest day of the year? When does this occur in the Northern hemisphere?
_______________________________________
____________________________________________
Hershey, PA
Tilt of Earth
(toward, away,
middle)
Solar Angle
(high, low,
middle)
Amount of
Energy (high,
low, middle)
Length of Day
(long, middle,
short)
Temperature
(warmest,
coldest, middle)
Vernal Equinox
Summer Solstice
Autumnal
Equinox
Winter Solstice
Use your solar motion model to answer the following questions:
1. In Hershey, PA (40 N Latitude) from which direction will the Sun rise above the horizon on the
Summer Solstice?
2. On the Winter Solstice, what is the lowest latitude where the sun will be below the horizon for
24 hours?
3. During what five months would the North Pole be experiencing 24 hours of darkness?
4. In Hershey, PA (40 N Latitude) at which direction will the Sun set below the horizon on the
Winter Solstice?
Stars
1. Parallax- ________________________________________________________________
2. Absolute Magnitude - ____________________________________________________________
3. Apparent Magnitude - ____________________________________________________________
4. Once formed, most stars follow what path during their life cycle?
Main Sequence  ____________________  _____________________  Black Dwarf
5. Once formed, very massive stars can follow what path during their life cycle?
Main Sequence  __________________________  Neutron Star  __________________
Research what parallax is on your own:
6. A star that is far away will appear to have a (small / large) parallax.
7. A star that is close up will appear to have a (small / large) parallax.
8. What two star characteristics are graphed on an H-R diagram?
_______________________________________
________________________________________
Use the H-R diagram in the textbook (p. 578-579) to answer the following questions:
1. The stars in the upper left of the HR diagram are below 5000 degrees K.
True or false? ____________________
2. Which star is the brightest? ________________________________________
3. Put the following in order from youngest to oldest:
Proxima Centauri, Spica and Polaris
How do you know? _______________________________________________________
Moon Phase Wheel
Identify the following phases and moon phase characteristics.
______________________________
______________________________
If the moon were setting at 6 PM, what would be its phase? __________________
If the moon were a new moon, when would it set? _____________________
When does the first quarter moon rise? _______________________
When would a full moon be in the southwest sky? ______________________
Eclipses:
Umbra - ____________________________________________________________________
Penumbra - _________________________________________________________________
Solar Eclipse - ____________________________________________________________
Lunar Eclipse - ______________________________________________________________
During what moon phase does a lunar eclipse occur? ____________________
During what moon phase does a solar eclipse occur? ____________________
Why don’t eclipses occur every month?
____________________________________________________________________________________