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Earth's Rotation
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| apparent movement | appears to move, but is NOT actually moving |
| axis | imaginary line about which an object rotates |
| cycle | a repeating pattern |
| rotate/rotation | the spinning of a planet or moon on its axis |
| sunrise | when the Sun appears on the EASTERN horizon in the morning, also called dawn |
| sunset | when the Sun appears on the WESTERN horizon in the evening, also called dusk |
| day/night cycle | the continuous, repeating pattern of day (when the sun is visible) and night (when it is dark) caused by the Earth spinning on its axis |
| equator | an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth, like a belt, that divides the planet into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere |
| model | a simplified representation of something complex, used to understand, explain, and predict how it works (ex. globe, planets, DNA, cells) |
| pattern | a repeating series of events, shapes, or behaviors that helps scientists understand and make predictions about the world (ex. the sun rising, the phases of the moon, or the way seasons change) |
| revolve/revolution | when a planet or moon moves in a full circle around another, larger object like a star or a planet |
| shadow | a dark shape made when an object blocks a light source; forms because light travels in straight lines |
| cardinal directions | the four main directions on a map or compass: north, south, east, and west |
| compass | a tool with a needle that always points north, helping you find your way by showing you the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west |
| counter-clockwise | the direction OPPOSITE to how the hands on a clock move |
| horizon | the line where the sky and Earth seem to meet |
| orbit | the path an object in space takes as it moves around another object, like a planet going around the sun or a moon going around a planet |
| AM | Latin ante merīdiem, meaning “before noon,” refers to the period from midnight until noon |
| PM | Latin Post Meridiem, meaning "after midday," and covers the time from noon to midnight |
| midnight | 12 o'clock at night, right in the middle of the night; it's the moment when one day ends and the next one begins |
| noon | 12 o'clock in the middle of the day.; it's when the sun is usually highest in the sky and is when many people eat lunch |
| seasons | the four parts of the year—spring, summer, autumn, and winter; caused by the Earth's tilted axis, which causes different parts of the Earth to receive more or less direct sunlight throughout the year; leads to changes in temperature, daylight hours, and weather |
| moon | a large, round rock that orbits the Earth, making it our planet's natural satellite; appears to shine because it reflects the sun's light, does not make its own light |
| solar system | the Sun and all the things that travel around it, like the eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), their moons, and smaller objects like asteroids and comets |
| inner planets | the four planets closest to the Sun: MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, and MARS also called terrestrial (land) planets because they are rocky, solid, and made of metal and stone |
| outer planets | the four large, gas-giant planets in our solar system: JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS, and NEPTUNE; farther from the Sun than Earth, have no solid surfaces, and are made mostly of gases like hydrogen and helium; very cold, have many moons, and all have ring systems |
| lunar cycle | the name for the changing shapes of the Moon we see in the sky, which happens because the Moon is orbiting Earth; this whole process repeats about every 29.5 days (MONTH) and has eight phases, like the new moon, crescent, quarter, and full moon |
| new moon | when the moon is hidden from our view because it is between the Earth and the sun, and the side that faces us is not lit up |
| full moon | when the entire side of the Moon facing Earth is lit up by the sun, making it look like a bright, complete circle in the sky |
| sun | the star at the center of our solar system, and it's a giant ball of super hot gas, mostly hydrogen and helium, that gives us light and heat; holds the solar system together with its strong gravitational pull, keeping planets in orbit around it, and makes up over 99% of the solar system's total mass |
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