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NYS ES Topic 4
Motions of Earth, Moon & Sun
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Axis of rotation | a planet spins on this straight line, which goes through its north and south poles |
constellation | a group of stars that form a pattern and are used to help people located celestial objects |
Coriolis effect | the tendency of particles moving at Earth’s surface to deflect (curve) away from a straight line. Deflects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. |
Eclipse | the shape of all planetary objects; a closed curve around 2 foci, shaped like an oval. |
Foucault pendulum | a freely swinging pendulum that moves in a predictable way, providing evidence of Earth’s rotation |
Geocentric model | Earth centered model. Everything orbits around the Earth. |
Heliocentric model | Sun centered model. Earth orbits around the sun and the moon orbits the Earth. |
Local time | time based on Earth’s rotation as reflected in motions of the sun in the sky |
Phases of the moon | the varying of the visible portion of the moon, as seen from Earth |
tides | cyclic rise and fall of ocean water on Earth, caused by gravitational attraction of the moon. |
Time zone | 24 north-south area time zones that vary by 15 degrees and keep a standard time in that area. |
June 21 | Summer solstice; day with longest amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere |
December 21 | Winter solstice; day with shortest amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere |
Equinoxes | occur in March and September; 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness |
Solar noon | occurs daily when the sun is in its highest position in the sky |