astronomy test 1

scientific notation: a way of saying very large numbers

scientific theory- a supported explanation of how/why something happens in the natural world

universe- everything

light year- the distance light travels in one year

astronomical unit- used to measure distances within the solar system

constellation-group of stars

ecliptic- the path of the sun

rotation of the earth- the way the earth spins

earth’s orbit- the way the earth goes around the sun

axel precession- when the earth wobbles

polaris- the north star because it stays in the same spot

zodiac- group of 12 constellations

radiation- energy that moves

light- visible radiation

wave- the way energy moves through space

frequency- number of wave cycles per second

electromagnetic radiation- the form of energy that travels through space as waves

photon- a particle representing a quantum of light

absolute zero- no motion no heat

white light- the combination of all colors

ccd- charge-coupled devices, used to capture images

refracting telescope- a telescope that uses lenses to bend light and capture images

reflecting telescope- uses mirrors to capture images

resolution- directly affects the clarity and detail of the images

false color image- images taken from a telescope that observe “invisible images”