telescope
A tool that makes distant objects appear larger, brighter and sharper. A telescope is a type of technology.
solar system
the sun, planets, moons, and other objects that orbit the sun
sun
nearest star to earth
*If the earth was further away from the sun, a year on earth would be LONGER.
star
A gigantic ball of gas which gives off heat and light. The SUN is a star. Star color ranges from hottest to coolest:
blue-white-yellow-orange-red
planets
satellites of the sun, large bodies in space that move around the sun
*Largest - Jupiter
*Smallest - Mercury
Earth
third planet from the sun, only planet that is known to support life
*orbits around the sun in an elliptical (oval) pattern.
Inner planets
four planets closest to the sun, small, made of solid rock; get a lot of heat and light from the sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars)
outer planets
four planets farthest from the sun, large, made of gases, usually cold and dark (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
orbit
to move in a path around an object
revolve
move around an object
rotate
spin or turn on an axis
axis
an imaginary line through the center of an object
constellations
group of stars that form a pattern shaped like an animal, person or object
moon
sphere made of rock that revolves around the Earth once every 27 and 1/3 days
*does not make its own light. The reflecting light from the sun makes the side of the moon facing the sun look bright.
moon phases
different ways the moon looks throughout the month
new moon
phase of the moon when it is not visible in the sky
crescent moon
phase of the moon in which only a small portion is lit
quarter moon
phase of the moon in which it looks like a half circle
full moon
phase of the moon when the moon is fully lit by the sun as seen from earth
equator
an imaginary line that circles the Earth HALFWAY between the North and South Poles. It divides the Earth into SOUTHERN and NORTHERN hemispheres.
seasons
Our year is divided into four SEASONS. The sun's rays strike Earth's SURFACE at different angles at different times of the YEAR. In the Northern Hemisphere (where we live), Earth is tilted TOWARD the sun during the summer and tilted AWAY from the sun duri
sun, moon, and earth
Be able to label and draw the sun, moon, and earth using the relationship of their sizes and arrows to show orbits.
gibbous moon
A phase of the Moon, when the size of the illuminated portion is greater than half but not a full Moon. >half, <full