Astronomy Vocabulary

Define astronomy.

• study of the moon

• study of the universe

• study of the Big Bang

• study of the solar system

Define rotation.

• the spinning of a body on its axis

• the movement of a body around another in space

• the changing appearance of a body through a cycle such as the lunar cycle

• the changing activity of something like tides rising and falling

Define revolution.

• the changing appearance of an object like our moon

• the changing seasons throughout the year

• the spinning of a body on its axis

• the motion of a body that travels around another body in space

Define orbit (as a noun).

• an event that occurs rarely like an eclipse

• when a body spins on a tilted axis

• the path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space

• spinning on an axis (regardless of whether it is tilted or not)

Define axis.

• the motion of a body that travels around another body in space

• an imaginary line that runs through a body, around which it rotates

• the path that a body follows as it travels around another body in space

• one complete trip along an orbit

Define satellite / moon.

• a natural or artificial body that revolves (orbits) around larger bodies such as planets or stars

• a large body in space that produces light

• a body in space made of ice and rock that has a long tail of gas and dust

• a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth's atmosphere

Which are examples of Earth's satellites?

• the moon

• Pluto

• the sun

• the International Space Station (ISS)

Where does the Earth's axis run from?

• All the way around the equator

• Spain to New Zealand

• the North Pole to the South Pole

• From the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere

How long does it take for the Earth to complete its orbit around the sun?

• 1 day

• 1 week

• 1 month

• 1 year

Which object is revolving around the Earth?

• the sun

• the moon

• comets

• meteoroids