a body that orbits a planet. An object that orbits the sun Large enough to have become rounded by its own gravity.

Earth Vocab…Lessons 1, 2, 3

a body that orbits a planet.

satellite

An object that orbits the sun Large enough to have become rounded by

its own gravity.

planets

a streak of light produced when a small object burns up entering Earth’s atmosphere.

meteors

is a cold mixture of dust and ice that gives up a long trail of light as it approaches the sun.

comet

giant ball of hot gas Tiny points of light

stars

Is a pattern or groups of stars in the sky.

constellations

Imaginary line that passes through Earth’s center and the North and South poles

axis

Spinning of the Earth and moon around its axis.

rotation

It takes the Earth 365 days to complete one Movement of the Earth around the Sun or

the movement of the moon around the Earth

revolution

Earth moves around the sun in a regular, curved path called a(n)

Earth’s ______ brings it closer to the sun in January

orbit

Caused by Earth’s tilted axis and its revolution around the sun

seasons

If the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, what season is occurring?

winter

What season occurs when part of Earth is tilted towards the Sun?

summer

What seasons occur when the Earth is neither tilted toward or away from the Sun?

Spring & Autumn/Fall

Sun appears farthest north of the equator and south each year

Longest day of the year in Northern Hemisphere and shortest day of the year in Southern Hemisphere

solstice

The sun is directly overhead at the equator Means “equal night” 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night

equinox

The Winter Solstice begins on

December 21 or 22

The Spring Equinox begins on

March 20 or 21

The Summer Solstice begins on

June 21 or 22

The Fall Equinox begins on

September 22 or 23

Attracts all objects to each other Keeps the Earth in an orbit around the sun Keeps the moon in an orbit around the Earth

gravity

Amount of matter in an object Remains constant

mass

Measure of the force of gravity on an object Changes depending on location

weight

Every object in the universe attracts every other

Law of universal gravitation

Tendency of an object to resist a change in motion

Example: when a car is moving and suddenly stop; you keep moving forward

inertia

An object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by a force

Newton’s first Law of motion