Chapter 16 – Earth in Space – Flashcards
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The length of daylight and nighttime are the same during what?
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An equinox
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During which month of the year does the earth recieve the greatest average energy from the Sun?
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January
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In the time 9am the am means what?
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Before the meridian
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A person standing where the moon's penumbra touches the earth will see a what?
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Partial solar eclipse
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From the fact that the moon exactly blocks the sun during a solar eclipse one can correctly conclude that what?
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The moon and sun have the same angular size
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The astronomical unit is what?
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The average distance from the earth to the sun
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The earth is undergoing a combinations of how many movements?
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7
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The earth's axis of rotation?
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Is inclined to the elliptic
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The earth moves most rapidly in its orbit around what date?
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January 3rd
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How frequently does the sun appear directly overhead @ 15* north latitude
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Twice a year
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The slow wobble of the earth's axis is called what?
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Precession
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The fact that there are seasons on the earth is largely due to what?
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Tilt of the earth's axis
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An apparent solar day is what?
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The interval between two consecutive solar noons; slightly longer than a sidereal day; rarely exactly 24 hours long
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The ancient greeks believed the shape of the earth was what?
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Perfect sphere
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Evidence that the earth is rotating is provided by what?
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Motion of a pendulum
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Rocks on the surface of the moon are primarily what kind of rocks?
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Basaltic
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North of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun appears directly overhead how many times?
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Never
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South of the antarctic circle, the sun appears when?
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Above the horizon all day at least once during December
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How many standard time zones are there?
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24
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The path of a plane flying due north from a spot on the equator would appear to do what?
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Curve to the east
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We always see the same size of the moon because...
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The moon's periods of rotation and revolution are the same
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During which phase of the moon would we most likely see a solar eclipse?
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New moon
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If you were flying west on a jet across three time zones and your watch red 12 noon when you landed what time is it where you are?
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9am
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A person standing where the moon's umbra reaches can see what?
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Full solar eclipse
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A lunar eclipse can only occur during which which phase of the moon?
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Full moon
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What is the accepted theory about the origin of the moon?
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A very large object hit earth and the moon was formed from the ejected material
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Neap tides result when the moon is what phase?
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Quarter phase
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For the last 3 billion years the surface of the moon has been what?
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Relatively quiet
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The earth rotates
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West to east
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The smallest range between high and low tides occur during what phase of the moon?
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Quarter phases (neap tides)
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A total solar eclipse can only occur during the moon phase of what?
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New moon
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In the northern hemisphere the sun at noon reaches its lowest altitude above the horizon at
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Winter solstice
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When the sun appears at its maximum or minimum altitude in the sky?
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Solstice
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When the moon is closest to earth it is called what?
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Perigee
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Means equal day and night?
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Equinox
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The plane of earth's orbit is called what?
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Plane of the ecliptic
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The north pole points towards the sun during the what?
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Summer solstice
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The referent meridian is called the what?
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Prime meridian
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The parrallel at 66.5*S is called the what?
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Antarctic circle
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The movement of the sun across the celestial meridian is defined as what?
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Noon
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The meridian @ 180* is called the what?
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International date line
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The time period from one new moon to the next new moon is called what?
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Synodic month
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Friction between the tides in the ocean basin is what?
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Slowing earth's rotation
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During the equinoxes...
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A vertical stick at the equator will not cast a shadow at noon; at noon the sun is directly overhead; daylight and night are of equal length
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If it is Monday when crossing the international date line while travelling westward the next day is what?
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Wednesday
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The time it takes a particular star to cross the celestial meridian is a what?
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Sidereal day
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When the umbra of the moon's shadow does not reach the earth's surface what is it called?
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Annular eclipse
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The most recent ice age on earth occured when?
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18,000 years ago
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The maximum difference between a sundial and a clock throughout the year is what?
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15 minutes
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North - south running arcs that intersect the north and south pole are called what?
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Meridians
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The distance north or south of the equator is called what?
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Latitude
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If your favorite constellation rose @ 9pm one night, when would it rise 2 weeks later?
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Around 8pm
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In the northern hemisphere the sun at noon reaches its lowest altitude above the horizon?
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Winter solstice
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The spinning of a planet on its axis
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Rotation
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The atmosphere of the moon is?
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Non-existant
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The approximate age of the moon was determined by what?
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Radioactive dating of rocks
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During the course of a year and relative to the sun, earth's axis points
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Towards the sun half a year and away from the earth half
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Clock time is based on what?
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Averaged apparent solar time
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The relationship of earth's axis to the plane of the ecliptic
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Is the same direction at all times
