Name: ________________________________________________________ Hour: _________
ASTRONOMY STUDY GUIDE
1. What is a galaxy? What is the name of our galaxy?
2. What makes up our solar system?
3. What is a “heliocentric” model? Who first proposed it?
4. What is a “geocentric” model? When did this model first begin?
5. What makes up the universe?
6. What two factors does the force of gravity depend on? Why?
7. What two things keep objects in orbit? How?
8. What types of waves are in the electromagnetic spectrum?
9. How is rotation different from revolution? How long is each for Earth?
10. What causes night and day? What determines their lengths?
11. What two things cause our seasons?
12. What is a solstice? When does it occur? How are the Sun’s rays on Earth
and length of day affected by it?
13. What is an equinox? When does it occur? How are the Sun’s rays on Earth and length of day
affected by it?
14. How much of the Moon do we see? Why?
15. What causes the phases of the Moon?
16. What are the phases of the Moon? Draw pictures and label them from new Moon to full Moon and
back to new Moon.
17. Draw pictures of and explain the two types of eclipses.
18. What causes tides? When are they highest? Why?
19. What is an AU? Why do we have it?
20. How does gravity affect objects in our solar system?
21. What are the planets in order?
22. Compare/contrast the size and distances from the Sun for the inner planets.
23. Compare/contrast the size and distances from the Sun for the outer planets.
24. Place the following in order from farthest away to closest to Earth: meteor, asteroid, comet,
meteorite.
25. Place the following in order from smallest to biggest: meteor, asteroid, comet, meteorite.
26. How many stars are in our solar system? How much mass does the Sun have?
27. Of what are the Sun and other stars primarily made? How does the Sun produce energy?
28. Explain the layers of the Sun in order from the core to the outer layer of its atmosphere.
29. What is a light-year? Why do we have it?
30. How does the Sun compare to other stars in terms of size and lifespan?
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