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Earth Science Astronomy Notes

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Earth Science Astronomy Notes Earth Science Astronomy Notes Part I: Fill in the Blanks Directions: Read questions 1-26 and use the Word Bank below to fill in the blanks. Word Bank: Words may be used more than once. Nebula Mercury Mars Jupiter Absolute Magnitude 50% Inner Corona Liquid Water Hydrogen Fusion Winds Comet Apollo 11 Asteroids Core Venus Year Mass Weight Tides Rotation Planet 1. Clouds of dust and gas are called _________________. 2. _____________ has the smallest diameter and the greatest average density. 3. Rocky objects, measuring millimeters to kilometers in diameter, generally orbit the Sun in a region located between _____________ and _________________. 4. Which planet travels around the Sun in less time than it takes Earth to complete one revolution? ____________________ 5. Which measurement allows scientists to compare the brightness of stars? ________________ 6. What is the approximate percentage of the Earth that is illuminated by the sun at any given time? ________________ 7. Earth's orbital position in our solar system is as a(n) _______________ planet. 8. The _______________ is the layer of the sun seen during a total solar eclipse? 9. _________________ has a fierce hurricane-like storm that is several times the size of Earth. 10. Because of the unique position of the Earth in the solar system, life has flourished due to the presence of _______________ _____________. 11. __________________ is the main component of most stars. 12. ______________ has occurred when atoms combine to form a new element and release energy. 13. Photographs of the surface of Mars reveal the presence of sand dunes that shift over time. These dunes demonstrate the presence of _____________ on Mars. 14. Periodically, there are spectacular meteor showers on Earth. These showers usually occur because the Earth's orbit passes through the remains of a __________________. 15. The first manned-mission to land on the moon was commanded by Neil Armstrong and was called ____________________. 16. The sun emits energy by converting hydrogen into helium this process is called ___________. 17. The numerous rocks orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Mars ____________________. 18. Which layer of the sun is the most dense? __________________ 19. ________________ is often called "Earth's twin" because it is similar in mass and diameter to the Earth. 20. One complete revolution of a planet around the sun equals one _________________. 21. The amount of gravitational attraction between the Earth and an object depends on the object's distance from the Earth and the object's __________________. 22. ______________________ would be different for an object if measured on the Earth and on the moon. 23. ____________________ has no atmosphere and little gravity and is closest to the sun. 24. The gravitational pull of the moon causes ______________ on Earth. 25. The ____________________ of the Earth causes the sun to appear to rise and set. 26. Which body in the solar system usually contains an atmosphere? ___________________ Part II: Interpreting Diagrams, Charts, Tables, and Questions Directions: Look at each question and answer by choosing the correct response. 1. Why does a comet's tail point away from the Sun? a. The solar wind blows the tail away from the Sun. b. The comet's tail is following the path of Jupiter. c. The Moon's light only shines on part of the comet. d. It is being pulled by a nearby black hole. 2. Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.5° relative to the plane of its orbit, which helps to cause – a. high and low tides b. the lunar phases c. the seasons d. day and night 3. In addition to Earth's orbit, which planets' orbits are shown? a. Mercury and Venus b. Venus and Mars c. Mars and Jupiter d. Jupiter and Saturn 4. Which planet has the shortest day? a. Mercury b. Venus c. Jupiter d. Saturn 5. Which image below best represents our galaxy? a. b. c. d. 6. Based on the drawing above, what is the main reason that Venus would appear brighter at point Q rather than at point R as seen from the Earth? a. More of the visible side of the planet is illuminated at point Q than at point R. b. Light from the planet at point Q is less affected by the sun's gravity than at point R. c. The planet is closer to the Earth at point Q than at point R. d. The planet appears overhead against a dark sky when it is at point Q but not at point R. 7. In the late 1920s, Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason determined the distance to a number of galaxies and the velocity of those galaxies relative to the Earth. The graph shows the early results that were obtained. What approximate ratio did the scientists calculate between velocity and distance based on these early findings? a. 450 kilometers per second per one million light years b. 150 kilometers per second per one million light years c. 600 kilometers per second per one million light years d. 300 kilometers per second per one million light years 8. In 1912, an astronomer at Arizona's Lowell Observatory noticed that the lines in the spectra of most galaxies shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. Another American astronomer, Edwin Hubble, later interpreted this discovery as evidence that – a. the largest galaxies are slowly engulfing their smaller neighbors b. galaxies are moving away from each other in a constantly expanding universe c. galaxies were once part of one huge megagalaxy d. an explosion will one day result from the pressure building as the galaxies expand 9. At what position would Earth be found in the solar system diagram shown above? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 10. Why do stars appear to change position during the night? a. The stars are moving away from each other. b. Earth rotates on its axis. c. Stars are very far away from the solar system. d. Earth revolves around the sun. 11. Why does erosion not occur on the moon? a. There is no animal life. b. The rock surface of the moon is too hard. c. The gravitational pull of the moon is too weak. d. There is no wind or rain. 12. When Venus passes between the Earth and the sun, it is visible as a tiny black dot on the sun's bright disk. Why is Mars never visible in this same way? a. The orbit of Mars is more eccentric than that of Venus. b. The orbit of Mars is outside that of the Earth's orbit. c. Mars shines too brightly to be visible against the sun. d. Mars is too small to be seen against the backdrop of the sun. 13. Which of the above evolutionary stages of a massive star is called a supernova? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 14. According to this diagram, a lunar eclipse occurs only when the – a. sun's rays are directly overhead b. Earth is between the sun and the moon c. moon is in the new moon phase d. moon is between the sun and the Earth 15. Which model best shows the relationship between the Earth, the moon, and the sun? a. b. c. d. 16. Which of these has the most influence on ocean tides? a. Radiation from the sun b. Gravity between the Earth and the moon c. The magnetic field of the Earth d. Electrical forces in the atmosphere 17. According to this chart, which planet will most likely have the highest temperatures? a. Mars b. Earth c. Mercury d. Venus .
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