Untitled Flashcards Set

Mesopotamians

The first civilization for whom we have evidence of detailed astronomical observations.

Rotation and Revolution

Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun.

Mesopotamians

The first civilization for whom we have evidence of detailed astronomical observations.

Rotation and Revolution

Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun.

Constellations

Groups of stars that seem to form distinctive patterns.

Solar Eclipse

Occurs when the new Moon completely blocks the Sun.

Planet

A celestial object that orbits one or more stars, is spherical, and does not share its orbit with another object.

Retrograde Motion

The apparent motion of a planet opposite to the usual east-to-west motion.

Meteorite

A meteoroid that survives impact with the atmosphere and reaches the ground.

Phases of the Moon

The visible shapes of the Moon as it orbits Earth, changing the portion of its sunlit side that we see.

Astronomical Unit (AU)

The average distance between Earth and the Sun.

Inner and Outer Planets

Planets are classified based on their location relative to the asteroid belt.

Shooting Stars

Caused by meteoroids burning up as they enter Earth's atmosphere.

Comet

A small icy celestial body that orbits the Sun and has two tails caused by solar wind and radiation.

Solar Flares

Disruptive solar events that can affect Earth's power grids and satellite communications.

Cosmology

The study of how the universe began and evolved.

Big Bang Theory

The theory that the universe began from an incredibly dense state.

Galaxy

A huge collection of stars, planets, gas, and dust held together by gravity.

Milky Way

The galaxy that includes our solar system.

Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt

Regions that help astronomers understand the formation of the solar system.

Edwin Hubble

Discovered that galaxies are moving away from us, leading to the conclusion that the universe is expanding.

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

The leftover radiation from the Big Bang.