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BJU Space/Earth - 2
BJU - Space and Earth Science - Chapter 2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| The day that the sun's overhead noon position crosses the equator (about September 22) as it moves southward. At the equinox, the day and night are of equal length in all parts of the earth. | autumnal equinox |
| An imaginary line passing through the center of an object about which the object spins or rotates. | axis |
| A heliocentric theory or sun-centered model of the solar system, published by Nicholaus Copernicus in 1543, in which the earth rotates on its axis, and the earth and other planets revolve around the sun in perfect circles. | Copernican theory |
| The tendency of objects initially moving in a straight path over the earth's surface to be deflected due to the earth's rotation. This effect causes the deflection of wind and water currents - right in Northern and left in Southern Hemisphere. | Coriolis effect |
| In the Ptolemaic geocentric model of the solar system, a crystal sphere surrounding the earth for each of the visible planets, the moon, and the sun, all of which revolved around the earth. | deferent |
| In circular motion, an off-center rotation. In orbital motion, the fact that the central body is at the focus of an elliptical orbit rather than at the center of the ellipse. | eccentric |
| The apparent path of the sun among the stars. Also, it is the plane of the earth's orbit. | ecliptic |
| In the Ptolemaic geocentric model of the solar system, a small crystal sphere centered on the surface of the deferent of certain planets to account for that planet's retrograde motion at certain points in its orbit. | epicycle |
| Either of two days per year when the sun's noon position is directly above the equator, making day and night approximately equal in all places on the earth. Astronomically, the two locations in the sky where the ecliptic and celestial equator intersect. | equinox |
| A pendulum first used by Jean Foucault in 1851 to demonstrate that the earth rotates on its axis. Any similar pendulum consisting of a large pendulum mass suspended by a long wire. | Foucault pendulum |
| The discredited theory of the arrangement of the solar system that places earth at the center with the sun and planets orbiting the earth. | geocentric theory |
| A calendar which was the modified version of the Julian calendar created by Pop Gregory XIII because the equinox's were happening at the wrong time and to fix other problems. This calendar is still used today. | Gregorian calendar |
| Any theory of the arrangement of the solar system that places the sun at the center with the earth and other planets in orbit around it. | heliocentric theory |
| The tendency of all objects in the universe to remain at rest if initially at rest or, if moving, to continue moving at the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an outside force. | inertia |
| A calendar created by the Roman Augustus in which he changed Quinctilis to Julius to honor Julius Caesar and changed Sextilis to Augustus to honor himself. He also took 2 days from February to make these 2 month 2 of the longest. | Julian calendar |
| The principle that states any two objects attract each other with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. | law of universal gravitation |
| In general, a calendar year in which one or more extra days is added to the calendar to keep it in phase with the seasons. The number of days depends on the calendar system being used. | leap year |
| A calendar with months that correspond to the length of the moon's cycle. | lunar calendar |
| A calendar that takes into account both the solar year and the lunar month, making the necessary adjustments to keep the calendar in agreement with the seasons. | lunisolar calendar |
| An apparent shift in position of an observed object caused by a change in the point of observation. It is used to measure the distance to nearby stars and is irrefutable proof of the earth's revolution around the sun. | parallax |
| An early, widely held geocentric theory, that the earth was the fixed center of the universe and that all celestial objects revolved around it. | Ptolemaic theory |
| The apparent backward movement of the superior planets caused by the difference in orbital speed between Earth and the planet being observed. | retrograde motion |
| To circle around a point that does not lie within the object, as a planet around the sun. | revolve |
| To spin on an axis that passes through the center of an object. | rotate |
| A calendar that is based on the solar year and ignores the lunar cycle. | solar calendar |
| The day (about June 21) when the sun's overhead noon position is the farthest point north. | summer solstice |
| The line of latitude at 23 1/2 degrees North. It is defined by the sun's northernmost overhead noon position at the summer solstice. | Tropic of Cancer |
| The line of latitude at 23 1/2 degrees South. It is defined by the sun's southernmost overhead noon position at the winter solstice. | Tropic of Capricorn |
| The day that the sun's overhead noon position crosses the equator (about March 21). At the equinox, the day and night are of equal length in all parts of the earth. | vernal equinox |
| The day (about December 21) when the sun's overhead noon position is southernmost. | winter solstice |
Created by:
marchscience
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