Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 2-5) – “Where Is Earth in Space?”
Vocabulary
Terms
Text
Page
Vocabulary
Definition
lithosphere
2
Earth’s rigid outer layer
hydrosphere
2
All of Earth’s water
atmosphere
2
Layer of gases surrounding a planet
meteoroid
3
Space rock smaller than an asteroid
planet
3
Large sphere in space that revolves around a star and does not
produce its own light
orbit
3
Path an object takes when revolving around another object
Sun
3
Name for the star at the center of our solar system
moon
3
Natural satellite that revolves around a planet
satellite
3
Object that revolves around another object
solar system
3
A star and the planets, moons, and other objects that revolve
around it
asteroid
3
Rocky space object that revolves around the Sun, mostly in a
region between Mars and Jupiter
comet
3
Chunk of ice, rock, and frozen gases
star
4
Enormous sphere of glowing gases that gives off heat and light
light-year
4
Distance that light can travel in one year
galaxy
4
System of stars, dust, and gases held together by gravity
universe
4
All of space, including all of the matter and energy within it
gravity
5
Universal force that attracts, or pulls, all objects that have mass
toward one another
law of
universal
gravitation
5
Gravity exists between any two objects with mass, and the
strength of gravity depends on the mass of the objects and the
distance between them
weight
5
Measurement of the pull of gravity on an object
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 6-7) – “What Is the Sun Like?”
Vocabulary
Terms
Text
Page
Vocabulary
Definition
solar energy
6
Energy from the sun
corona
6
Outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere
solar wind
6
Charged particles that escape from the Sun’s corona and
travel through space
chromosphere
6
Part of the Sun’s atmosphere that is above the photosphere
photosphere
6
Lowest layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that gives off light
prominence
6
Huge loop of glowing gas that extends out from the Sun
core
6
Center part of the Sun that is the source of the Sun’s energy
nuclear fusion
6
Reaction in the Sun when four hydrogen atoms fuse
together, or combine, to form helium, producing large
amounts of energy
radiation zone
7
Area of the Sun where energy is transferred by
electromagnetic waves
convection zone
7
Area of the Sun where energy is transferred by flowing gases
telescope
7
Instrument used to study distant objects; it creates larger
images of distant objects
sunspot
7
Cooler regions in the Sun’s photosphere
electromagnetic
spectrum
7
All of the types of electromagnetic radiation
solar flare
7
Intense bursts of energy on the Sun that occur when built-up
electromagnetic energy is released
spectrometer
7
Instrument that splits a star’s visible light into a band of
colors, used to determine a star’s composition
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 8-10) – “What Causes Days and Years?”
Vocabulary
Terms
Text
Page
Vocabulary
Definition
axis
8
Imaginary line that runs from a planet’s north pole to its
south pole on which the planet rotates
rotation
8
Act of turning or spinning on an axis
day
8
Length of time it takes for a planet to rotate once on its axis
time zone
9
One of the 24 standard zones into which Earth is divided,
corresponding to the 24 hours in a day
International
Date Line
9
Imaginary line passing through the western Pacific Ocean
that marks the start of a new day
revolution
10
Act of moving in a curved path or orbit around another
object
year
10
Length of time it takes for a planet to make one complete
revolution around the Sun
ellipse
10
An elongated circle; oval
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 11-12) – “What Causes Seasons?”
Vocabulary
Terms
Text
Page
Vocabulary
Definition
season
11
Periodic change in climate caused by the change in solar
energy due to the axial tilt of Earth as Earth orbits the Sun
axial tilt
11
Angle at which a planet’s axis tilts
latitude
12
Distance north or south of the equator, expressed in degrees
solstice
12
Two times of year when the Sun’s direct rays strike Earth the
farthest north or south of the equator
equinox
12
When the Sun’s rays directly strike the equator and both
hemispheres have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of
darkness
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 13-15) – “What Is the Moon Like?”
Vocabulary
Text
Vocabulary
Terms
Page
Definition
maria
13
Smooth, flat plains on the Moon that appear as dark patches
highlands
13
Hilly areas of the Moon that appear as light patches
crater
14
Depression on the surface of a planet or moon caused by a
meteorite impact
phases
15
Changes in the appearance of the Moon as it orbits Earth
waxing
15
Growing larger in appearance
waning
15
Growing smaller in appearance
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 16-17) – “What Causes Tides?”
Vocabulary
Text
Vocabulary
Terms
Page
Definition
tide
16
Regular rise and fall of the ocean’s surface
tidal range
16
Difference between the level of the ocean at high tide and at
low tide
spring tides
17
High tides that are higher than normal and low tides that are
lower than normal due to the Sun and Moon lining up with
Earth
neap tides
17
High tides that are lower than normal and low tides that are
higher than normal due to the Sun and Moon being at a right
angle to Earth
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Text Vocabulary (pg. 18-19) – “What Causes Eclipses?”
Vocabulary
Text
Vocabulary
Terms
Page
Definition
eclipse
18
When one object in space moves into the shadow cast by
another object
lunar eclipse
18
When the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow
umbra
18
Darkest part of the shadow cast by Earth or the Moon during
an eclipse
penumbra
18
Lighter part of the shadow cast by Earth or the Moon during
an eclipse
solar eclipse
19
When Earth moves into the Moon’s shadow