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Astronomy
Science Term 4 Grade 8
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Azimuth | an angle on the horizon, measured clockwise from north |
Elevation | the angle of an object above the horizon |
Longitude | distance in degrees East or West of the Prime Meridian |
Latitude | distance in degrees North or South of the Equator |
Rotation | the spin of an object around its own axis |
Revolution | the orbit of one object around another (or a point in space) |
Day | one rotation of Earth on its axis |
Year | one revolution of Earth around the Sun |
Orbit | path of an object through space |
Ecliptic | the path of the Sun through the Zodiac |
Inferior | between the Earth and Sun |
Superior | beyond orbit of Earth around the Sun |
Celestial Sphere | a model of the sky that appears like a dome overhead to which the sky is fixed |
Constellation | a group of fixed stars with a definite name |
Eclipse | an interception of light of one celestial body by another |
Sidereal Month | the time taken for the Moon to complete one full revolution around Earth with respect to the stars |
Synodic Month | the time taken for the moon to complete one cycle of its phases. |
Waxing | the change in the Moon's appearance between New Moon and the following Full Moon |
Waning | the change in the Moon's appearance between Full Moon and the following New Moon |
Zenith | the point in the celestial sphere directly above an observer's head. |
Nadir | the point in the celestial sphere directly below an observer's feet. |
Solstice | a day in which daytime (Summer Solstice) or nighttime (Winter Solstice) is the longest of the year |
Equinox | a day in which daytime and nighttime are approximately equal in length. |