Y8 Science-Space

How long is an Earth day?

24 hours, precisely 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds.

What is an astronomical unit?

the distance between the earth and the sun

What is the speed of light

3.00 x 10^5 km/s

What is the order of the planets, left to right?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

What 3 things do comets gain as they progress in their orbit towards the sun?

Speed, kinetic energy, and gravity

What is the term for a solar eclipse where the moon totally covers the sun?

Total solar eclipse

What angle is the Earth tilted at?

23.5 degrees

How long is the orbital period of the Moon?

28 days

What is the last quarter, and what side of the moon is lit?

When half the moon is lit, 3/4 of the cycle is finished, and light is on the left side.

What side of the moon is lit when the term 'waning' is used?

Left

How many kilometres is a light year

9.5 Trillion

What is the formula for finding how much you would weigh on different planets?

W=M x GFS(N/Kg)

What is the GFS on Earth?

10N/kg, precisely 9.8N/Kg

What position is the Moon in on a New Moon?

Between the Earth and the Sun.

Why do we have leap years?

each year has an extra 1/4 day so that after 4 years we add a day to the year

How does a lunar eclipse happen, and what position is the Sun, Earth and Moon in?

When the Earth's shadow falls on a full moon. The Earth is between the moon and the sun.

Explain a geostationary orbit.

When a satellite goes at the same speed as the spin of a planet, so someone below this satellite will have an illusion that it isn't moving.

Benefits of a geostationary orbit

It can spy on just one particular place for a long time.

Why is the earth at an angle

A massive rock hit it, and was flung into space.

When is the winter solstice

December 21

When is the summer solstice

June 21

When is the autumn equinox

September 22

When is the spring equinox?

March 21

When is the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere

21 December