8th Grade Science Solar System Vocabulary Words

Rotation

Describe the motion of a spinning object. Each of the planets and moons in our solar system do this. To spin

Axis

An imaginary line about which each planet or moon spins. This imaginary line most the center of a planet or moons rotation. (An imaginary line that runs through the planets center. Between its north and south geographical poles

Revolution

Describes the motion of one object as it moves around another object. While each planet rotates around its axis, it is also _____ around the sun to move around, or orbit, something in a circular motion

Geocentric

The sun and other planets revolving around earth. (Earth-centered)

Heliocentric

The sun being the center of the solar system (sun-centered)

Leap year

This is because a full earthier is actually 365.25 days every four years we have a _____ during this, we make up for that extra quarter Day by adding an extra day to the calendar this year has 366 days instead of a normal 365 days

Orbit

The path an object takes as it revolves around another object.

Elliptical

Oval shaped

Summer

Longer days and weather is warmer in the northern hemisphere

Winter

The southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and receives fewer direct rates of sunlight as a result, days are shorter and weather is cooler in the southern hemisphere

Equator

The imaginary line around the horizontal Center of the planet

Equinox

Either of the two times in the year when the sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of equal length

Solstice

Either of the two times in the year when the suns apparent path is farthest north or south from Earths equator

Craters

Deep pits that the moons surface is covered in

Lunar cycle

The predictable pattern of The sun illuminating the half of the Moon facing earth. Other times the sun illuminates the half of the moon facing away from earth. The rest of the time, the sun illuminates part of the side facing earth, and the part of the side facing away from earth.

Phase

As the moon goes through its lunar cycle, we observe different __ of the moon from earth during each ____, earth, the moon, and the sun are located in different positions relative to the

New moon

When the moon is located directly between earth and the sun, the moon is not visible

Waxing crescent

Sun illuminates less than half of the side of the moon moon appears as a crescent shape in the sky

First quarter

Moon is there a 90° angle relative to earth and the sun. Sun illuminates exactly half of the side of the moon

Waxing gibbous

Sun illuminates more than half of the side of the moon facing earth, moon appears nearly full

Full moon

Sun illuminates the whole side of the moon, moon appears as a full circle in the sky

Waning gibbous

Mirror image of the waxing gibbous phase

Last (third) quarter

Moon is at a 90° angle relative to the Earth and the sun, then mirror image of the first quarter phase

Waning crescent

Mirror image of the waxing crescent phase

Gravitational attraction

The attraction between two objects due to the invisible force of gravity, the gravitational pull from the moon is primarily responsible for the tides that form on earth

Tide

The rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun

High Tide

Highest point of a sure that water will reach, mainly due to the gravitational attraction of the moon. At any given time of the day, this is produced on which ever shores are facing the position of the moon relative to the Earth. At the same time these are also produced on the shores opposite the position of the moon relative to the Earth

Inertia

The tendency for something to remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force

Low tide

The lowest point on a sure that water will reach. This always happen at places on earth that are at right angles to the tidal bulges like high tides, two of these occur at the same time on opposite sides of the Earth

Spring tides

When the Earth is between the moon and the sun and the alignment the side of the moon facing earth is completely bright this is the full moon phase. These two alignments produce higher than average high tides and lower than average low tides

Neap tides

About one week after a new moon or full moon, the moon and the sun for my right angle relative to earth. In this position the suns gravity works against the moons gravity. High tides are lower than average and low tides are higher than average