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vocab ch. 19
quiz 3/25/11
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| astronomy | The study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space |
| axis | An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and the North and South poles, about which Earth rotates |
| rotation | The spinning motion of a planet about its axis. |
| orbit | The path of an object as it revolves around another object in space |
| latitude | The distance north or south from the equator, measured in degrees |
| solstice | The two days of the year on which the noon sun is directly overhead at either 23.5° South or 23.5° North |
| equinox | The two days of the year on which neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun |
| vernal equinox | The day of the year that marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere |
| autumnal equinox | The day of the year that marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere |
| phase | One of the different shapes of the moon as seen from Earth |
| eclipse | The partial or total blocking of one object by another |
| solar eclipse | The blocking of sunlight to Earth that occurs when the moon is between the sun and Earth |
| umbra | The darkest part of a shadow |
| penumbra | The part of a shadow surrounding the darkest part |
| lunar eclipse | The blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun and moon |
| tides | The daily rise and fall of Earth's waters on shores |
| gravity | The attractive force between two objects; its magnitude depends on their masses and the distance between them. |
| satellite | Any object that revolves around another object in space |
| geosynchronous orbit | The orbit of a satellite that revolves around Earth at the same rate that Earth rotates |
| telescope | A device built to study distant objects by making them appear closer |
| crater | A bowl-shaped area that forms around a volcano's central opening; A round pit on the moon's surface |
| maria | Dark, flat regions on the moon's surface |