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Chapter 11 Vocab
The Sun- Earth- Moon System Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Sphere | A round three dimensional object who's surface is the same distance from the center at all points. |
Axis | An imaginary line around which earth spins. |
Rotation | The spinning if earth on its axis, which causes day and night to occur. |
Revolution | Earths yearly orbit around the sun. |
Ellipse | Elongates, closed curve that describes earths year long orbit around the sun. |
Solstice | An astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. |
Equinox | The time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length (about September 22 and March 20). |
Moon Phase | The different forms the moon takes in its appearance from earth. |
New Moon | The phase of the moon when it is in conjunction with the sun and invisible from earth, or shortly thereafter when it appears as a slender crescent. |
Waxing | When the illuminated part of the moon is growing. |
Full Moon | The phase of the moon in which its whole disk is illuminated. |
Waning | When the illuminated section of the moon is decreasing in size. |