Chapter 2 Earth in Space

When Earth's rotation axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. Day and night are the same length.

• solstice

• equinox

• aphelion

• perihelion

A small, rocky object (not a sphere) that orbits the sun. Sometimes found in a belt.

• comet

• asteroid

• planet

• moon

A huge collection of stars, gas, and dust

• universe

• nebula

• galaxy

• star cluster

A phase of the moon during which more of the lit part is visible each day (growing bigger)

• waning

• gibbous

• waxing

• crescent

When the Earth blocks the light from the sun from shining onto the moon, and we can no longer see the moon, what type of eclipse is this?

• solar

• lunar

• partial

• total

A large sphere of hydrogen gas held together by gravity.

• planet

• star

• comet

• asteroid

The movement of one solar system object into the shadow of another object.

• eclipse

• transit

• occultation

• alignment

A phase of the moon during which less of the lit part is visible each night (growing smaller)

• waxing

• waning

• full moon

• new moon

The SPIN of an object around its axis

• revolution

• translation

• rotation

• oscillation

The distance light travels in one year

• light-year

• kilometer

• astronomical unit

• parsec