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Astronomy Study Guide ………………………………………………………………………………………2013-2014
1)
Place the phrases below under the appropriate heading. If the phrase applies to both columns, put it in the middle over the
line.
Inner Planets
Outer Planets
Mercury
elliptical
Jupiter
Venus
have moons
Saturn
Earth
have inertia
Uranus
Mars
rotate
Neptune
Rocky
exert gravity
gaseous
Denser
revolve around a star
less dense
Smaller
larger
Warmer
colder
Mars
Jupiter
Elliptical Orbit
Mercury Gaseous
Rocky
Denser
Less Dense
Larger
Venus
Earth
Uranus
Have moons revolving around them
Rotate
Smaller
Neptune Oval
Have inertia
Colder
Warmer
Saturn
Mercury
Revolve around a Star
Exert gravity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2) Define:
a. Rotation: stars (our Sun) and planets spinning on their axis-one spin = a day
b. Revolution: stars and planets orbiting around other objects-one orbit = a year
c. Create an analogy using rotation and revolution: spinning is to rotation as circling (like a plane) is to revolution
3) List five effects of gravity in our solar system.
a.. All planets orbit the Sun
b. Moon orbits the Earth
c.. meteoroids fall to Earth
d. Things on the Earth do not float away
e) Comets orbit the Sun
4) What are the three general rules of gravity?
a) Anything with mass exerts gravity-all objects exert gravity on each other
b) As mass increases-gravitational force increases/less massive objects orbit more massive ones
c) As distance between objects increases,-gravitational force decreases. This explains why planets closest to the Sun have to
orbit faster (have more intertia) to overcome greater gravity, while outer planets (farther away) orbit slower.
5) Compare and contract mass and weight.
Mass = the amount of matter in an object (does not change when you move planet to planet)
Weight=the amount of gravitational force acting on an object (changes as you move planet to planet) ,
6) On which planet would you weigh the most? Least? Why?
You would weigh the most on Jupiter because it has the most mass (more mass = more gravity)
You would weigh the least on Mercury (of 8 planets-not including Pluto) because it has the least mass=less gravity
7) Draw the phases of the moon in order.
8) Draw the position of the Earth, Sun and Moon when the Moon is full and new
Full Moon
New Moon
Think about what you see when standing on Earth
9) Draw the order of the objects in our solar system as close to proportional size and distance as possible.
10) At any given moment, how much of the Earth is lit by the Sun? 1/2
How much of the moon is lit by the Sun? 1/2
How much of Venus? 1/2
How much of a comet? 1/2
11) Draw the Earth and the Sun as it would be in the summer and fall.
12) Why does the Earth has seasons?
1.
Because the Earth is tilted as is goes around the Sun
13) Why is there a pattern of decreasing temperatures and you move from the equator to the poles?
Since the Earth is round as you move from the equator to the poles, the angle of the Sun’s rays change (like a flashlight on a
basketball). Light striking the equator is more direct,(more concentrated) light striking the poles is less direct. (more spread out)
1. Label where 7:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. would be. (noon is done for you)
2. Draw the position of the Sun in the 4 seasons (Fall/Spring is same) at these 3 times.
3. Draw a line connecting the Sun's path for each season. Label the season for each line.
4. Draw a stick figure at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Behind each stick figure, draw what the length of a persons
shadow would look like at each of these times during each season.
Summer
Spring/Fall
Winter
S
7:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
W
F/S
7:00 p.m.
s
S
1. Why do we face south when we look at the path of the Sun?
S/F
W
W
We are in the Northern Hemisphere-the equator is south of us (equator divides the NH and SH)
2. Is the Sun ever directly overhead? Why or why not?
No- we revolve around the Sun-Not under it/we are in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is most direct over
the equator.
3. What effect does this have on your shadow at noon?
The sun is most overhead at noon-so our shadow is shorter
4. During what season is your shadow most likely longer? Why?
Winter-the Sun is lowest in the sky (the angle projects a longer shadow when lower).
5. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun appears to rise in the ___east_ and set in the __west_. Why?
It appears to rise/set this way because we revolve around the Sun counterclockwise.
* Extra Credit? How would it change if we revolved clockwise?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If a scientist finds a new object in space, what quality of the following celestial objects could he/she use to determine which
type it is?
Comet: -gas tail that forms when it nears the Sun- narrow elliptical orbit
Moon: orbits a planet –smaller (smaller objects orbit larger objects)
Asteroid: irregular shaped object-orbits the Sun, too small to be a planet
S
S/F