UNIT 5 Earth/Moon/Sun
Study Guide
1. The Sun – see Star Carousel
 The Sun has a total of __________ layers.
 The Sun does not have a ___________________ surface.
 Nuclear fusion occurs here at temperatures of 15 million oC.
____________________
 The energy produced at the Sun’s core transfers through this
very dense layer of gasses as electromagnetic radiation.
________________
 The outermost layer of the Sun’s interior. Hot gasses rise from
the interior, cool, and sink back forming a cycle.
_________________
 The first layer of the Sun’s atmosphere and the layer that we
see. It is considered the Sun’s surface. ____________________
 The middle layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, the “color layer.”
____________________
 The outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere ___________________
is visible only through a solar eclipse. The _______________
radiates out from the Sun here.
 Areas of cooler gasses on the Sun’s surface are called
________________; when groups of these are connected, they
form a ____________________. ____________________ can
erupt from the Sun’s surface, emitting large amounts of
electromagnetic radiation.
2. Earth’s Rotation and Revolution
 The Earth moves through space in two ways; _______________
around its own axis, and _______________ or orbiting, around
the sun.
 The Earth’s axis has a tilt of approximately _____________
degrees.
 Because the tilt of the axis does not change, the hemispheres
can receive both _______________ and _______________
sunlight.
 The maximum sunlight is called the _______________
_____________.
 The minimum sunlight is called the _______________
_____________.
 Between the solstices, the hemispheres receive equal amounts
of sunlight at the _______________ and _______________
equinoxes.
 The direct and indirect sunlight causes the _______________.
 The seasons are always _______________ between the
southern and northern hemispheres.
3. Earth’s Moon – see Moon Carousel: formation, characteristics,
phases (see also p.120 and p.121)
 Eclipses are rare because the moon’s orbit is tilted by
____________, causing the moon’s or Earth’s _______________
to miss each other.
 A solar eclipse occurs during a _______________ moon, when
the moon blocks the sunlight from reaching the Earth and the
moon’s shadow hits the Earth instead.
 The very darkest part of the moon’s shadow is called the
______________. Only people within this dark shadow see a
_______________ _______________ eclipse. People within the
lighter part of the moon’s shadow, the _______________ or the
_______________ see a partial solar eclipse.
 _______________ lunar and solar eclipses are the most
common, as the _______________, _______________, and
_______________ are not quite in line.
4. Tides
 The sun and moon’s _______________ causes the tides.
 Tides occur roughly every __________ hours.
 The force of the _______________ gravity is basically
responsible for the tides. Even though the sun is bigger, it is
_______________ away.
 Spring tides are caused when the Earth, moon, and sun are in
a direct line. This occurs during a _______________ and
_______________ moon. High tides are _______________ than
normal, and low tides are _______________ than normal.
 Neap tides are caused when the moon is at right angles to the
Earth and sun. This occurs during a _______________ and
_______________ moon. High tides are _______________ than
normal, and low tides are _______________ than normal.